2012: Expect Some Retirements

[WWSD]

Cameron Bruce 32yo 233 Games 211 Goals
Seems certain to retire next year, unless something amazing happens. Will struggle to force his way into the best 22. Really liked him as a player at melbourne. But his time has come. Wish him all the best in the future.

Chance Bateman 30yo 174 Games 74 Goals
A lot might agree that 2011 wasn't one of his best seasons & struggled for fitness & form. He has been a fantastic servent of the HFC for the past 12 years. A gut running player who's done some great shut down roles. Fitting he is a premiership player! Although like Bruce can't see him playing many games next year, might play some good games here & there, but will struggle to play many games. Will possibly retire.

Michael Osborne 29yo 156 Games 104 Goals
Started his career in 2001 from the rookie list & really started to emerge as a good reliable Back Pocket/Half Back in 2003-2004 with injury reuining his form & fitness. Was almost traded at the end of 2007 but has come back & played possibly the best footy of his career over the 3-4 years. One of my favourite mements was when he almost took MOTY in 2008 but blew it! Been a great player for the HFC for 11 years and will be very hard to replace along with Bateman. Great player to have on our list been one of my favourite players to watch IMO a very underated player. Would not be suprised if he played beyond next year. But he will possibly retire.

Very highley unlikely, but who knows?

Brent Guerra 29yo 217 Games 103 Goals
Shaun Burgoyne 29yo 197 Games 194 Goals

I don't expect those two to retire but who knows. So by seasons end we could have 3 to 4 retirements. One way or another that's a lot. Their on field leadership will be soarly missed. I hope they can all go out in fitting style. Will be hard to replace those players but our future is in very good hands with the youngsters we blooded in Puopolo Smith Savage Shiels Breust Suckling Whitecross, will hold the HFC in good sted for the next decade!

 

[Milestone]

Cameron Bruce 32yo 233 Games 211 Goals
Seems certain to retire next year, unless something amazing happens. Will struggle to force his way into the best 22. Really liked him as a player at melbourne. But his time has come. Wish him all the best in the future.

Chance Bateman 30yo 174 Games 74 Goals
A lot might agree that 2011 wasn't one of his best seasons & struggled for fitness & form. He has been a fantastic servent of the HFC for the past 12 years. A gut running player who's done some great shut down roles. Fitting he is a premiership player! Although like Bruce can't see him playing many games next year, might play some good games here & there, but will struggle to play many games. Will possibly retire.

Michael Osborne 29yo 156 Games 104 Goals
Started his career in 2001 from the rookie list & really started to emerge as a good reliable Back Pocket/Half Back in 2003-2004 with injury reuining his form & fitness. Was almost traded at the end of 2007 but has come back & played possibly the best footy of his career over the 3-4 years. One of my favourite mements was when he almost took MOTY in 2008 but blew it! Been a great player for the HFC for 11 years and will be very hard to replace along with Bateman. Great player to have on our list been one of my favourite players to watch IMO a very underated player. Would not be suprised if he played beyond next year. But he will possibly retire.

Very highley unlikely, but who knows?

Brent Guerra 29yo 217 Games 103 Goals
Shaun Burgoyne 29yo 197 Games 194 Goals

I don't expect those two to retire but who knows. So by seasons end we could have 3 to 4 retirements. One way or another that's a lot. Their on field leadership will be soarly missed. I hope they can all go out in fitting style. Will be hard to replace those players but our future is in very good hands with the youngsters we blooded in Puopolo Smith Savage Shiels Breust Suckling Whitecross, will hold the HFC in good sted for the next decade!

Bateman and Bruce aren't best 22. Bruest direct replacement for Ossie, if he hasn't passed him already.

Forget the other two, they still have a good 2 years left in them.

What will hurt is if guys like Ellis and Young don't lift in 2012... then our depth might be tested.

The unseen: Hallahan, Schneider, Duryea, Woodward, Hill still a fair way off.

 

[Pessimistic]

Theyd be spring chickens in the geelong team...

 

[Messenger]

I'm with Milestone on this one.

 

[Mitchell Madness]

Bateman will be round for a while.

Wise head, good trainer.

Guerra is in career best form

 

[Fluro Boots]

Bateman will be round for a while.

Wise head, good trainer.

Guerra is in career best form

I think this year may well be his last. He's lost a little bit of that zip i reckon and theres some real pressure for spots. Smith probably does Batemans role better now as for providing run and I dont think Batemans a good enough tagger now either with Lewis doing those big roles now. Savage is also a speedy little wingman that is demanding game time.

I'm not putting a line through him but if Bateman does go on in 2013 he might find himself in Ladson country. He'll probably play a fair amount of games this year in a brown and gold guernsey with a horse on the font of it.

 

[Symons]

I seem to remember that this time last year, everyone was suggesting that Guerra wouldn't make it onto the field with the Hawks - and he came back with a brilliant year.

If Bateman can get fit, he's an asset to the team...but obviously his pace was a big plus for him, and it's understandable that may drop off as he gets older. Fingers crossed that he stays fit and can have an impact.

