2015 Non-Crows AFL Discussion - Pt. 1

[Sanders]

http://www.afl.com.au/news/2015-07-29/walker-thanks-craig-for-tough-love

ADELAIDE skipper Taylor Walker has expressed his gratitude to former Crows coach Neil Craig for being hard on him early in his career.

The Crows skipper will play his 100th senior game on Saturday against the Sydney Swans, and has long been a lock in the club's best 22.

But it wasn't always that way.

Walker struggled to cement a place in the side early on his career, with Craig dropping him to the SANFL on numerous occasions to work on his defensive game.

Walker said while the treatment was annoying at the time, in hindsight he thanked the coach for teaching him valuable lessons.

"He was always onto me about my defensive sort of stuff, and I think I've got it to a level now where it's consistent," Walker said.

"At the time you think 'why can't I just play' because that's what you want to do, but now you look back and think it's a great learning curve.

If you believe that you should meet my friend the Nigerian prince

 

[Kane McGoodwin]

Kornes on 5aa just told Port fans to book their flights for grand final day

Good!

It's not like they haven't got ahead of themselves before...

 

[DD#23]

Kornes on 5aa just told Port fans to book their flights for grand final day

Hahaha, good to hear Port are still the same old Port.

Let me guess, "can't help but feel there's a similar vibe around the place as when the Lions were coming off a three-peat"

 

[SydCrow]

If you believe that you should meet my friend the Nigerian prince

poor Tex is lying to make Craigy look good - and he doesn't even like the guy!!!

 

[Ramify]

If you believe that you should meet my friend the Nigerian prince

This! Texs defensive efforts could be described as anything but consistent.
Still plenty of room for improvement in this area of his game.

 

[SydCrow]

This! Texs defensive efforts could be described as anything but consistent.
Still plenty of room for improvement in this area of his game.

at least he tries to chase these days - albeit in slow motion sometimes halfway up the field

 

[Mike Smyth]

Why are you bagging Rory Sloane?

"Bagging". wtf.. This board must contain some of the most thin skinned people on the planet. I love Rory, he's the reason why my son loves the Crows. I saw his photo up out of the front a Toyota dealership (I think ) and a home renovation place and thought for once the Adelaide small pond thing maybe one of the reasons Rory stayed. He wouldn't have the same profile or advertising opportunities if he went home to Melbourne. He also seems to be a guy of enormous character/loyalty.

 

[Mike Smyth]

Kornes on 5aa just told Port fans to book their flights for grand final day

"Port don't lose finals".....arrogant tosser.

 

[I Lost My Keays]

"Port don't lose finals".....arrogant tosser.

119

 

[Sanders]

poor Tex is lying to make Craigy look good - and he doesn't even like the guy!!!

Yes I always find players on club sponsored public appearances always share the depths of their innermost feelings.

what isn't in dispute is that Tex didn't like him at the time, and have you forgotten the one year only contract extension whilst he considered his future?

Tex is the last person you should be looking to make the case that Craig was a great teacher. He almost cost us Tex with his inflexible, emotionally distant approach to the young blokes who he refused to treat any different to the most hardened senior guys

Oh and I'll let General Ngongo know you'll be in touch?

 

[SydCrow]

Yes I always find players on club sponsored public appearances always share the depths of their innermost feelings.

what isn't in dispute is that Tex didn't like him at the time, and have you forgotten the one year only contract extension whilst he considered his future?

Tex is the last person you should be looking to make the case that Craig was a great teacher. He almost cost us Tex with his inflexible, emotionally distant approach to the young blokes who he refused to treat any different to the most hardened senior guys

Oh and I'll let General Ngongo know you'll be in touch?

You just keep believing that. I'm prepared to take the big galoot at his word And the proof is in his development as a player and a leader.

 

[Moonwatcher]

poor Tex is lying to make Craigy look good - and he doesn't even like the guy!!!

How can you not like a prince?

 

[MRB37]

"Port don't lose finals".....arrogant tosser.

They don't lose finals because they don't make 'em.

