Devington
Brownlow Medallist
- Jun 4, 2013
- 17,523
- 45,279
- AFL Club
- North Melbourne
So did Macmillan. He was delisted and a better player.
The "9 years" is simply an indictment on our last decade and poor standards, not a reflection of ability or output.
JMac had barely missed a game for 7 or 8 years and that didn't save him. Our football department has shown a willingness to be ruthless after the 2020 season and I don't think that will be a one-off. Mature age players that aren't materially better than a 19 to 21-year-old alternative will come under significant pressure. Atley is definitely one in that bracket.
A lot will depend on how aggressively they want to turn the list over this year after such a big churn last year. My opinion is that it will still be a fair bit more than the 3 player minimum.
Atley, Tyson, Hall, Turner, Garner, and Will Walker probably the group under the most pressure as there are now plenty of numbers for that utility mid/flanker grouping. Personally, I hope Will Walker gets a good run with his body and smashes it this year as I think he has some real upside.
I tend to agree with Snake's view on a guy like Campbell. He fills a very specific role for us, and unless Xerri improves over 2021 to the point he could be a genuine replacement for Goldy, or we bring in another mature ruckman, he probably gets another 12 months.
Josh Walker seems to be evolving into a similar position. He may not be a first-choice key position player but is high-quality cover for a number of roles back and forward. If he could be a genuine option to pinch-hit in the ruck he increases his value further.
Jmac was publicly challenged by the coach during the preseason and then eventually dropped. There has been zero word about Atley being challenged, and he has never been dropped. They're both defenders that hit a plateau early in their careers and never really came on, but as of right now their situations are different.