Opinion Commentary & Media V

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Oct 16, 2004
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Did Luke Darcy just say that it's easier to score goals from outside 50 at the SCG because the ground is shorter???

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The Anvil

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Oct 5, 2004
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I said nothing about the Hub

Read between the lines.

Brown had someone in his ear when decisions were to be made. Others have confirmed this to be Hester.

Hester rubbed people at the club up the wrong way, she was constantly getting involved in things and giving her opinion for the sake of having an opinion. Even when those subjects had nothing to do with her.

She cracked the shits with the club on occasion over little things and annoyed a number of players, staff, family members etc with the way she went about things.

The people I spoke to basically said a large portion of their family can't stand the way she acts and feel shes a huge reason Ben is now playing at the Dees.

There would be annoying wives and girlfriends in every team.

The club changed direction and moved on older players, it’s as simple as that. If the club still wanted Ben he’d have gotten a contract with us.


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Oct 16, 2004
11,075
39,402
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I said nothing about the Hub

Read between the lines.

Brown had someone in his ear when decisions were to be made. Others have confirmed this to be Hester.

Hester rubbed people at the club up the wrong way, she was constantly getting involved in things and giving her opinion for the sake of having an opinion. Even when those subjects had nothing to do with her.

She cracked the shits with the club on occasion over little things and annoyed a number of players, staff, family members etc with the way she went about things.

The people I spoke to basically said a large portion of their family can't stand the way she acts and feel shes a huge reason Ben is now playing at the Dees.

That's all well and good but I can't see how and why an annoying WAG would be sufficient reason to move on one of the club's few elite players, with no logical replacement, and managing the trade in a manner that saw us get bent over.

Seeing Ben Brown at one of end of the ground, the worst forward line in living memory at the other, a lop sided scoreboard and the Dees 7-0 and first on the ladder and us 0-7 and last is going to be heartbreaking.
 

north_lad

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Oct 26, 2003
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That's all well and good but I can't see how and why an annoying WAG would be sufficient reason to move on one of the club's few elite players, with no logical replacement, and managing the trade in a manner that saw us get bent over.

Seeing Ben Brown at one of end of the ground, the worst forward line in living memory at the other, a lop sided scoreboard and the Dees 7-0 and first on the ladder and us 0-7 and last is going to be heartbreaking.

it's going to be ******* annoying is what it is
 

nelroo

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Aug 8, 2004
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That's all well and good but I can't see how and why an annoying WAG would be sufficient reason to move on one of the club's few elite players, with no logical replacement, and managing the trade in a manner that saw us get bent over.

Seeing Ben Brown at one of end of the ground, the worst forward line in living memory at the other, a lop sided scoreboard and the Dees 7-0 and first on the ladder and us 0-7 and last is going to be heartbreaking.
Meh.. need to move on man. Plenty of fish aka joeys in the sea/field 😂
 

AnEmptyChair

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Nov 12, 2020
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LOL imaging thinking the club traded one of the best forwards in the league, our most marketable player since Carey, because his missus was a bit difficult. It's absolute ******* nonsense. If it had any bearing on the way things progressed it would be in the range of about 0.000000001% of the reason why he's at the Dees. Some people just want an easy target at whom to direct their ire and you can be defensive about the gendered aspect all you like but it absolutely, undeniably plays a role in this rubbish -- for some subconsciously, for others overtly.
 
Mar 14, 2002
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That's all well and good but I can't see how and why an annoying WAG would be sufficient reason to move on one of the club's few elite players, with no logical replacement, and managing the trade in a manner that saw us get bent over.

Seeing Ben Brown at one of end of the ground, the worst forward line in living memory at the other, a lop sided scoreboard and the Dees 7-0 and first on the ladder and us 0-7 and last is going to be heartbreaking.
1994 and 1998 were heartbreaking...and 2002

This is a passing pimple
 
Jun 9, 2001
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LOL imaging thinking the club traded one of the best forwards in the league, our most marketable player since Carey, because his missus was a bit difficult. It's absolute ******* nonsense. If it had any bearing on the way things progressed it would be in the range of about 0.000000001% of the reason why he's at the Dees. Some people just want an easy target at whom to direct their ire and you can be defensive about the gendered aspect all you like but it absolutely, undeniably plays a role in this rubbish -- for some subconsciously, for others overtly.

It's unpopular but imo we ****ed this one ourselves, hardly a shock that opinion. I'm unconvinced Hester's life views played a part in this.

IF they did, we deserve this outcome for our list management being based on such flimsy foundations.
 

AnEmptyChair

Premiership Player
Nov 12, 2020
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It's unpopular but imo we f’ed this one ourselves, hardly a shock that opinion. I'm unconvinced Hester's life views played a part in this.

