Crows Irish Rookie Retires

[Smoooothy]

feel bad for the kid, hopefully he feels its been a good adventure for the past 18 months

good luck to ya Brian whatever you do from here

 

[Allefgib]

Did he spend any time crumbing Vince's packs?

Plenty of adventure there you would think.

 

[Smoooothy]

Did he spend any time crumbing Vince's packs?

Plenty of adventure there you would think.

i like what you did there

 

[Drummond]

And what if he'd become the next Jim Stynes or Tadgh Kennelly, would it still have been a waste of time? I'm sure there were plenty of kids running around the sanfl/vfl/wafl etc who deserved a shot more than them yet one is a brownlow medalist and the other a premiership player.

Obviously Brian didn't work out and it's not surprising he's been cut but to say the experiment was a waste of time is a bit harsh. A club with our money and resources should be looking at all avenues of talent spotting/recruitment. Brian didn't work out and I suspect the club won't head down the Irish experiment again. The argument should perhaps be whether recruiters need to spend more time canvassing parts of rural/outback Australia for hidden talent - NT, the APY lands, any number of rural towns where a hidden gem is dominating the junior country leagues - rather than looking at places like Ireland, the USA and now South Africa for non Aussies whose athletic skill set may suit our game. Just a thought.

It was pretty obvious to me the first time that I saw him I knew he was no good. They gave him another year to avoid looking totally ridiculous. After 18 months he's not even close to SANFL league standard, says something. Or maybe they have to give international rookies 2 years, either way the second year didn't come due to his 'potential'.

 

[ringo200]

Not 100% sure but I think international rookies are additional to the rookie list meaning he didn't take anyone's chance.

 

[Throughandthrough]

Donnelly was treated like the intellectually disabled kid foisted on the wannabe-coach dad by the school principal; resented the hell out of him and played him 1/4 forward pocket and 3/4 carrying the tray of orange wedges. How can he make the grade when a 3rd tier coach is actively preventing him from even having a real shot at it?

Was badly botched by Glenelg, so badly that the Crows shifted him to the Bulldogs where they were apparently actually willing to play him in different positions to teach him the game. Too late though. Rumour still has it that Glenelg is no longer on the AFC Xmas card list.

I mean, I can understand why the SANFL senior team might be justifiably more reluctant to play an AFL listed player in the position the Crows/Power want instead of what the SANFL team needs (Power "Key Defender" and SANFL top 5 goal scorer Nick Salter the most recent and prominent example), but this was an SANFL reserves team - no excuses at all.

Or maybe he just couldn't play the game. Getting 4 or 5 possessions a game may have been an indicator.

the "3rd tier coach" you are talking about lead the Glenelg Reserves to two flags in the last 3 years, so he may know a little about footy. Is now a senior coach in the SANFL and they are going "ok"

There's 50 other more worthy people (in hindsight) that should have been rookie drafted ahead of Donnelly. All of whom had played the game for the last 10 - 15 years plus.

 

[NTRabbit]

the "3rd tier coach" you are talking about lead the Glenelg Reserves to two flags in the last 3 years, so he may know a little about footy. Is now a senior coach in the SANFL and they are going "ok"

Hawthorn won a spate of VFL flags with coaching staff who thought all "blackfellas" were lazy showboats, and none would ever be any good at playing proper senior football, so right up until the late 90's they deliberately did not sign or draft any. Does that make it right?

It's not about the results for the team, it's about neglecting responsibility for the development of a player due to a bias of some kind. The SANFL reserves coach isn't there to win SANFL Reserves flags, he's there to help the SANFL senior side win the flag, and by accepting AFL listed players SANFL clubs are taking on a responsibility and duty to aid in the fitness, form, development and recovery of those players.

The more the SANFL clubs deliberately neglect those duties, the more the Power, and in response the Crows, will push for their own "reserves" sides in the SANFL, which would quite possibly ensure nobody but the AFL reserves teams ever won a flag again.

