News Brad Ottens officially retires

[witsend]

Very true. Depth is the only issue here. Mooney and Milburn no doubt assisted in the accountability of Hawkins, Pods, Duncan, etc. just by providing real competition for spots, like Pies 2010. They did not have that luxury to the same extent this year, and it showed. We had the list available to rotate and prime our players to absolute perfection, and we never really affected our home and away performances. That depth has been eroded even just a little.

Heard Ratten comment on wanting Blues to be able to time their season to the perfection that we did this year, being able to rest all players strategically and effectively. This may not be as easy for us next year, and I never expected it to be, and am more than happy where we find ourselves next year, BUT I do not think it is going to be any certainty that we can reproduce the same formula next year and be as superior when it counts. All other prospective teams are onto our formula, and these top teams are NOT that far away from us right now. Carlton, Hawthorn , Pies and even Saints are really very close in every aspect now with our departures.

Very good point about depth. Certainly a long-term injury to Hawkins or 2 rucks would trouble us, but all of these "how will we go next year" type threads can't factor in those kind of issues much. List management is worth 2 star players now, I reckon, and GFC set the gold standard this year!
Expect all other challengers to do the same in 2012.

 

[randyzany]

It's been an honour and a privilege seeing you play in the Geelong jumper Otto. I can still remember feeling pretty chuffed when it was announced you’d been traded to Geelong in the one of the few occasions an elite player had chosen to move and ply their trade at the club. Thanks for everything you’ve giventhis club as a player and may the successful partnership continue as a coach.

 

[Vitruvian]

Like many other posters I was surprised when Richmond let him go in the first place. I saw him play some impressive games as a Tiger.

He was one of the key pieces of the puzzle that drove us to the breakthrough 2007 Premiership. His legacy at the Club will forever be his ability to lead through the ruck, fight through injury, and lift both himself and the team when it mattered the most - "Mr. September" indeed.

Thanks for the memories Otto.

 

[LifeSpan-Void]

Like many other posters I was surprised when Richmond let him go in the first place. I saw him play some impressive games as a Tiger.

He was out of contract, and wanted to leave. Richmond either had to play along for a trade, or lose him to the draft. Same with Geelong and Mumford, really.

 

[BotsMaster]

I'll never forget that moment in '07 sitting near the 50m arc watching Ottens chase Pettigrew and everyone getting up gradually to see what was going to happen and then: BALLLLLLLL!!!!!
Also on that same day a few of us we're having a little bet as to when Ottens would eventually score a goal. Good times
Thank you Ottens for that moment and that great day I'll never forget.

 

[Turbocat]

Like many other posters I was surprised when Richmond let him go in the first place. I saw him play some impressive games as a Tiger.

He was one of the key pieces of the puzzle that drove us to the breakthrough 2007 Premiership. His legacy at the Club will forever be his ability to lead through the ruck, fight through injury, and lift both himself and the team when it mattered the most - "Mr. September" indeed.

Thanks for the memories Otto.

To be fair to the folk at Richmond , there is only a ant's bum hair between success and failure sometimes. Think of the SJ trade that didn't happen . We had had enough and we willing to make the call on him.
Brads contract was up and I think Richs offer was reduced a fair bit as they were frustrated by him as well.
Colbert went to North and played 100 games , we were not happy at the time but we managed to make a win of the trade in the end. The issue for the Tigers is not so much trading Brad but who they chose with the picks they got for him.

 

[OzeSparky]

http://www.aflplayers.com.au/article/ottens-how-the-trade-period-altered-my-career/

Nice article written by Brad.

 

[ATSAM]

http://www.aflplayers.com.au/article/ottens-how-the-trade-period-altered-my-career/

Kenny Hinkley instigated a meeting down in the rooms and told us quite sternly that we didn’t realise the opportunity and the position we were in.

It was a confronting, face-to-face meeting where he pulled players up on some things. From that day on, we went on to win 17 straight. The leaders of the group really came into their own and we moved forward.
article written by Brad.

Thought that this was interesting not because Hinkley is necessarily the great coach, but because he took charge. He showed Leadership at a time when it was needed, not so the one who gets the status of being a premiership coach.
That is what we desperately need now in our assistants, not what we have got.
Also interesting in terms of Leadership, as in Scarlett BBQ in 2009 at the end of the home and away season, without that probably wouldn't have won the GF.