News Ben Jacobs walks out

[StrappingTape]

I think he's improved leaps and bounds this year. Do I think we should keep putting the kids back in defence no but it's being done and clearly to teach them the defensive side of the game first whilst on the job and yes it's going to hurt for a while as we expect them to get beaten a lot ala O'Shea and Jacobs have been as they learn. I don't mind as long as they then move them into their proper positions once they think the defensive learning time is done not then mark them as a defender as kill their careers ala sal and salter and this is where our club is so wrong in its stubborness of telling players what they are instead of playing them as what they are.

 

[LeoMessi]

I still rate him. I hope he sticks around and I got a feeling he will.

 

[Oliver King]

I would have thought that he would have been told that they would like to start him back, and gradually give him more and more midfield time. But you never know what the coaches think these days.

I don't know if any if this is true or not, but I don't have anything against him having a think about his future.

 

[Ford Fairlane]

Sounds like just another unsettling beat up because hasn't jumped to sign a new contract immediately.

Would like to see him stay under fitness and weights coaches that get his body size and core strength up and then play him in the midfield where he has a happy knack of finding the ball.

Gotch said this about him in his mid-season review:

link

He’s a great kid to work with and he’s in my office all the time analysing his games and asking what the next thing is that he needs to work on. He’s very thorough and that can only be a good thing for his development.

link

Hardly sounds like a sulky dummy spitter.

 

[tribey]

Wouldn't be surprised if he wanted to leave the way some of our finer supporters talk about him. Will be a star no matter who he plays for.

A friend of mine bought the Wii the day it was released. Within 48 hours the poor thing had taken itself to Cashies.

 

[Forzaport]

Yes, yes you are.
When did Jacobs say that? Why make up bullshit, just to add more s**t on the club?
End rant/

This isn't the first I've heard of this rumour and the wider implication is worrying. I'm not sure if you mis-read my post or you actually think I'm making bullshit up, either way, the lack of development at our club has been a key issue discussed on this forum for years. That s**t is already on the walls.

Never said this was Ben's opinion what so ever.

Never said you said it was Ben's opinion. Glad we're clear on it.

 

[Doctor Feel]

This isn't the first I've heard of this rumour and the wider implication is worrying. I'm not sure if you mis-read my post or you actually think I'm making bullshit up, either way, the lack of development at our club has been a key issue discussed on this forum for years. That s**t is already on the walls.



Never said you said it was Ben's opinion. Glad we're clear on it.

Never said you said TSW said that Ben said it was Shuttleworth who said he said he wants to leave.

 

[Peck]

A friend of mine bought the Wii the day it was released. Within 48 hours the poor thing had taken itself to Cashies.

I had an eyetoy on ps2, so I didn't make that mistake ^^

 

[Natman]

This isn't the first I've heard of this rumour and the wider implication is worrying. I'm not sure if you mis-read my post or you actually think I'm making bullshit up, either way, the lack of development at our club has been a key issue discussed on this forum for years. That s**t is already on the walls.



Never said you said it was Ben's opinion. Glad we're clear on it.

This is more about different poster perceptions of the general term 'development' that is thrown around too easily and applied to the club coaches whenever a player stinks it up, or can't get on the park, or haven't been BOG within 3 games of their AFL career.
We are traveling poorly for a number of reasons - depth, injuries, lack of fitness - all well documented, but there is really little to apply re development until the main group of under 21s are able to get fit, on the park and play consistent games.

We saw it with Hartlett and Pittard for a few games - and bang, down they go again.

We saw it with Broady - almost out of nowhere - but wasn't he on a lot of posters delist group?

We can see it with Moore and Redden - they just need games.

Hell, I reckon we can see it in small bits with Jacobs - after really only one pre-season.

And who cares what he thinks (if the rumours are true) re playing in the backline for a season or so - does he know more than the coaches about how best to learn the game?

FFS, these players really need to get their heads out of their collective arses and take some responsibility for developing themselves and not leave it all to their nannies. Toughen up Princesses.

