Past #15: Paul Ahern - delisted after 24 NM games/6 NM goals - thanks Pauly

[Luke72]

I will always be disappointed that it didn't work out for Paul. 30 touches as a 21 year old in his first game off 2 knees, 37 touches and freakish vision against the eventual premiers a few weeks later. Still struggle to understand what went wrong after that, was nowhere near it by the end.

Yeah it was really disappointing, it seemed the development at the time was no good as there were a few in the same boat.

 

[HELLSBELLS]

Looked a fitness thing for me.

Never quite looked super fit or close to it really.

 

[tazaa]

Looked a fitness thing for me.

Never quite looked super fit or close to it really.

Writing was on the wall when we played * that year and he just couldn’t go with their soft**** midfielders on the spread.
Like running in sand.

Its been our Achille heal for years and still is.
That’s why Ben Jacobs was a phenomenon.
He was worth 6 wins and 6 ladder spots on his own. Just complimented the team so well.
To a lesser extent it’s why Hartungs delisting was puzzling.
Yeah he was soft and whatnot but he had a tank, had pace and could use it okay.
Which in North teams of late makes you elite.

We have gotten rotten luck lately but put it this way. If Ahern had been drafted by * they probably would have found their inside bull which would compliment the other seagulls on the side. Wasn’t to be.

 

[franjon]

We have gotten rotten luck lately but put it this way. If Ahern had been drafted by * they probably would have found their inside bull which would compliment the other seagulls on the side. Wasn’t to be.

Its only my opinion but I think it was fear because of his earlier knee problems. I think in the back of his mind he probably felt that if he pushed himself too far it might happen again. As much as I feel sorry for Paul, its why we needed to stop drafting/trading for players with a history of injury issues. I think with Brady Luff and Finnegan that has ceased anyway.

 

[Heaps of fun]

I can't remember who it was but there was a good post here about how Paul had the legs to run offensively and collect the footy but the sort of two-way running and repeat efforts required to be a best 22 AFL midfielder was beyond what he had available/was prepared to work to achieve.

 

[ferball]

Its only my opinion but I think it was fear because of his earlier knee problems. I think in the back of his mind he probably felt that if he pushed himself too far it might happen again. As much as I feel sorry for Paul, its why we needed to stop drafting/trading for players with a history of injury issues. I think with Brady Luff and Finnegan that has ceased anyway.

Comben, Perez, Phillips and Powell all had injury concerns of one sort or another.

I agree with the point about his knee tho. In that first year he was big, probably overweight but could still get the ball but he lost weight over the pre season, probably got fitter but also lost enough size that he couldn't hold his position over the ball as well. Maybe that also had something to do with his knee, that he didn't trust it to really push back against a contesting player. Cos he wasn't small.

 

[franjon]

I agree with the point about his knee tho. In that first year he was big, probably overweight but could still get the ball but he lost weight over the pre season, probably got fitter but also lost enough size that he couldn't hold his position over the ball as well. Maybe that also had something to do with his knee, that he didn't trust it to really push back against a contesting player. Cos he wasn't small.

I was talking more mindset. You were right about the initial players and we're still not sure about some of them, we live in hope.

 

[roos_fanatic08]

From what I’ve been told he really struggled with training in the last 18 months due to fluid & pain in not only his reconstructed knee but also his good one too.

Couldn’t get a decent block of training in without his knees swelling up, which resulted in his fitness not improving.

Towards the end of his time with us he’d be lucky to train once a week before getting up to play.

Probably explains why his body language was so poor towards the end.

 

[Luke72]

From what I’ve been told he really struggled with training in the last 18 months due to fluid & pain in not only his reconstructed knee but also his good one too.

Couldn’t get a decent block of training in without his knees swelling up, which resulted in his fitness not improving.

Towards the end of his time with us he’d be lucky to train once a week before getting up to play.

Probably explains why his body language was so poor towards the end.

It’s a real shame. I remember talking to him at one of the player sponsorship things and he seemed a really nice, humble bloke. I hope he can have a good career in the lower leagues.

 

[Merlin007]

From what I’ve been told he really struggled with training in the last 18 months due to fluid & pain in not only his reconstructed knee but also his good one too.

Couldn’t get a decent block of training in without his knees swelling up, which resulted in his fitness not improving.

Towards the end of his time with us he’d be lucky to train once a week before getting up to play.

Probably explains why his body language was so poor towards the end.

explains a lot

 

[chairo]

From what I’ve been told he really struggled with training in the last 18 months due to fluid & pain in not only his reconstructed knee but also his good one too.

Couldn’t get a decent block of training in without his knees swelling up, which resulted in his fitness not improving.

Towards the end of his time with us he’d be lucky to train once a week before getting up to play.

Probably explains why his body language was so poor towards the end.

Thanks for shedding light on this. Hope some of the posters who commented on his conditioning towards the end read this. Such a shame that it didn't work out.

 

[roos_fanatic08]

Signed on to play with Pascoe Vale again in 2023. Didn’t realise that he played there this year but done another ACL a quarter and a half into round 1….impressive that he is trying to get back to play at all.