Matt Connell

[drakeyv2]

better rover than McGuiness?

sorry, no.

You would get an argument from me on how good McGuiness was.

Liptak was a good player with 2 problems. His body (hamstrings) couldn't stand up to AFL footy & he often 2 & 3 grabbed the ball. He was very good value when on.

 

[drakeyv2]

He had a mountain of possessions purely because he played completely unaccountable football. He'd just wander around the wing all day calling for the ball while his man was setting up goals for the opposition. It was like junior grade football "What number opponent are you on Matty?" "Err...I don't remember Malcolm"

And whenever he got the ball he'd immediately an invariably go backwards and do a Queen Mary turn that even Skippy would be embarrassed about before burning the ball.

The fact that he got B&F just shows what a crappy year it was.

That's how I remember him.

 

[drakeyv2]

I'd rather not elaborate on the details of individual incidents, but in summary it would be fair to say that he constantly humiliated and degraded Connell in front of his peers.

Crow Magnum's comments re Connell's style of play are near the mark, but Craig would never have handled it the way that Blight did, and no rational person should. Craig would have learnt a lesson from Blight in this instance of what not to do. A quiet word in his ear in private and just plain dropping him would have been far better than abusing him publicly and accusing him of costing his team-mates the game etc.

Connell ended up very scarred as a person which was totally unnecessary IMO.

I've heard a few "Connell" stories & although Blight was often over the top, I have also heard things about Connell which I imagine would make a coach go crazy.

 

[crazy_big_al]

Interesting comments. I am surprised about the blighty thing.

 

[tribey]

Well when Ricciuto was injured in 97 he was that far in front of the B+f it wasnt funny,

Was also leading the Brownlow by 4 votes after Round 15.

Much is made of the fact he missed out on the first flag, but he also missed out on a gold jacket and Charlie.

 

[tribey]

Adam Hueskes got his spot. Absolute travesty.

That wasn't the only one.

Michael Sexton* selected at CHB over Peter Caven** and Darren Mead*** was just as bizarre, if not moreso.

*Played 18 games out of 22 in a poor side - two of which he was injured in and played virtually no part in.

** Played 18 out of 22, excellent defensively in statistically the meanest defence in the comp and at the heart of our running game out of the backlines.

***Played 22 out of 22, was he beaten once in what was a fantastic debut year on his way to Port's B&F?

 

[CaptainDangerfield]

A bit of a sad story was Matty Connell.

Came from West Coast as you said and was a terrific ball getter in the early years. He averaged 23 disposals in that B&F year and 18 disposals over his 99 game career.

He usually hung on to the ball too long and always looked like he was struggling for a target as a result with all leads covered. But he did try his guts out IMO.

Blight took an absolute set against him, and his treatment of Connell as a human being was abysmal IMO - nothing short of disgraceful. If just 1% of what I've been told my a number of people from within the club is true, then Blight gets very little respect from me in spite of our 2 flags.

Connell left Adelaide as an absolutely mentally shattered man according to people who were close to him after the alleged constant humiliations he received in front of his peers.

Sad really, because all he wanted to do was play footy.

I have heard a similar thing. I heard an interview with an ex-Peckers player on KG & Cornesy's "where are they now" who didn't have much respect for Blight. He said he used to have his regular whipping boys that he would pick on without mercy. More often than not, the player in question was a shy/quiet type.

I also heard that Connell doesn't want anything to do with the AFC and has ignored numerous offers to attend club functions.

Don't get me wrong, I think what Blight did for our club was sensational but there were a few casualties along the way.

 

[drakeyv2]

Don't get me wrong, I think what Blight did for our club was sensational but there were a few casualties along the way.

There always are in footy clubs.

 

[CaptainDangerfield]

There always are in footy clubs.

True.

 

[beartoo]

Only a very poor man-manager abuses people. Gets you nowhere. If you have opinions that someone is below par, you keep them to yourself and rid yourself of the person without humiliating them.
I don't believe in karma, but if I did, I'd say Blight's hubris bit him on the bum in his last year at Adelaide and his short unhappy stint with Saints.
Blight did inherit a great list from Robert Shaw.

 

[marvin]

Don't remember the exact details .... but I read a story about Connell in the paper a year or so ago. From memory, he's coaching some footy team in the UK (or at least he was at that stage). My recollections of him are he got 10/10 for effort and about 2/10 for execution.

He's been teaching and playing / coaching in the UK. Got a mention in an article from a couple of months back. Pretty sure he's had stints with a few clubs in and around London.

 

[jc67]

Matty popularized the term :"burning the ball".
before him, hardly anybody knew what it meant.

 

[jmorg1]

Matty popularized the term :"burning the ball".
before him, hardly anybody knew what it meant.

To be fair, Tregenza and Welman (to a lesser extent) did try their best to educate the masses.