 

[philthy05]

people love to write him off, and look i dont know whether he will make it or not but ask yourselves this,

how many players could come into the afl at 18, have glandular fever, work back into a side that has horrendous skills and gets pumped every week playing in the backline and still look like a gun before he is 20 years old?

i reckon you would wipe off 88% of players drafted in the last 5 years if you judged them in our team under those conditions.

there is absolutely no reason yet to question his ethic or commitment,sure his skills under pressure maybe, but questioning his commitment right now is a bit silly.

i agree we need to develop him more as a centre square midfielder. looks to be a ball magnet in the few games that he was there. needs to get better with the ball by foot as do 90% of our team. with this baptism of fire he is being given many are writing him off and maybe they will be right but maybe we look back on it as something that helped him become something special??

 

[StrappingTape]

Anyone who'se had a bout of the ol glandular fever would know, not only is it tough whilst you have it, he'd still be effected by it for 12months+ afterwards. It absolutely ****ed me for nearly 24months

 

[simba_]

i remember someone made a vague thread about a player being unhappy earlier this year or maybe even last year. he didnt give a name but when quizzed said jacobs and thats always stayed in my mind watching him. like others have said he doesnt seem to fit into the group like you can tell many do, partly our fault but still it seems like benny doesnt want to be here for er reason

 

[philthy05]

so you think you remember some nameless person claiming something which much later is still disproven and coupled with your vague ideas that when you see him on the field he doesnt look like he is... what?? you must be some kind of body language expert mate if you can read into his language on the field that he doesnt like being here or with this group of guys. gorillas in the mist s**t. hey tell me simba, do you think shultz likes red apples or green apples?

 

[PRDPower]

Completely understandable if he is a bit distant from the group; no doubt he is homesick.

He's 20. I'm 20, and I don't think I could move to Adelaide tomorrow and set up camp for an indefinite amount of time without some sort of struggle.

Pretty sure he isn't in a host family or share house (wasn't there an article last year about him living with his girlfriend who moved over with him?). If this is his situation, he would have been spending a fair bit of time with his girlfriend. Yes, players have girlfriends - but not many have moved over to a new city at 18.

I know a lot of people here will try and quash the impact of homesickness (and believe me, I moved out of home at 14 for school - it exists). It's not the fact you miss mummy and daddy, your friends and whatever. For some it is the indefinite nature of your moving away. There is no time frame set on his stay in Adelaide. He doesn't KNOW how long he'll be there - and that is pretty disconcerting.

I think this whole thing is more rumour than fact, but regardless - much like the Boak situation (but with a younger person) - there would be more emotional reasoning behind it than 'not fitting in with the group' or 'not loving the club'.

 

[*PAF]

... We saw it with Broady - almost out of nowhere - but wasn't he on a lot of posters delist group?
...

Yep, he sure was.

...

We can see it with Moore and Redden - they just need games.

And so were these two.

 

[Check-Raise !]

Yeah, nah..... guys in their first or second year need to take a teaspoon of cement and you know what. It's no different than an apprenticeship. You understand things will be tough for a little while and you have to roll with the punches. Yeah you might find yourself making the coffees or cleaning the tools, yeah things won't always go your way and you may think your not developing but shite, your a newbie and your time will come.

ps: in b4 TSW: yes I know I work in an office job..... but I didn't used to. I was an apprentice... but got jack of it after a year, so I left !!!

 

[PRDPower]

Yeah, nah..... guys in their first or second year need to take a teaspoon of cement

Exactly. Remembering that all of this is unfounded speculation, the re-signing process will be the indication of his hardening up.

My point is that he still has to take the spoonful to survive early, rather than the cement be naturally embedded in his system.

 

[BIG DADDY]

We can't in all probability let everyone go so he would be worth keeping as he has shown signs of improvement and maybe he could make a quantum leap next year

At the minute he probably isn't worth much in trade value

 

[simba_]

so you think you remember some nameless person claiming something which much later is still disproven and coupled with your vague ideas that when you see him on the field he doesnt look like he is... what?? you must be some kind of body language expert mate if you can read into his language on the field that he doesnt like being here or with this group of guys. gorillas in the mist s**t. hey tell me simba, do you think shultz likes red apples or green apples?

wow mate no need to fire up. know something i dont? or just venting for fun?