 

[Godallblighty]

Storm in a teacup. Clearly taking the piss about threatening to stab with a chopstick. File this one under boys will be boys.

The woman, who lives in Sydney and is a producer at Channel 7, was at Mr Miyagi Japanese restaurant in Windsor on Saturday night.

She told Channel 7 news on Monday night that Martin was sitting at the bar with a friend and was drunk, loud and offensive. When she asked him to calm down, he became more agitated and threatening.

"He reacted extremely angrily, very very agitated, began swearing at me, standing over me physically, it was extremely intimidating," the woman, referred to as "Tracey", said.

She said Martin "physically stood over me, held a chopstick above my head and threatened to stab me in the face with a chopstick".

She said she told Martin she intended to inform Richmond of his behaviour.

"He said, 'Are you going to dob on me?' and I said, 'Well, I will be calling the club on Monday," she said.

"To which he reacted by slamming his hand next to my head into the wall, which at that point was obviously extremely terrifying."

 

[Elite Crow]

You just keep believing that. I'm prepared to take the big galoot at his word And the proof is in his development as a player and a leader.

I said at the time that I knew someone from Broken Hill who knows Tex, he definitely wasn't happy. People may dismiss being dropped for his 21st when he family and friends coming for the game but he was pissed.

As for his development now, that I believe has come from maturity. Do you honestly think Tex as he got older wouldn't be doing the same things he is now whether Craig played him back then or not?

 

[Elite Crow]

The woman, who lives in Sydney and is a producer at Channel 7, was at Mr Miyagi Japanese restaurant in Windsor on Saturday night.

She told Channel 7 news on Monday night that Martin was sitting at the bar with a friend and was drunk, loud and offensive. When she asked him to calm down, he became more agitated and threatening.

"He reacted extremely angrily, very very agitated, began swearing at me, standing over me physically, it was extremely intimidating," the woman, referred to as "Tracey", said.

She said Martin "physically stood over me, held a chopstick above my head and threatened to stab me in the face with a chopstick".

She said she told Martin she intended to inform Richmond of his behaviour.

"He said, 'Are you going to dob on me?' and I said, 'Well, I will be calling the club on Monday," she said.

"To which he reacted by slamming his hand next to my head into the wall, which at that point was obviously extremely terrifying."

**** n hell, that could easily have got even uglier. He needs to cop a whack for this

 

[tinman]

Over the next 3 years Carlton aren't looking for a premiership. I think NC discipline will be an advantage in their development.

Agreed. And they have a stack of blokes who they paid relatively little for who are on a lifeline.

They had a very ordinary list and at least they have replaced some ordinary talent with players who should be willing to work hard.

They can build from there.

I can see what they're trying to do and being competitive is the first step. They know they won't win a flag next year but at least their supporters will see effort and improvement.

And in the guys they got from GWS they just might get one or two that step right up and surprise people.

 

[Kane McGoodwin]

The woman, who lives in Sydney and is a producer at Channel 7, was at Mr Miyagi Japanese restaurant in Windsor on Saturday night.

She told Channel 7 news on Monday night that Martin was sitting at the bar with a friend and was drunk, loud and offensive. When she asked him to calm down, he became more agitated and threatening.

"He reacted extremely angrily, very very agitated, began swearing at me, standing over me physically, it was extremely intimidating," the woman, referred to as "Tracey", said.

She said Martin "physically stood over me, held a chopstick above my head and threatened to stab me in the face with a chopstick".

She said she told Martin she intended to inform Richmond of his behaviour.

"He said, 'Are you going to dob on me?' and I said, 'Well, I will be calling the club on Monday," she said.

"To which he reacted by slamming his hand next to my head into the wall, which at that point was obviously extremely terrifying."

Some people should stay away from alcohol as they turn into dangerous animals.

 

[tinman]

The woman, who lives in Sydney and is a producer at Channel 7, was at Mr Miyagi Japanese restaurant in Windsor on Saturday night.

