Delisted # 8: Martin Gleeson - Not offered a contract, finishes his Essendon career on 97 AFL games

[Beerfish]

Contract Status: Not offered another contract in 2022
Last Game Played: Elimination Final, 2021
Injury Status: n/a

 

[Zach Package]

So much this. I'm reading these insane comments thinking this has to be a pisstake. Apart from the last half of H&A, when he was consistently very good, in a miserable final, he was pretty one the only player who could hold his head high.

The ridiculous thing is that it's not a pisstake. People genuinely believe this s**t. It's like they don't watch games.

On recent exposed form he's Lever without the hype. Lever has just signed a deal worth the GDP of a small country and Gleeson has just signed up for a song. Can people not just be happy we just retained another gun young footballer?

 

[Kyptastic]

Since people have goldfish memories...

 

[JDavey]

Glad they signed him to two years. We need someone to lace up Redmans boots.

#Redmanhypetrain

 

[BrunoV]

I think right now he's definitely top 15 and maybe even top 10 on our list. I prefer to see such players locked in for longer, but I can understand why they did 2 years.

I like Marty, and think that ultimately he'll be best 22, but right now he's hoping that the likes of Francis, Redman and Ridley don't play the second half of this year to the level that Gleeson did last year.

It's highly probable that at least two will and I have no idea why, other than 'footy department', he would not then be fighting for a best 22 spot by day 1 of pre season next year.

He should not be considered a lock. He hasn't done enough consistently enough.

 

[eth-dog]

I like Marty, and think that ultimately he'll be best 22, but right now he's hoping that the likes of Francis, Redman and Ridley don't play the second half of this year to the level that Gleeson did last year.

It's highly probably that at least two will and I have no idea why, other than 'footy department', he would not then be fighting for a best 22 spot by day 1 of pre season next year.

He should not be considered a lock. He hasn't done enough consistently enough.

You're either overrating them or underrating his second half of the year. If they put together his second half of the year that would be not only remarkable but they'd be close to locks for winning the Rising Star. I'd say it's highly unlikely that any of them come even close; his second half of the year was elite.

 

[BrunoV]

You're either overrating them or underrating his second half of the year. If they put together his second half of the year that would be not only remarkable but they'd be close to locks for winning the Rising Star. I'd say it's highly unlikely that any of them come even close; his second half of the year was elite.

No, neither. As a matter of what I would call 'real world logic', 1 half year of good football does not trump 1 half year of good football. Seniority, particularly of a guy who still has the physical presence of a development group player, and gifted games of the past are not relevant to whether he should be playing in the side.

That Gleeson could be automatically a best 22 player has a very 'Essendon' feel to it. That's unfair, because his second half of 2017 was really good, but football is supposed to be professional and ruthless so fairness should never be seriously considered.

If Francis and Redman don't get to the level then the point is moot but, as far as I'm concerned, the indications are that they will.

 

[eth-dog]

No, neither. As a matter of what I would call 'real world logic', 1 half year of good football does not trump 1 half year of good football. Seniority, particularly of a guy who still has the physical presence of a development group player, and gifted games of the past are not relevant to whether he should be playing in the side.

That Gleeson could be automatically a best 22 player has a very 'Essendon' feel to it. That's unfair, because his second half of 2017 was really good, but football is supposed to be professional and ruthless so fairness should never be seriously considered.

If Francis and Redman don't get to the level then the point is moot but, as far as I'm concerned, the indications are that they will.

Yeah, you are. Francis and Redman look nowhere near the level he produced the second half of last year. That's no disrespect to them, but to suggest that they're "highly likely" to do so is ridiculous bordering on delusional.

 

[BrunoV]

Yeah, you are. Francis and Redman look nowhere near the level he produced the second half of last year. That's no disrespect to them, but to suggest that they're "highly likely" to do so is ridiculous bordering on delusional.

Now who is overrating performances?

 

[eth-dog]

Now who is overrating performances?

Still you.