 

[Hong-Kong Phooey]

Jacobs for tapscott?

 

[PJ Power]

While I'd love to see Jacobs become a good player for us and am confident that he will go on to be a very decent AFL footballer whoever he plays for, I wouldn't be shattered if he left us at the end of this year, provided the trade is like-for-like - i.e. young player with decent potential and solid form at exposed AFL level. Two names at other clubs that would be in that boat would be Tapscott and Greenwood. Neither are going great guns but might benefit from being in their home environment. They would provide added depth to our midfield, although lack of pace/polish might be a concern. Then again, at this stage of his career Jacobs lacks both anway.

 

[Schulzenfest]

Jacobs for tapscott?

Would be one of the greatest trading coups in Port Adelaide history.

 

[RangaInTeal]

Tapscott would be a big get, his skills are almost polished. Almost a very good user of the ball, would add a harden body. Greenwood for our third rounder, then we would be winning come Trade period, somehow get Gumbelton and we would be well on our way out of this rut.

 

[RussellEbertHandball]

Sounds like just another unsettling beat up because hasn't jumped to sign a new contract immediately.

Would like to see him stay under fitness and weights coaches that get his body size and core strength up and then play him in the midfield where he has a happy knack of finding the ball.

Gotch said this about him in his mid-season review:

link

He’s a great kid to work with and he’s in my office all the time analysing his games and asking what the next thing is that he needs to work on. He’s very thorough and that can only be a good thing for his development.​

link

Hardly sounds like a sulky dummy spitter.

I had a 15 minute chat to him after the showdown back at Alberton.. It was a tough night to come back and he only played a quarter and a bit as sub. Less than half the players were back. Talked about several things. I asked him about his glandular fever. He said he isn't completely over it. Still gets bouts where he is really flat with little energy. He had surgery on both his ankles at the end of last year. Said he missed the start of the preseason as a result and was on a modified program before Christmas.

We talked about his junior days. Told him that my mate who watches a lot of junior footy saw him play for Vic Metro when they beat SA and he got 47 disposals. Said he is looking at getting into the mid field as he has rarely played in defence in his junior days.

Talked about his kicking. Told him I thought it had improved the last month or so. Told him he had some shockers last year and earlier this year and he didn't try to dodge that he did some shockers. He said he is working hard on improving and eliminating the clangers.

I asked him if he had seen the doco The Year of the Dogs about how a doco maker was allowed to film Footscray's 1996 season, the year they fell in a heap, they sacked 2 times Hawthorn premiership coach Alan Joyce and appointed Terry Wallace, Footscray finished 15th, it was Fitzroy's last year and Footscray changed President and CEO's at the end of the year and changed their name to Western Bulldogs. He said he had never heard of it.

I told him the story about how Terry Wallace told the players after a match against Collingwood where they were smashed in the first quarter but came back hand only lost by a couple of goals. Told him that Wallace was in front of the players after the game and said that if he saw anyone get a pat on the back for a good effort "I'll Spew Up." Told him that's how a lot us feel. We are glad to see an improved effort but playing only 3/4's is frustrating.

The main thing I told him I wanted him and others at the club to see in the video was that at the end of the season, Wallace called the players back on 15th October to startt preseaon which was unheard of back then and that all they did for the first few weeks was skills training, they put up targets and players had to hit them. I said that's what we have to do this preseason, just spend time on skills and stuff all the running around those first few weeks of preseason. He was interested in what I told him about the doco, so I said he should have a look on you tube as it might be on line. He told me he would ask the video guys at the club to get him a copy. I was a bit stunned and pleasantly surprised by his answer. I will follow it up with him next time I have a chat, but he sounds like a young bloke who wants to learn me. Also he has nice manners as he said thanks for the chat at the end. Once again a bit surprised.

For those who have never seen it, its a great post match speech by Wallace. I'll Spew Up became a bit of a ctach phrase in 1997 when sides played poorly after the doco was released. Speech starts from 2-30. I hope Primus has given a few sprays like that one this year.

 

[RangaInTeal]

Back when Ties, Slacks and Club Blazers were hthe image. It's not much but Ild rather see our guys kitted up match day, coaches included, than in some Polo shirt.