 

[Smoooothy]

It was pretty obvious to me the first time that I saw him I knew he was no good. They gave him another year to avoid looking totally ridiculous. After 18 months he's not even close to SANFL league standard, says something. Or maybe they have to give international rookies 2 years, either way the second year didn't come due to his 'potential'.

i'm pretty sure thats on the money drum, i'm pretty sure i've heard that somewhere

 

[Vantz]

Brian has been homesick for a long time. It is sad it has not worked out, but it is great he gets to go home and is still young enough to give gaelic a decent crack.

It is easy to forget that he is only almost 22, is away from family and his girlfriend.

Good luck to him in the future

 

[Vader]

Not 100% sure but I think international rookies are additional to the rookie list meaning he didn't take anyone's chance.

True for international rookies from anywhere except Ireland.

 

[Throughandthrough]

Hawthorn won a spate of VFL flags with coaching staff who thought all "blackfellas" were lazy showboats, and none would ever be any good at playing proper senior football, so right up until the late 90's they deliberately did not sign or draft any. Does that make it right?

It's not about the results for the team, it's about neglecting responsibility for the development of a player due to a bias of some kind. The SANFL reserves coach isn't there to win SANFL Reserves flags, he's there to help the SANFL senior side win the flag, and by accepting AFL listed players SANFL clubs are taking on a responsibility and duty to aid in the fitness, form, development and recovery of those players.

The more the SANFL clubs deliberately neglect those duties, the more the Power, and in response the Crows, will push for their own "reserves" sides in the SANFL, which would quite possibly ensure nobody but the AFL reserves teams ever won a flag again.

Ignoring the hawthorn comment, I think you may find that the Powers at Glenelg decided that they had better juniors amongst their own ranks with greater potential then Donnelly, one of whom would have had a miss a game entirely every week as Donnelly had to be selected.

Many of those juniors had/have played in multiple junior finals and now also premierships, a few are now playing league/regular reserves for Glenelg, and maybe one or three of them will be drafted to the AFL at the end of this year.

I'm sure that the Coaching Panel at Glenelg WANTED Brian to be a star, but at the end of the day if they didnt think he would ever make SANFL league standard, let alone an AFL game, then unfortunately in THIS case the Donnelly experiment has been proved to be a massive waste of the Crows money.

Sam Shaw, on the other hand, was promoted to the Glenelg league side after only 3 or so Reserves games this year, and raised a few eye-brows when he was named.

Not knocking Brian as a person, but unfortunately this was a high risk experiment that crashed and burned. And I personally think that there are umpteen other people that could have been drafted, and given all the full time training and coaching facilities that the AFC offers, would now be regular SANFL league players/fringe AFL players at worst.


Also has the 'afc/Power' Reserves side in the SANFL ever seriously been raised bu either of these teams? It may have been but i can't recall it. Yes it has been raised in the Media and on this site a few times, but that doesn't mean much...

 

[NTRabbit]

Ignoring the hawthorn comment, I think you may find that the Powers at Glenelg decided that they had better juniors amongst their own ranks with greater potential then Donnelly, one of whom would have had a miss a game entirely every week as Donnelly had to be selected.

Once they took him from the Crows, they had a duty and a responsibility to play him ahead of someone else, no matter how they felt about the "unlucky" youngster missing out. If they did not want to do this, then they should have been honest and up front about it with the Crows instead of ruining the experiment before it even began.

Glenelg are hardly the only club guilty of this, recall Doc Clarke being unable to get a league game for Souths when returning from injury because the Souths coach allegedly had a personal issue with him and refused to pick him. In the end the Crows sought out special permission to shift him to another SANFL club in the middle of the season, that's how bad it was.

Also has the 'afc/Power' Reserves side in the SANFL ever seriously been raised bu either of these teams? It may have been but i can't recall it. Yes it has been raised in the Media and on this site a few times, but that doesn't mean much...

Port yes, Crows only to say "If they get one, we'll demand one too"

 

[Throughandthrough]

Once they took him from the Crows, they had a duty and a responsibility to play him ahead of someone else, no matter how they felt about the "unlucky" youngster missing out. If they did not want to do this, then they should have been honest and up front about it with the Crows instead of ruining the experiment before it even began.

They did select him every week.