IF they did, we deserve this outcome for our list management being based on such flimsy foundations.
I agree with everything but your first sentence. If things did indeed progress as it's been reported (by reliable sources) in regards to his manager rejecting the contract we offered and then wanting to accept it after he'd been injured and rubbish all year, then I actually don't blame our list management team. Or, at least, I don't apportion the majority of the blame to them.

It's reasonable to assume that we knew we were headed for a root and branch rebuild as far back as halfway through the year. If they thought he was a player that wasn't going to be part of the future AND we could get something for him, then I think it was the right move to withdraw the contract offer. The other contracted experienced players we had -- Tarrant, Ziebell, Goldy, Atley -- probably aren't the types that were going to get much than a 3rd rounder plus, and Cunners physicality and leadership is too important for a young team. I think when it comes to Brown and Higgo, weighing up what they would bring to our rebuild versus what we might be able to add for the future, I think those decisions are justifiable, even if I hate that both aren't playing for the club anymore.

And ultimately, even if it wasn't part of the initial plan, we ended up with Stepho out of it, who is arguably now our most marketable player, so I can't be too angry.
 
Oct 16, 2004
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1994 and 1998 were heartbreaking...and 2002

This is a passing pimple

It's been a few decades since pimples were an issue few me, but I don't think I ever had a pimple that I doubted would ever go away. I literally can't watch any moment of the 1994 PF or 1998 GF. And they hurt savagely and the future felt distant at the time . But when I watch 1996 or 1999 there's a feeling of redemption that makes those years feel even better. Even 2002 had the narrative that the heartbroken team of warriors without their shamed leader drew on something intangible to make the finals just one more time before falling into the abyss.

This pimple is different. If there's any redemption to be had it's so far away that it barely feels possible. And it isn't the result of a one-off bad day, or a shitful minute. It's the result two decades of mediocrity, mismanagement and misguided goal-setting and trust.

This isn't a pimple. A pimple wouldn't even suggest that the club would jettison a marketable and elite player for peanuts to the team's detriment due to an intelligent, independent, opinionated, intrusive and annoying partner. Times have changed - granted - but the 1994, 1998 and 2002 versions of NMFC would have told the player and the partner in no uncertain terms to pull their heads in.

Ben Brown playing against us tomorrow alone is a pimple. The circumstances of how he's playing against us tomorrow is a cancer that was benign for nearly 20 years. It's now malignant. And the symptoms are the worst first six rounds this club has ever had.
 
All the things mentioned by various posters no doubt contributed to the sigh of relief issued when Ben (and Hester) left, but none of them are the reason he's no longer at the club.

Length of deal we offered in early 2020 was deemed insufficient by Brown and his camp.

We wouldn't offer the length of deal he wanted because of our concerns about his knee.
 
All the things mentioned by various posters no doubt contributed to the sigh of relief issued when Ben (and Hester) left, but none of them are the reason he's no longer at the club.

Length of deal we offered in early 2020 was deemed insufficient by Brown and his camp.

We wouldn't offer the length of deal he wanted because of our concerns about his knee.
Let's be clear here.

Despite how some seem to have taken it, I never claimed it was THE reason Ben is no longer at the club.

Simply passing on information that I was made privy to about factors that may have played into his decision making process when he chose to knock back the deal we initially tabled him. Thought some may have found it interesting.
 
Let's be clear here.

Despite how some seem to have taken it, I never claimed it was THE reason Ben is no longer at the club.

Simply passing on information that I was made privy to about factors that may have played into his decision making process when he chose to knock back the deal we initially tabled him. Thought some may have found it interesting.
There have been a few stories around and I think it was a combination of a few that sealed his fate.
 
Apr 1, 2008
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Let's be clear here.

Despite how some seem to have taken it, I never claimed it was THE reason Ben is no longer at the club.

Simply passing on information that I was made privy to about factors that may have played into his decision making process when he chose to knock back the deal we initially tabled him. Thought some may have found it interesting.

As usual, it has been taken as the single factor that put him out the door.

Clearly it wasn’t, but it’s decent part of it.
 
There have been a few stories around and I think it was a combination of a few that sealed his fate.
Exactly right.

Who knows, Ben might have caught Amarfio sniffing his jocks at one point and taken offense at it, doesn't mean that what has been put forward is irrelevant.
 
Apr 1, 2008
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The club offered him three, he declined and wanted four.

His knee is apparently an issue, but not enough for the club to not offer him a decent contract.

His wife is a pain in the ass and along with the knee made it a situation where the club was happy to part ways.

Quite simple.
 
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