I do appreciate the criticisms you have of rich and i do think we have expectations that he hasnt met. I see his career split in two by his long term knee injury. Pre injury he had only to learn how to shake/use a tag to become an elite outside midfielder. So we feel a bit ripped off that never eventuated. Since his injury he has played predominantly in defence, a position new to him and surrounded by young and inexperienced team mates. Early you could see him caught between going hard at his man or backing off a bit incase he needs to support a kid. As his team mates have grown and he has had more confidence in them to cover their own man, richs game has got much much better. Still much to learn in defence but its getting much better. He has the best to learn from. I think the best is yet to come from rich. The back 6 general when hodge finishes. He is certainly capable of costly clangers, and we should probably expect some more with the changes to the behind kick in rules, some confusion going to happen there for sure, and i dont think his left boot is as long as it was. But he is still a respected senior member of the squad valuable on and off the field for a good 3 to 4 yrs yet.
It has a name, Expectationitis. It's a fact he rated higher than Laird from the Crows in 2018 whilst settling into a new role. That's actually a huge accomplishment. If he holds that status he's great value. He may even improve on that next year ........ Oh no, I've had a slight re-occurrence of Expectationitis.
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I was there having lived in Brisbane for two years in 09-10. Saw the best (an amazing 09 season, seeing us play in every Brisbane, Melbourne and Perth game and our win against the Hawks in Tassie, but that crowd and win was something I've never witnessed before (truly electric)) and worst of the club (Fev, introduction of the Paddlepop etc.) in that two years.I wonder if the three-peat team ever played in front of a Gabba crowd as loud as that one. Would have been an amazing game to be at..
since...
I made it to at least one final back then, against Adelaide. I just remember it being loud and intense despite the game being a bit of a walkover.I wonder if the three-peat team ever played in front of a Gabba crowd as loud as that one. Would have been an amazing game to be at..
Worse than a dreamworld one
I won't have the Thunderbolt besmirched. No matter how headache inducing it was, or how non-existent it is now.
And we are only just picking up the pieces now!
As has been mentioned before around here, he had a contract offered to him prior to the trade period that he hadn't signed because he wanted more years. He took a three year contract with Sydney and ended up playing 9 games in his first year and then nothing after that. And Bradshaw was always playing those types of games around contract renewal time. We tried to get value out of a guy that wasn't willing to sign on and whose body was close to being cooked in any case.
It was dark times indeed for the club. Bradshaw was shot at the time, he coolant bend over anymore. He had tried to become a builder and started as a carpenter but gave that up his back was stuffed. He went off to Sydney and played about 6 games he was just getting too many injuries. I loved him as a player and what a set of Guns. Fevola, other than the head case effect, was the right replacement, he could get goals from crumbing his own ball and was worth 2 more goals a game to us. The other thing was Fevola's natural running parent was up the other side of the ground to Browny so they should have worked well together. But alas Fev was a head case and we got the full brunt of that even starting in his first off season.
