Grant Birchall returns after 2 years out...

[Noneedforaname]

There's so much improvement in this team.
If Birchall does return, Chad builds his fitness and Smith overcomes whatever it is that ails him, that's a 4-5 goal improvement.

Then there's the continued improvement of Scrimshaw, Lewis, Worpel, Cousins & Scully; it could really build up to something by the end of the season.
We just have to hang in and accumulate as many points as possible.

And there is the competition for spots which will help drive performance as well. Bet Clarko wishes he has those problems.

Speaking of Chad, Chad and I, I liked that Birch and he were sitting together and getting on like a house on fire at the GWS game.

*****************************

Something that I haven't seen mentioned, but feel must be suggested, is that maybe the club, and its medical staff are the ones than may have let Birch down. Sure it's easy to blame him and his body failing, but surely there's the possibility that there's been a misdiagnosis, or at worst a botched procedure that has complicated his issues.
All that stuff stays in house of course, and we'll never know, but it shits me to pieces that people proclaim what's happened, how much money he's on etc. It's speculation.

Another thing I wonder about, is how long Birch would play for if he did come back now. He should be in pretty good shape given the lack of match day wear and tear, and his existing durability. Possibly another 2-3 years? If Birch finishes without playing another game, and he's out of contract, is he eligible for an insurance payout for a career ending injury? The convoluted cloud under which Lekkas retired is at the back of my mind. Do issues around a similar situation further complicate thing?

All the same, super pleased that Birch may get an opportunity to take the field again.

 

[SSSSSS]

Is he still alive.

 

[KermitJagger]

And there is the competition for spots which will help drive performance as well. Bet Clarko wishes he has those problems.

Speaking of Chad, Chad and I, I liked that Birch and he were sitting together and getting on like a house on fire at the GWS game.

*****************************

Something that I haven't seen mentioned, but feel must be suggested, is that maybe the club, and its medical staff are the ones than may have let Birch down. Sure it's easy to blame him and his body failing, but surely there's the possibility that there's been a misdiagnosis, or at worst a botched procedure that has complicated his issues.
All that stuff stays in house of course, and we'll never know, but it shits me to pieces that people proclaim what's happened, how much money he's on etc. It's speculation.

Another thing I wonder about, is how long Birch would play for if he did come back now. He should be in pretty good shape given the lack of match day wear and tear, and his existing durability. Possibly another 2-3 years? If Birch finishes without playing another game, and he's out of contract, is he eligible for an insurance payout for a career ending injury? The convoluted cloud under which Lekkas retired is at the back of my mind. Do issues around a similar situation further complicate thing?

All the same, super pleased that Birch may get an opportunity to take the field again.

I mean misdiagnosis does happen, look at Kawhi Leonard with the Spurs.

Still, our record would suggest that it's probably a slim chance, and it doesn't seem as though Birch is distancing himself from the club in any way.

 

[palmomagpie]

Hope we see Birch back but not looking likely. His only saving grace may be that Clarko doesn't want Rough, Burgs and Birch all going in one year. I've almost forgotten what it's like to have Birch in the team, which is a shame because he is such high quality. Would have been good to have the iceman in those games this year where we've bottled it in the last few minutes.

 

[Bugs1977]

Come home Grant… we miss you!

 

[The Chad and I]

Hope we see Birch back but not looking likely. His only saving grace may be that Clarko doesn't want Rough, Burgs and Birch all going in one year. I've almost forgotten what it's like to have Birch in the team, which is a shame because he is such high quality. Would have been good to have the iceman in those games this year where we've bottled it in the last few minutes.

I just watched some highlights of a game from the golden era.

Mitchell, Gibson, Birchall, Guerra all running around.
My goodness we had a great bunch for a long time.
As good as the 80s crop of champions.

 

[UAWM]

Grundy retiring today, Birchall can't be that far off from it now you'd think? Especially since they don't even mention him anymore

 

[Millsie69]

Grundy retiring today, Birchall can't be that far off from it now you'd think? Especially since they don't even mention him anymore

Someone mentioned that he trained with the main group yesterday with the view to a Box Hill comeback in a couple of weeks.

 

[lethalselbow]

Will announce his retirement a bit before the mid year trade

This happening or just a guess?

 

[Zack]

If his name was Burgoyne or O'Meara we'd be paying a fortune to get him to our club to fix him up...

But it's Birchall and he was basically injury proof he's first ten seasons and well we've never fixed him up... unless we wanted a top 50 footballer to retire for no reason.

For all our good of fixing up other teams players, this sits as an unexplainable mystery that we can't get him fit... hell we can't even get him fit enough to do proper training for a few weeks and he was basically bullet proof for 10 years. It's not like he has had a series of ongoing injuries that stopped him playing the game previously.

Unless we are resting him until 2020 when we start to attack finals again and if we are then I'm ok with that. This is one of our greatest medical failures ever. We can praise the great medical fixes as I mentioned in the first sentence above but how are we here in this one. We have to also acknowledge a Hawthorn great seems to have been failed by the same staff who fixed outsiders.

 

[UAWM]

This happening or just a guess?

Just guessing

 

[deanc]

Just guessing

I was told today that he 'could' be available shortly after the bye round but the club are very reluctant to make any announcements given the number of unforeseen set-backs he has already endured. Guess we will know soon enough...