She told Channel 7 news on Monday night that Martin was sitting at the bar with a friend and was drunk, loud and offensive. When she asked him to calm down, he became more agitated and threatening.

"He reacted extremely angrily, very very agitated, began swearing at me, standing over me physically, it was extremely intimidating," the woman, referred to as "Tracey", said.

She said Martin "physically stood over me, held a chopstick above my head and threatened to stab me in the face with a chopstick".

She said she told Martin she intended to inform Richmond of his behaviour.

"He said, 'Are you going to dob on me?' and I said, 'Well, I will be calling the club on Monday," she said.

"To which he reacted by slamming his hand next to my head into the wall, which at that point was obviously extremely terrifying."

Doesn't sound like a storm in a teacup to me. Sounds a lot like assault, and what should be a police matter.

He is a grade A dickhead, and if he couldn't play football he would be plucking chickens in a chicken factory. Sadly part of the problem is that if Richmond sacked him there would be a queue of clubs willing to pick him up because he can play. A game. Sport.

And whilst I love the game. It's only a game.

The guy should be sent off to the chicken factory. His behaviour is a disgrace.

 

[tinman]

PS. No offence intended to anyone who actually works in a chicken factory. I love chicken, especially roast chicken, and you are performing a critically important role for society.
My point is in drawing a comparison between your remuneration and that of highly paid AFL footballers who behave poorly.
I would never malign people doing an honest day's work.

 

[Jack is Back]

I find myself agreeing with a number of your points but your defence of Craig has always puzzled me. Why do you do it?

When I started posting on Bigfooty every second post was outlining how Craigy was responsible for the share market crash, global warming and the problems in the middle east. Neil Craig had many deficiencies but many of the criticisms were IMHO over the top and ill-informed.

I don't know Neil Craig, I have never met Neil Craig and he was never in the same class as Blighty but many of the things he did were effective. I do not believe we ever had the best group of players in the AFL and it can be argued that we overperformed during the minor round rather than underperformed in finals.

I realise that not even the greatest Neil Craig fan would try to defend his decision to play Massie on Franklin but rather than serving up the usual insults I would encourage posters to watch the replay (it was a great game to watch) and I believe there is an argument that sacrificing Massie to allow Bock to provide desperately needed run from our defence was not crazy. We managed to sneak into eighth position by winning the last 2 minor round games, we played a rapidly improving Hawthorn (whilst Hawthorn were a young team they had only one player with less than 100 games) who won the flag 12 months later, in Melbourne and were ahead with 10 seconds to go. Something must have worked.

P.S. And it really pisses off some posters (cough....Spackler...cough) which amuses me.

 

[Moonwatcher]

what isn't in dispute is that Tex didn't like him at the time

Tex didn't like Craig because he couldn't get a game without working for it, not because he wasn't a good teacher. Though you are right our younger players never came on. You might say VB gained an AFL career he would never otherwise had though.

 

[Sanders]

You just keep believing that. I'm prepared to take the big galoot at his word And the proof is in his development as a player and a leader.

He hasn't given his word on anything

And that is proof of even less

 

[Sanders]

Tex didn't like Craig because he couldn't get a game without working for it, not because he wasn't a good teacher. Though you are right our younger players never came on. You might say VB gained an AFL career he would never otherwise had though.

The issue I have is that by saying he wouldn't be gifted games without working for it, is endorsing Neil's approach as correct. It was not correct, and it nearly cost us the player. It was the opposite of correct. Neil was wrong

Take Lever we gifted him games this year, you only need to look at the B&F to see how the coaches rated his actual performance (not highly); but they invested (gifted) games to a talent bloke, because that is what you do with guys you believe in. It was the right thing to do

Neil just wanted to knock Tex down a peg or two, when he should have been developing him.

 

[AmericanCrow]

were ahead with 10 seconds to go

Had to bring that part up didn't you.

It was--dare I say---very Cleveland-esque. Not the Cleveland Browns of today, but rather the Browns of my youth in the 80's. Great, now I am going to go off and have a good cry---thanks.