I miss Leon

[donkeyballs]

i love leon. i miss leon. he's been part of our side for the last 5-10 years and it's wrong that he's set to miss.

 

[Tarkyn_24]

Surely a joke right? He was absolutely pathetic last week.

I feel worse for Lockyer and Prestigiacomo, who wouldn't have wasted their chances IMO.

I've said it before, at their worst you'd take Lockyer over Davis, and at their best you'd take Davis over Lockyer. Davis does nothing in finals (particularly Grand Finals, and particularly recently) and the wrong call was made last week. The right call was made this week, because its fair to say Goldsack's bigger body might be more important. Lockyer's lack of pace has killed his career and shot at a premiership.

 

[mattys123]

I miss the "real" Leon Davis.

Amazing how 12 months can change the way a player is perceived by the public.

Last year he made the All Australian team as the most dynamic forward pocket/midfielder in the competition, and this year he just never looked like that player.

He won 4-5 games for us in 09, yet this the only game he really had a big influence on was the Melbourne game in round 2, and even that was just one great goal at the end.

He surely must have been carrying an injury this season, I just can't understand how a player could lose that "spark" so quickly.

I'd love to see him come back next year, but with the likes of Dick, Rounds, Reed etc all pushing up, Leon may well be traded at the end of the season, which would be a disappointing way to end a great career at Collingwood.

I miss Leon too, but I don't miss the 2010 version.

 

[SwanBet]

Leon will be missed, unfortunately that is life.

I just don't understand how and why we don't play him on the wing/half forward life he has for the last few seasons.
He is not a forward pocket, he is confidence player and you don't gain confidence in a forward pocket.

I hope leon goes around with the pies again, has a good preseason comes back and plays like the leon we love. Leon of 2009. Hopefully dick comes back and gets fit and plays in the forward pocket role so leon can push up the ground where he belongs.

 

[daics_35]

I remember last year Leon was killing it at the start, he was the x factor that won us games. I loved it, it was a pleasure to watch him but ever since round 4 this season he has been terrible and I suspect he i having some off field troubles but hopefully they are sorted and he is back to his best next year.

 

[Butsy]

I am a huge Leon Fan as well.
Over the year I have watch him play without the explosive pace that he showed last year.
I did hear early this year that he has an injury to the top of one of his legs. Apparantly he does not carry any sort of injury well. That would also explain why he does not even look fit.
I would love to see him get back to his best next year as I feel he can still be in our best 22.

 

[rose jam]

I heard he has a degenerative knee condition that started flaring around the middle of last year and that his training has dropped off since then. They made the decision over pre-season to keep him locked forward to reduce the stress in his knee.
I mean the coaching staff aren't stupid enough to keep him out of the midfield in games such as Richmond or West Coast or other easy wins where they could have run him into form if he was able to play there.
He will have one of the greatest highlight reels this club has seen, and it's a pity people will always taint his career, he has been unbelievable, we all got the chills when he was on.

 

[Jedi01]

Ya it is def sad he won't be playing this weekend. I cheered the Leon goal more than any other last weekend.

I also feel for Tarks, was a great club man and good player in his day.

 

[shawthing09]

I love Leon too but the fact is he has been average at best through the whole year and poor in every final has played over his whole career. He will get the medal unlike Shane O'Bree, Tarks and Presti.

You pick the best side you can it's that simple it's not wrong that he misses out, it would be far worse for the whole team to miss out because you want to carry Leon.

FWIW Presti is the guy on the list I feel most sorry for.

 

[Zahki]

He should be extremely grateful for how he's been treated throughout this season. 99% of players wouldn't have gotten the leniency he has received from the coaching staff for his performances, likewise the number of players who would be recalled for a Grand Final after a crushing PF win on the back of a season like the one he has produced would be tiny.

Put simply he has had every opportunity to prove himself, a lot more opportunity than other players (*cough*Medhurst*cough*) were afforded. He really can't have any complaints.

 

[Collingwould]

He should be extremely grateful for how he's been treated throughout this season. 99% of players wouldn't have gotten the leniency he has received from the coaching staff for his performances, likewise the number of players who would be recalled for a Grand Final after a crushing PF win on the back of a season like the one he has produced would be tiny.