And obviously when they "mini drafted" him Glenelg would have had no idea how well he would perform, and of course hoped he absolutely dominated the competition, which he obviously didn't. And I'm sure if the AFC had that pick over again they would have picked someone else.

 

[NTRabbit]

They did select him every week.

But then proceeded to neglect his development by playing him in a terrible position for a player trying to learn the game, more than likely against the wishes of the AFC.

Sure, they may have hoped he would dominate when they minidrafted him, but it does not give the Bays the right to back out of the commitment just because he wasn't an instant Tadgh Kennelly - they had an obligation to see it through, and instead were selfish about the matter.

I'm sure there have been times when Jacky hasn't even done enough to warrant a spot in the Eagles Reserves, but they have kept their end of the bargain by picking him, and playing him in a manner that the AFC agrees with.

 

[Throughandthrough]

I'm sure there have been times when Jacky hasn't even done enough to warrant a spot in the Eagles Reserves, but they have kept their end of the bargain by picking him, and playing him in a manner that the AFC agrees with.

Well thats ironic, as the head coach at the Eagles is now Mick Godden

NB i'm 98% sure that the SANFL sides "have to" select an AFL listed player in the reserves (at least), no matter how crap the player is.

But yep, they could sit him on the pine, and yep, IF the player and his AFL team thought he wasnt getting a fair go, they can request a transfer after 3 (?) reserves games in a row.

To defend Glenelg, they have had very strong relationship with other AFL listed players (Logan, Carr, Meyer, Douggie, Sellar etc etc)

 

[Riggy1]

To defend Glenelg, they have had very strong relationship with other AFL listed players (Logan, Carr, Meyer, Douggie, Sellar etc etc)

I'm I the only one that recalls Carr had to play for North's reserves last year because he couldn't get a game for Glenelg that week?

 

[Throughandthrough]

I'm I the only one that recalls Carr had to play for North's reserves last year because he couldn't get a game for Glenelg that week?

????????????????

The only way that would have happened is if the Glenelg league team (and as such, by default, the reserves) would have had a bye, AND North reserves were bottom of the ladder, AND Carr was coming back from injury.

Cam Hitchcock played a Reserves game with South Adelaide earlier this year in similar circumstances.

 

[Riggy1]

The only way that would have happened is if the Glenelg league team (and as such, by default, the reserves) would have had a bye, AND North reserves were bottom of the ladder, AND Carr was coming back from injury.

oi, let me have fun
i'm still right

 

[Dujon11]

But then proceeded to neglect his development by playing him in a terrible position for a player trying to learn the game, more than likely against the wishes of the AFC.

Sure, they may have hoped he would dominate when they minidrafted him, but it does not give the Bays the right to back out of the commitment just because he wasn't an instant Tadgh Kennelly - they had an obligation to see it through, and instead were selfish about the matter.

I'm sure there have been times when Jacky hasn't even done enough to warrant a spot in the Eagles Reserves, but they have kept their end of the bargain by picking him, and playing him in a manner that the AFC agrees with.

How many games did you see the lad play?

He showed glimpses he may have developed, unfortunately it was going to take a lot longer than 2 years.

Gods made the right call.

 

[neddy36]

Did he spend any time crumbing Vince's packs?

Plenty of adventure there you would think.

Haha, I saw him out one night at the Highway. He was having a fair crack at this stunning brunette. It was a relentless effort too. I imagined to myself at the time, I wonder if he is saying in a thick Irish accent:

"You gotta believe me, I play for the Crows. Honestly, I do! Come to training on Monday, please!!!"

Poor fellah went home empty-handed. Our SANFL weekly write ups just won't be the same without Donners!!!

 

[Smoooothy]

Haha, I saw him out one night at the Highway. He was having a fair crack at this stunning brunette. It was a relentless effort too. I imagined to myself at the time, I wonder if he is saying in a thick Irish accent:

"You gotta believe me, I play for the Crows. Honestly, I do! Come to training on Monday, please!!!"

Poor fellah went home empty-handed. Our SANFL weekly write ups just won't be the same without Donners!!!

you don't like hearing or seeing that

no wonder he went home