Don Pyke: The Next Blight or Neil Craig?

[1970crow]

Pretty strong DABM. I reckon you need to take more into account than just the raw number of games he brings to the AFL team. If he plays SANFL then every player that is in the 2's in the midfield will have an in-game coach pointing them in the right direction. I'm sure Dean Gore would benefit from having Thommo at his side in the SANFL ... don't you?

Hope his in-game coaching is good, less midfield minutes = less midfield development. So his coaching needs to bridge that gap from the get-go. The coaching thing is a furphy, it's Adelaide speak for, "non-statistical role can't explain it, what's next?" He could have played SANFL as a non-listed player like Callinan, so coaching SANFL is a proven furphy. I don't think they plan to play him in the 1's like others do, I just think we caved to the public pressure that he ensured was applied and we chose protecting his image ahead of the team instead of just delisting him. Younger players don't need him, our players have developed just fine in the 2's without him. And played even better in the 1's when he's not there.

 

[1970crow]

So was what the Hawks did good or bad - are they the example we should follow / are they doing something we disagree with? Personally, as I said above - I don't think much of what Hawthorn do is relevant to the Crows. They are in a different world to us right now.

Thommo wins our B&F and we move him on - people would be screaming.
Thommo wins our B&F and we don't move him on - people would be screaming.
Thommo forced to retire like Boomer - people would be screaming.
Thommo not forced to retire like Boomer - people are screaming.

I am starting to think that maybe there is not a happy answer to this that does not involve screaming.

The only similarity with Thommo and those guys is age. Thommo clearly struggled the back part of the year. Would have been leading the b&f after the first 6 games, but his body is shot so couldn't maintain that standard. His last 16 games would have had him 23rd on votes per game. Neither of the other 2 suffered such a significant and consistent period of form not warranting best 22 voting status for over 2/3rds of the season.

Who'd be screaming if Thommo was delisted? Not the 77% who voted to delist him or the 10% who would be happy to keep him on as depth. Maybe the 10% who thought he should go around again on form or teaching skills, but that's a clear minority. There's always a few like Lindy who who will scream over their favourites that they can't judge objectively.

 

[1970crow]

Jeff Kennett was right today when he said Hawthorn are ruthless clinical and professional

The sort of high performance, elite standards that only come from exceptional governance. With one goal only - premierships

Our club either doesn't have that goal or worse it has more than one.

I suspect it has myriad goals of which ultimate onfield success is just one of them

If you define success broadly then your chances of achieving it or some are much greater

Website hits sits equal with premiership cups. I think we're changing, but there's still some key players in the footy department who were comfortable with that culture. One just left thankfully, but we need a couple more changes to rid ourselves of the shackles that the Trigg years were.

 

[Mike Smyth]

As long as we keep Oglivie - Smart, harper, Clarke and the others can all go.

 

[skoobydoo]

The only relevant comparisons between Thompson and Mitchell are games played and age. Mitchell is a valuable play making contributor whereas Thompson's value is historic with security blanket vision.

 

[baldandbroke]

The only similarity with Thommo and those guys is age. Thommo clearly struggled the back part of the year. Would have been leading the b&f after the first 6 games, but his body is shot so couldn't maintain that standard. His last 16 games would have had him 23rd on votes per game. Neither of the other 2 suffered such a significant and consistent period of form not warranting best 22 voting status for over 2/3rds of the season.

Who'd be screaming if Thommo was delisted? Not the 77% who voted to delist him or the 10% who would be happy to keep him on as depth. Maybe the 10% who thought he should go around again on form or teaching skills, but that's a clear minority. There's always a few like Lindy who who will scream over their favourites that they can't judge objectively.

I wasn't comparing Thommo to Mitchell as players. I would have been happy for Thommo to retire, but he hasn't and the reasons are what we are trying to guess. Some people seem to see it as an indication that we as a club are weak - and will not get anywhere. I think that is a stretch. All I am saying is I would love to know what is behind the decision, and how much it is costing us - that might give it some context.

 

[1970crow]

I wasn't comparing Thommo to Mitchell as players. I would have been happy for Thommo to retire, but he hasn't and the reasons are what we are trying to guess. Some people seem to see it as an indication that we as a club are weak - and will not get anywhere. I think that is a stretch. All I am saying is I would love to know what is behind the decision, and how much it is costing us - that might give it some context.

I'm hopeful he's the last player to benefit from the old regime mindset. If he'd not mentioned at every opportunity that he was desperate to play on I think he'd have been forced to retire. But he took that off the table and I reckon he's been given a gift and we've already wrapped up the reason that he's playing SANFL because he's half a coach. I think we've looked after a stalwart, but I couldn't be convinced, even by Pyke himself, that we're happy about it.

 

[Cockwomble]

You could see a benefit to our young players if Thommo had an 'on field' coaching role in the SANFL his experience and footy ethic would be invaluable IMO..

 

[baldandbroke]

You could see a benefit to our young players if Thommo had an 'on field' coaching role in the SANFL his experience and footy ethic would be invaluable IMO..

And that is the obvious line that we will fall-back on, as 1970crow says above. It may be true.

As long as his contract doesn't get in the way. If the thinking is sound, the reasoning is sound - then we would all be onboard. At the moment, most of that is a guess.

Best case scenario is that we are not talking about this at all throughout 2017

 

[Ramify]

The big question remains ; how are our junior players ever going to develop once Thommo decides to pull the plug in 2021?
Do we then fall back on Dmac or Dougie for onfield coaching and direction?

 

[little graham]

The big question remains ; how are our junior players ever going to develop once Thommo decides to pull the plug in 2021?

so you're definatley in the anti thommo camp? 2021 is a touch early a retirement for player like him, surely?

 

[Ramify]

so you're definatley in the anti thommo camp? 2021 is a touch early a retirement for player like him, surely?

Im a founding member.
Im of the opinion he should have been phased out from season 2014.