Paul Ahern

Jul 26, 2007
93,505
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The Tree
AFL Club
North Melbourne
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Arsenal, Coney Island Warriors
This is an anomaly. 'Mature ' aged recruits seem to be on the rise, yet there is no award to recognise their contribution, other than the Brownlow. Why not have two categories of Rising Star?

I agree, may need an overhaul with mature age players and early injuries being more common. Blokes like Ahern and Tim Kelly certainly missing out on "official" recognition.
 

Thewlis Dish

Cancelled
10k Posts
Sep 9, 2003
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North Melbourne
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FGR
This is an anomaly. 'Mature ' aged recruits seem to be on the rise, yet there is no award to recognise their contribution, other than the Brownlow. Why not have two categories of Rising Star?

Could just make it if you fall outside the age criteria, you are still eligible if you played your first game in that season. Would also scrap the weekly nomination as a qualifier for winning the whole award, and just make it a PR thing so the junior club still gets the bonus etc.
 
Have you got a source on the rushed rehab part? I certainly haven't heard anything like that.

Thrilled for Ahern. Well done to North for allowing him the time to recuperate properly and then not rushing him at the beginning of 2018. He's become a very good player, very quickly. One of the few good players Silvagni selected for us, yet he seemingly rate him high enough to bring to Carlton and instead targeted Marchbank and Pickett. Great to see him doing so well.

Not sure about rushed, but I don't remember the last time someone did a knee and were playing again in the same year with a conventional reconstruction. I hope clubs just take more time with these knee ligament injuries, give them more time to heal. Who knows, he may just genetically have suspect ligaments or his bio-mechanics might put undue stress on his knees and he may injury again no matter how much rest he has.
 
This is an anomaly. 'Mature ' aged recruits seem to be on the rise, yet there is no award to recognise their contribution, other than the Brownlow. Why not have two categories of Rising Star?

Still think one award is fine. Perhaps a best player of the year under x amount of games would be simpler. Say less than 25.
 
Still think one award is fine. Perhaps a best player of the year under x amount of games would be simpler. Say less than 25.
From the AFL site: "To be eligible for the AFL Rising Star Award, each year's nominated players must be under the age of 21 at 1 January and have played no more than 10 AFL games to the start of that season."

So its awarded to a standout young player. A player who turns 21 on 31 December of the previous year is ineligible despite being 'young'. A player who may be a stand out but who does not get nominated during the H&A is ineligible. Hasn't happened yet, but it could.

What's wrong with:
A) Rising Star (Under 21)
B) Rising Star (Over 21)
Both classes of players must still have played less than 10 games and never been suspended during the season??
 
Jun 6, 2011
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Goonellebah
AFL Club
GWS
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Islanders
Not sure about rushed, but I don't remember the last time someone did a knee and were playing again in the same year with a conventional reconstruction. I hope clubs just take more time with these knee ligament injuries, give them more time to heal. Who knows, he may just genetically have suspect ligaments or his bio-mechanics might put undue stress on his knees and he may injury again no matter how much rest he has.
Thanks for the explanation. :thumbsu:

Some guys need a little extra time. We have been patient with Kennedy and Buntine- and they have made very good return's this year, and I am glad that you guys have been able to do the same thing with Ahern. His game yesterday was superb.
 
Thanks for the explanation. :thumbsu:

Some guys need a little extra time. We have been patient with Kennedy and Buntine- and they have made very good return's this year, and I am glad that you guys have been able to do the same thing with Ahern. His game yesterday was superb.

GWS were in the position where they were losing players due to the cap squeeze and Paul had indicated that he would prefer to go home so he had the support of his family through his rehabilitation so they had to pick their battles in terms of who you fight to retain and who you let go.

I am just surprised Carlton weren't all over him.
 
Jul 14, 2005
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Gotta love the double standards re: SOS and this bloke.

Gets slated for years for taking this guy at 7, then when he shows he’s comfortably worth the pick the rhetoric changes to ‘how did SOS miss this guy!?’

More than likely North were more accomodating with a contract, and with our lack of depth didn’t want a guy sitting on our list for 12 months unable to play a senior game. Was always a risk/reward prospect.

Great to see him gunning it though. Was one of my favourites in his draft year, and although I didn’t think he was Top 10 on talent he had a great skillset: great pace, good in congestion, an elite handballer and awesome goal sense. Just had a few question marks on his productivity.

Looks to be a future A-grader.
 

TooBlue14

Cancelled
Feb 5, 2015
3,782
5,955
AFL Club
Carlton
Not only that, but Carlton traded pick seven for a bag of magic beans. That pick was used to draft Ahern. Ahern should be a blue but isn't.
They wouldn’t of picked ahern they were going to take Peter Wright.
 
Jul 14, 2005
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Carlton
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Chelsea FC
How did SOS miss this guy!?

Addressed above. 16 other list managers also passed over him, but because GWS and SOS is a meme the trolls come out.

Regardless, if you’re a young GWS player headed back to Victoria would you want to sign with a competitive mid-range team or a bottom 4 team? It’s pretty common sense.

SOS doesn’t have a monopoly on player free will.
 
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