 

[eldorado]

None of the setbacks have been the knee, apparently...all soft tissue from a body that hasn't done much for two years.

The man deserves a chance to ply his wares for the rest of the year.

 

[Hawkie_McHawkHawk]

I’d rather put time into any young player than play Birch. Would love to see him get a send off game or two but what’s the point in playing him into fitness? It’d just be robbing one of the young guys of opportunity.

 

[KermitJagger]

I’d rather put time into any young player than play Birch. Would love to see him get a send off game or two but what’s the point in playing him into fitness? It’d just be robbing one of the young guys of opportunity.

Depends on if we think he's not going to go round again.

If they can get him back playing good footy, he's in a role where he might have one or two years left and it allows us to fast track the development of guys who are currently in our backline.

When you look at the Hawk's defense, it is where the majority of our young talent is, and there are a few guys in there that have scope to play different roles that may be facilitated by Birch playing.

Not to mention the obvious need for leadership we have at times, something that was very obviously missed when Birch didn't play in 2017.

 

[MrPremiership]

I’d rather put time into any young player than play Birch. Would love to see him get a send off game or two but what’s the point in playing him into fitness? It’d just be robbing one of the young guys of opportunity.

Why? He's surely got the view to going around for a few years yet, IF he can get over these injuries. We're not rebuilding, so no need to rush out too many champions....

 

[Hawkie_McHawkHawk]

Why? He's surely got the view to going around for a few years yet, IF he can get over these injuries. We're not rebuilding, so no need to rush out too many champions....

Is he in his last year of contract? If so I couldn’t see the club offering him any more. He won’t be here for the next flag, his body is failing him and likely to fail again and even after all of this time off and if he does make it back after the bye.. he’s almost missed 3 years. The game has changed in 3 years. Missing that much time through soft tissue and knee problems- I very very much doubt he will be the Birch we remember. Love him and I hope he plays a couple of games this year to get the send off he deserves, but I will eat my own hat if the club offer him another contract.

 

[MrPremiership]

Is he in his last year of contract? If so I couldn’t see the club offering him any more. He won’t be here for the next flag, his body is failing him and likely to fail again and even after all of this time off and if he does make it back after the bye.. he’s almost missed 3 years. The game has changed in 3 years. Missing that much time through soft tissue and knee problems- I very very much doubt he will be the Birch we remember. Love him and I hope he plays a couple of games this year to get the send off he deserves, but I will eat my own hat if the club offer him another contract.

Why not offer him a 1 year deal? Its Round 10, lets see if he can get up for the rest of the season and then think about contracts. He doesn't need to retire today.

We're likely losing other veterans this year so I wouldn't mind hanging on to Birchall.

His recent injuries are not knee related.....they are soft tissue when they are building his load to get ready for football after 2 years out

 

[Randy Campbell]

Only 3 to go, Birch.
I will still back you in.

 

[Hawkie_McHawkHawk]

I mean misdiagnosis does happen, look at Kawhi Leonard with the Spurs.

Still, our record would suggest that it's probably a slim chance, and it doesn't seem as though Birch is distancing himself from the club in any way.

Way off topic but Spurs docs didn’t misdiagnose Leonard. They told him to go ahead and play on his quad and he’d have to play through the pain, and that it wasn’t going to improve with rest. Leonard’s camp didn’t agree and that’s how the whole bitterness kicked off.
Leonard’s now hobbling around with a sore quad in the WCF. A years rest and this whole season sitting out back to backs and it didn’t resolve it. Spurs docs would be feeling vindicated I reckon.

 

[PhatHQ]

Why not offer him a 1 year deal? Its Round 10, lets see if he can get up for the rest of the season and then think about contracts. He doesn't need to retire today.

We're likely losing other veterans this year so I wouldn't mind hanging on to Birchall.

His recent injuries are not knee related.....they are soft tissue when they are building his load to get ready for football after 2 years out

I’m with you on this if he comes up for the rest of the year.

It certainly keeps the “experience” in the side & gives us more room to move on Rough & Burgoyne at the end of the season.
In all honesty if Birch does get back & plays well then the flexibility that would provide to swing Hardwick or Sicily forward would be very valuable at the end of the season for other reasons

 

[Steven Tyler]

I’m with you on this if he comes up for the rest of the year.

It certainly keeps the “experience” in the side & gives us more room to move on Rough & Burgoyne at the end of the season.
In all honesty if Birch does get back & plays well then the flexibility that would provide to swing Hardwick or Sicily forward would be very valuable at the end of the season for other reasons

I’d be giving Burgoyne another season before Birchall

There is no way you could trust Birchall’s body even if he managed to play in the second half of this season

 

[Gralin]

I’d be giving Burgoyne another season before Birchall

There is no way you could trust Birchall’s body even if he managed to play in the second half of this season

what if he plays every game for the second half of the year?

 

[bris tarangau]

I’d be giving Burgoyne another season before Birchall

There is no way you could trust Birchall’s body even if he managed to play in the second half of this season

There is no doubt that Burgoyne has lost a lot of 'burst speed' and his tackles are not as solid anymore. Would love to see him go one more season but not sure where we play him.

 

[MrPremiership]

I’d be giving Burgoyne another season before Birchall

There is no way you could trust Birchall’s body even if he managed to play in the second half of this season

Burgoyne is getting another year. Board approved