Roast Club Traitors: the new list.

[Monocle]

A special club of Iscariots

You can add Christopher Judus to that list.
A Visy Board Environmental Ambassador ...... what a crock of

 

[Back One Out]

I put together a list of all players who began their careers in/after 1995 and retired in/before 2015. 1,160 players fit that criteria. About 26% of them managed over 100 games, which is funny because I think a lot of people think of that as some sort of 'typical' career.

What's more interesting is that 340 of them (29%) only managed between 1-10 games in their career. Overall, the median games played for the above players is only 31. That's why I can't begrudge a player for taking an opposition offer for more years/money. I think we as fans get a warped view that most players are clocking up 100+ games, or even making a decent career out of football. AFL careers on average are relatively short, and even the players that do manage to sustain it over multiple years have their bodies give out in their early 30s. You've really only got one crack at playing footy professionally, so you may as well fleece the campaigners as much as you can.

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And this isn't even including players that never managed a game. So this chart would be even more skewed towards the 0-5 gamers. I'm sure a great number of draftees never see their debut.

Your graph proves that most AFL hopefuls never make it, even the ones who get drafted and are given the opportunity of playing a few AFL games. But what the f*** does that have to do with established AFL stars leaving their clubs after 10 years and signing big money deals with enemy clubs? Not that I care about so-called "traitors". None of that has ever really interested me. I barrack for the team, not individual players. AFL footy is a business and players can do as they please under the rules.

I just don't understand the point you're trying to make. What's the connection you're trying to make between a multi-millionaire such as Buddy Franklin who was the face of Hawthorn when he chose to exercise his rights as a free agent and signed with the $wans, compared to Tim Boyle who played exactly 31 games for Hawthorn and had his promising career cut short by injuries?

 

[This Is Anfield]

David Cloke, Geoff Raines and Brian Taylor.

 

[Engimal v3]

Your graph proves that most AFL hopefuls never make it, even the ones who get drafted and are given the opportunity of playing AFL games. But what the f*** does that have to do with established AFL stars leaving their clubs after 10 years and signing big money deals with enemy clubs? Not that I care about so-called "traitors". None of that has ever really interested me. I barrack for the team, not individual players. AFL footy is a business and players can do as they please under the rules.

I just don't understand the point you're trying to make. What's the connection you're trying to make between a multi-millionaire such as Buddy Franklin who was the face of Hawthorn when he chose to exercise his rights as a free agent and signed with the $wans, compared to Tim Boyle who played exactly 31 games for Hawthorn and had his promising career cut short by injuries?

My point is that all these players got drafted with dreams of being 100+ game players, but few of them even make it on the park. Even the very best players will have 50+ years ahead of them after they get forced out of their careers. Why would you not get as much money as you can? Franklin barely made it into his 30s before his body started to fail him, so why wouldn't you go to the club that's offering more money for longer?

We as fans get too caught up in loyalty. If another consulting firm offered me a better contract, I'd take it. Especially if I was in the scenario of a lot of these players, where you might get s**t canned after only a year.

 

[Back One Out]

My point is that all these players got drafted with dreams of being 100+ game players, but few of them even make it on the park. Even the very best players will have 50+ years ahead of them after they get forced out of their careers. Why would you not get as much money as you can? Franklin barely made it into his 30s before his body started to fail him, so why wouldn't you go to the club that's offering more money for longer?

We as fans get too caught up in loyalty. If another consulting firm offered me a better contract, I'd take it. Especially if I was in the scenario of a lot of these players, where you might get sh*t canned after only a year.

Yeah, I get that. But I still don't see the connection between those who don't make it and those who do.

If anything, you're making a case that those footballers who manage to defy the odds and make it as an AFL player should show their club more gratitude and give something back rather than just pissing off once they come out of contract and signing with the highest bidder.

Your stats would indicate that nobody should begrudge young players who can't get a game from shifting clubs to get a better opportunity elsewhere. But these type of players are never labelled as traitors. e.g. Hawks fans never booed Josh Kennedy or Ben McGlynn. I think most fans with an IQ above 75 are understanding of players who leave for greater opportunities or to get a fresh start under a new coach.

 

[Engimal v3]

Yeah, I get that. But I still don't see the connection between those who don't make it and those who do.

If anything, you're making a case that those footballers who manage to defy the odds and make it as an AFL player should show their club more gratitude and give something back rather than just pissing off once they come out of contract and signing with the highest bidder.

Your stats would indicate that nobody should begrudge young players who can't get a game from shifting clubs to get a better opportunity elsewhere. But these type of players are never labelled as traitors. e.g. Hawks fans never booed Josh Kennedy or Ben McGlynn. I think most fans with an IQ above 75 are understanding of players who leave for greater opportunities or to get a fresh start under a new coach.

I guess I just disagree then. I don't have any issues with a player like Daniel Wells leaving North for more years/money, even though he was established. That might even be a good example: a bloke who was a star at his old club, got offered good money/years by Collingwood and then his body blew up almost instantly. If he stayed with North, he probably misses out on $1mil for his future.

 

[Sttew]

No doubt the club wished him well but as far as the Tiger supporters are concerned (what you originally said) my feel is that we were on the whole pretty disappointed in his decision.

I am reliably told Higgins felt the cub had marginalised him, that others had passed him by and his opportunities at Tigerland were going to be slim

 

[Back One Out]

I guess I just disagree then. I don't have any issues with a player like Daniel Wells leaving North for more years/money, even though he was established. That might even be a good example: a bloke who was a star at his old club, got offered good money/years by Collingwood and then his body blew up almost instantly. If he stayed with North, he probably misses out on $1mil for his future.

No, hang on... I'm not disagreeing with you about players leaving to sign a big money deal and buy themselves a house.
I agree with you on that. I'm not someone who takes it personally when a star Hawthorn player leaves the club.