 

[DapperJong]

Holy s**t it's two posters who are never wrong disagreeing with each other

 

[bjisgod9]

Wow, I would love to see both Redman and Francis get to the level of consistent performance Marty was competing at for the second half of last year. I would say it is more unlikely than likely that it happens for both of them but of anyone, I would say Francis has the raw talent to surpass him and it would be amazing to see. Doesn't mean they couldn't play in the same side but yes Gleeson would be under more pressure to keep his spot in the side.

 

[Mr Mojo Risin]

Since people have goldfish memories...

Thanks very much, I have already been missing him all year and now I’m sad.

 

[astrowizzle]

I rate him. Knows when to mark and when to kill the ball. I don't think he was Only goid in the second half of last year either. He just got more consistently good. He has more toe than he is given credit for and is stronger than he looks,. If you want to judge a player for being illegally thrown out of a making contest for his whole career then so be it. Good team man

 

[EnolaGay]

Since people have goldfish memories...

Those highlights reminded me a bit of Winderlich.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

[Yoda_]

Thanks very much, I have already been missing him all year and now I’m sad.

Watching those highlights makes me miss him so much more.


Looking at how easily he floats in to intercept makes me wish he doesn't put on much weight in his time off. Yeah, lanky and all but allow him to keep his skinny frame to be a link up man that runs and carries as well as floating in across packs.

 

[Yoda_]

For the record, and definitely the wrong spot for general talk BrunoV & eth-dog but if Redman & Francis got the Gleeson's level would offset any queries about Goddards role in the team for 2019 whilst allowing us the flexibility to move McGarth, Saad, McKenna further up the ground.

 

[kelvin_sheedy]

He's the classic Essendon player of the last 10-15 years. Rated much more highly when out injured.

He played a handful of decent games last year amongst some very poor ones. He was dropped on multiple occasions.

His kicking is not great and he needs more size. Does he have another gear? Who knows? He's at the right age and game brackets to play his best footy. What I see from Ridley in a handful of games suggest he'll go past Marty quite quickly and if Francis can ever get to a medium level of fitness than Marty becomes obsolete.

 

[Doss]

He was dropped twice, both early in the season, and once he returned in Round 11 he was one of our most reliable and courageous players, but yeah, MULTIPLE TIMES.

 

[Yoda_]

He was dropped twice, both early in the season, and once he returned in Round 11 he was one of our most reliable and courageous players, but yeah, MULTIPLE TIMES.

Kelvin wants all our kids to come in and dominate

 

[Doss]

Kelvin wants all our kids to come in and dominate

Which is fine, but I find the idea that he's got better in people's minds with absence to be really strange. Gleeson was probably our best mid-to-tall defender in the second half of last year, or at least as good as Hurley.

 

[Maddogm]

Which is fine, but I find the idea that he's got better in people's minds with absence to be really strange. Gleeson was probably our best mid-to-tall defender in the second half of last year, or at least as good as Hurley.

I know I started calling him mini-Hurls and I wasn't alone there.

 

[TheGrizz]

I think we can all agree that if Francis had a second half of the year equal to Marty's last year this board would implode.

Marty led the AFL in intercept marks for a 6 week block last year. And i remember against st kilda he absolutely had a day out.

All those who are saying he is still physically under developed, tell me did andrew mackie look and older than 16 years old at any point before he turned 28? He went alright.
Marty has the functional strength to be a good player at the moment. Bulking up can be gradual.

 

[Nuggs Bunny]

Ridley and Redman don't need to worry about Gleeson coming back. Dea should be worried.

 

[Mr_McBoogerBalls]

He's the classic Essendon player of the last 10-15 years. Rated much more highly when out injured.

He played a handful of decent games last year amongst some very poor ones. He was dropped on multiple occasions.

His kicking is not great and he needs more size. Does he have another gear? Who knows? He's at the right age and game brackets to play his best footy. What I see from Ridley in a handful of games suggest he'll go past Marty quite quickly and if Francis can ever get to a medium level of fitness than Marty becomes obsolete.

It's human nature to miss something once it's gone. He has not been rated more highly than he deserves, if anything I'd argue that he's more valuable than most people care to acknowledge.

Also, he doesn't need more size, he just needs to continually improve his strength - something every AFL player should continue to improve upon.

 

[eth-dog]

Still 2-3 weeks away according to the AFL injury list.