Put simply he has had every opportunity to prove himself, a lot more opportunity than other players (*cough*Medhurst*cough*) were afforded. He really can't have any complaints.

This

it's justice Goldy is back after playing in the winning prelim side

Davis has been well below this year, not missed from me

 

[Jedi01]

He should be extremely grateful for how he's been treated throughout this season. 99% of players wouldn't have gotten the leniency he has received from the coaching staff for his performances, likewise the number of players who would be recalled for a Grand Final after a crushing PF win on the back of a season like the one he has produced would be tiny.

Put simply he has had every opportunity to prove himself, a lot more opportunity than other players (*cough*Medhurst*cough*) were afforded. He really can't have any complaints.

Not true. Swan, Pendlebury, Didak, Cloke, Thomas, Shaw etc etc would all receive the same chances Leon got this year should there form drop.

Thread is more about missing Leon when in form rather than if he should be playing imo.

 

[Cousin of Daicos]

I miss him for H&A season. Not finals.

Hopefully he's been carrying an injury that he can get over during the pre-season.

 

[Mickaman]

I would still rather have Leon in than Goldsack. I am just keeping the faith that Goldsack will perform and not be as nervous as he was against the Cats.

 

[Go_Brad_Dick]

I miss him too. He's been my favourite player since early 2000s. (other than Brad Dick..) I'd love to hear some sort of explanation from himself or the coaching team as to what happened this year. He was so brilliant last year.. so far not a word from anyone.. Although guys like Beams, Caff and Sidebottom have stepped up, none of them have been as dominant and consistent as he was last year, seems odd that his position was given up..

 

[The Zone]

I was watching video of Leon at today's training. Two words came to mind - osteitis pubis. I wrote a comment about his form some months back and thought that he was moving like he was injured and that something about the way he moved made me think it's osteitis pubis. It would explain a lot.

 

[Snag Breac]

I was watching video of Leon at today's training. Two words came to mind - osteitis pubis. I wrote a comment about his form some months back and thought that he was moving like he was injured and that something about the way he moved made me think it's osteitis pubis. It would explain a lot.

If it is something of this nature, could he yet recover and get back to his best? I miss him too.

 

[rose jam]

I was watching video of Leon at today's training. Two words came to mind - osteitis pubis. I wrote a comment about his form some months back and thought that he was moving like he was injured and that something about the way he moved made me think it's osteitis pubis. It would explain a lot.

Doubtful it's OP since they do a lot of muscle balancing exercises in that area. OP has virtually gone from the game.
End of last year it was knee, would seem the logical thing

 

[Yidaki]

I miss him for H&A season. Not finals.

Hopefully he's been carrying an injury that he can get over during the pre-season.

I have a feeling he will be traded off after the seasons end.

 

[Chief Ten Beers]

I heard he has a degenerative knee condition that started flaring around the middle of last year and that his training has dropped off since then.

If this is true...I really feel for the guy.

 

[Axl the great]

Looking at the way he runs id say he is either suffering a calf or groin injury, watched footage of this years games and last year and noticed Leon is running without lifting his knees as high and seems to be shuffling.
This could explain the lack of pace and inability to place as much pressure on his legs when running, at a guess i would say groin issue but id put money on him not being 100%

 

[DIDAIC0S]

I miss the "real" Leon Davis.

Amazing how 12 months can change the way a player is perceived by the public.

Last year he made the All Australian team as the most dynamic forward pocket/midfielder in the competition, and this year he just never looked like that player.

He won 4-5 games for us in 09, yet this the only game he really had a big influence on was the Melbourne game in round 2, and even that was just one great goal at the end.

He surely must have been carrying an injury this season, I just can't understand how a player could lose that "spark" so quickly.

I'd love to see him come back next year, but with the likes of Dick, Rounds, Reed etc all pushing up, Leon may well be traded at the end of the season, which would be a disappointing way to end a great career at Collingwood.

I miss Leon too, but I don't miss the 2010 version.

Finally you see logic and reason.

For the record I haven't ever been rooting against Leon, I've, like others on here, just seen him for the player he is, exceptional at times, but ordinary at others. Didak is or current day Daicos, not Leon.

 

[alfiiee]

Gartlett and Betts destroyed the saints!
Are we too tall?