My only issue was with you quoting stats showing how most players don't make it. Like I said... that would be a good argument for young players pissing off after only 2 or 3 years if they felt they weren't get opportunities under the current coach. But these stats of yours are largely irrelevant for the lucky 10% who become recognised stars and carve out a 200-250 game career. Maybe relevant for undervalued fringe players who are deemed expendable. e.g. guys like Brandon Ellis who fall victim to salary cap constraints at a successful side. But once again, these sorts of journeymen are not considered "traitors" by fans with half a brain.


This is all overblown anyway by the media. The vast majority of fans are having fun when they boo opposition players. It's pantomime. We cheer for our heroes and we boo the villains. I think it's people like you who take it all too seriously when you criticise fans for booing the so-called "traitors"

 

[GhostofJimJess]

The difference with the ones bolded above is that they had all either served time or were fully developed and not near breaking into the starting 22. Perhaps Markov aside. But Higgs was a fan favourite and left after the club showed him a ton of support but hadn't yet developed to his potential. No doubt the club wished him well but as far as the Tiger supporters are concerned (what you originally said) my feel is that we were on the whole pretty disappointed in his decision.

Yeah, fair enough. I'll still be pretty disappointed if our mob boo him. That said, it's probably inevitable.

 

[Grand Uncle Horace]

Ryder refused to go anywhere but Port completely burnt the club

Sensible response to a then traitorous club.

 

[Grand Uncle Horace]

I nominate Ian Stewart. Great player who ditched the Saints for the Tigers, became South's worst ever coach and judging from the terrible Rod Owen story, returned to the Saints to stuff them and their players again.

 

[SSSSSS]

Was Buddy booed when Hawks played Swans like Isaac Smith was last Sunday?

I didn't boo him personally but he definitely was copping it.

 

[caveman72]

David Cloke, Geoff Raines and Brian Taylor.

Nick Daffy to Sydney?

 

[The Goon]

I am reliably told Higgins felt the cub had marginalised him, that others had passed him by and his opportunities at Tigerland were going to be slim

Sound like a comment from the Higgs camp? In which case I’d take it with a grain of salt, especially the first part. Second part I understand, but by the same token he didn’t stick around to work on it either.


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[The Goon]

Yeah, fair enough. I'll still be pretty disappointed if our mob boo him. That said, it's probably inevitable.

I doubt there’s quite that level of angst. Maybe a few cheeky / for-the-sake-of-it / not-really-serious boos with his first couple of touches. I don’t think there’d be anything serious or sustained though.


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[the harry]

An unusual one for Geelong - Justin Murphy....while he was still at Geelong. The game v Carlton at Princes Park when Milburn knocked Silvagni out. Murphy did not want to be associated with the Geelong players when they left the field that day.

"Although he had been an ardent Geelong fan throughout his childhood, Murphy had whole-heartedly embraced the Blues.... he knuckled down at Sleepy Hollow and had a good season (in 2001), averaging 21 disposals in 18 games to finish third in the club’s Best and Fairest. But his heart was still at Carlton, as he had clearly shown late in the season during a physical encounter at Princes Park, when Geelong defender Darren Milburn smashed Blues champion Stephen Silvagni to the turf with a front-on charge as Carlton’s full-back stretched for a mark. While Silvagni was carried from the field, Murphy made his disgust at Milburn’s actions clear to everyone – including Milburn himself – so it came as no surprise when Justin was traded back to Carlton at the end of that one season."

Justin Murphy

Justin Murphy(born 24 April 1976) is a formerAustralian rules footballerwho played with four clubs during his AFL career. In early 2017, he was jailed for 6 months for deliberately burning his then girlfriends middle finger with a blowtorch to the point where it needed to be amputated. He was...

australian-rules-football.fandom.com

It was a disgusting act. The clapping of fans by Milburn isn't a career highlight

 

[Desync]

Joe Daniher

 

[Scotland]

Daniher, presumably on a decent contract, played 15 games in the last 3 years.

Essendon got pick 9 as free agency compo having turned down whatever Sydney offered last year in a trade.

Disappointing for fans that he left given how good he was in 2017 then did bugger all after that but given Essendon's trajectory it's not a terrible result. It's not like keeping him on a club friendly contract was on the table.

 

[Roobs321]

For Eagles, more post-career tainted flag week stuff like Chick’s wild claims in 2015. For a guy that once lopped a finger for his footy at the Hawks, then literally won an Eagles flag with a 1%er, it was disgracefully Judas.

 

[Chaisa]

Was Buddy booed when Hawks played Swans like Isaac Smith was last Sunday?

Yeah he copped it hard IIRC.

 

[Sttew]

It was a disgusting act. The clapping of fans by Milburn isn't a career highlight

That’s not the point. At a time like that you need solidarity amongst teammates. Murphy did the opposite and we all know how that ended

 

[Crankyhawk]

I never begrudge a player leaving for a longer contract, more money, and/or more opportunities.

And this is why issac smith is booed left for less money. More opportunity to win a flag but we felt we needed him to help educate young players through rebuilding.

 

[Mesc]

Wayne Carey.

Yep. An absolute dog of a human being. Now cashing in on media work. He should have been banished to a place no one ever sees or hears from.

 

[Grand Uncle Horace]

The entire Melbourne Football Club who sacked the great Norm Smith in 1965. The curse upon that Club for that dire act is still playing out 56 years later.

 

[westie]

I nominate Ian Stewart. Great player who ditched the Saints for the Tigers, became South's worst ever coach and judging from the terrible Rod Owen story, returned to the Saints to stuff them and their players again.

At the time I think the Saints were glad to see the end of him. Turning up pissed at training and games, trouble with the law and then the fraud thing with John Nicholls