The most remarkable thing about Ossie's game is his leap; he's genuinely exciting when he flies for those big marks. I would be disappointed if he didn't put his mark on a position in the best 22 next year.

 

[Collins-Langford-Ayres]

Geelong showed this year how beneficial it is to have depth and rotate players in and out of the team.

Expect we'll do a lot more of that in 2012 so that we get to the finals with a fit and firing list, so everyone's going to get a go.

That aside, I would have thought that the candidates for retirement/delisting/trading would come from Bruce, Changa, Duryea, Young, Guerra.. and Sammy Mitchell off to GWS.

 

[hawkster101]

I'm surprised we held onto Chance
to be honest, as good a servant as he has been to the club is it worth holding onto him an extra year at
most when if he does get game time it'll be at the expense of a developing savage or smith (Both young guys who I believe are out of contract and with GWS still lurking) and to a lesser extent young and Ellis if down on form? He has only a year left in him and his best is behind, I'd be very upset if we loose a young guy who's got his best still ahead of him because we held on to long and picked experience over youth like we did in the final which I believe cost us dearly. I was really disappointed to see 2 young guys who had done so much and just needed someone to believe in them and give them a go just to be shafted for a guy who never proved himself the entire season in Bateman and also Bruce who was our first emergency. We showed faith in Schoey and in Stratts who one had been less than average and the other injured majority of the season and was rushed back but Bruest played 1 average game
and got the boot, Savage was injured and never lit up box hill but nor did Bruce or Bateman to be put ahead.
I hope it doesn't come back to bite us like it did in the finals because it cost us immensely.

 

[WWSD]

I'm surprised we held onto Chance
to be honest, as good a servant as he has been to the club is it worth holding onto him an extra year at
most when if he does get game time it'll be at the expense of a developing savage or smith (Both young guys who I believe are out of contract and with GWS still lurking) and to a lesser extent young and Ellis if down on form? He has only a year left in him and his best is behind, I'd be very upset if we loose a young guy who's got his best still ahead of him because we held on to long and picked experience over youth like we did in the final which I believe cost us dearly. I was really disappointed to see 2 young guys who had done so much and just needed someone to believe in them and give them a go just to be shafted for a guy who never proved himself the entire season in Bateman and also Bruce who was our first emergency. We showed faith in Schoey and in Stratts who one had been less than average and the other injured majority of the season and was rushed back but Bruest played 1 average game
and got the boot, Savage was injured and never lit up box hill but nor did Bruce or Bateman to be put ahead.
I hope it doesn't come back to bite us like it did in the finals because it cost us immensely.

Bateman will struggle to play more then 10 games next year. Savage & Ellis will both play a lot of games assuming they are fit. Ellis IMO is still potentially in our best 22. Just needs to stay injury free & he can have a real impact versus the Geelong & Collingwood. Bateman and Bruce will be just depth players next year. I don't expect them to play much at all. Unless we're cruelled by injuries.

 

[Beandip]

I don't mind hanging onto Chance and Bruce because the young players get to benefit from their experience and training application etc for a whole extra year. In reality they won't take many games from the youngsters and if anything may provide an option to give Smith/Savage a bit of a rotation a couple of times next year to keep them fresh.

The alternative was to get rid of them this year and have a couple more picks in an allegedly very weak draft. By hanging onto them, we can finish them up next year and take a couple of extra picks into what is apparently a very strong draft (2012).

In my mind it's basically having your cake, and eating it to

 

[Collins-Langford-Ayres]

I don't mind hanging onto Chance and Bruce because the young players get to benefit from their experience and training application etc for a whole extra year. In reality they won't take many games from the youngsters and if anything may provide an option to give Smith/Savage a bit of a rotation a couple of times next year to keep them fresh.

The alternative was to get rid of them this year and have a couple more picks in an allegedly very weak draft. By hanging onto them, we can finish them up next year and take a couple of extra picks into what is apparently a very strong draft (2012).

In my mind it's basically having your cake, and eating it to

I think you're spot on Beandip.

Geez am already bored of the off-season. Can't it be March !!

 

[mrcurly]

I think you're spot on Beandip.

Geez am already bored of the off-season. Can't it be March !!

You're going to get old very quickly if it goes from September to March, not to mention missing out on a stack of Chrissie presents.

 

[Collins-Langford-Ayres]

You're going to get old very quickly if it goes from September to March, not to mention missing out on a stack of Chrissie presents.

A small price to pay. Pretty sure I have enough socks, golf balls and crappy guy gadgets anyway !!

Average life expectancy is 80+ now so that' still plenty of time and lots of Hawks finals series to watch !!

 

[harliquin]

Bugger the retirements.. I'd be more concerned for the players who have somewhat underperformed, or haven't come on as expected since we drafted/traded for them.

I'm expecting a high turnover at the end of the year for picks in the super draft.

 

[HawkNation]

Bruce - Will be his last year

Bateman- Hope he bounces back from a frustrating year. if he can get his body right he will be an asset to have

Osborne- Still believe he has two years left at least

Guerra- Same as Osborne. 2011 was one of the best seasons he's had. hope it continues

Burgoyne- Need to get three more seasons for Shaun.