Toast Menzel - The Return

[Jay-Z]

Hey cats fans, just wanted to pop in and say what a pleasure it was watching Menzel's comeback last night.

He is an extremely talented player and it would have been an absolute tragedy if he never played again. I hope you get to enjoy watching performances like last night for many years to come

Good luck for next year

 

[Farmer2Goggin]

What a stunning comeback game.
Whist I'm shattered with the loss couldn't be happier for Dan and his family.
Special person with an equally special character and talent

 

[Dancing Dougy]

Commiserations on the loss and missing out on finals, but so rapt for Menzel making it back at doing it with such outrageous aplomb.

Fingers crossed, our boy Clay Smith who's had a similar runs gains some confidence from Daniel.

 

[CatTricks]

What an amazing performance.
The mind boggles at what Menz could have achieved in the 4 years he missed through injury.

 

[Daniel McL]

Who else woke up this morning & thought to themselves... "Wow, last night actually happened... Daniel Menzel returned... WITH A BANG!"

Anyone???

 

[BotsMaster]

 

[xtatik222k]

I missed the game last night (was at a poker tournament) but I'll be watching the entire thing to see Menzel. Caught glimpses throughout the night - what an absolute star. This guy is the real deal. If not for his body, could have already been in the top players in the comp. If he continues on without injury, he'll make it to that level, I think.

 

[BrissyCrow]

Just wanted to express my admiration to Daniel Menzel. Its always great to see individuals who can stand up and face extreme levels of adversity. What an inspiration for ALL of us

 

[Matthew Jelley]

Great to see all the support from rival supporters. Usually a result like last night would ruin my mood for the rest of the weelend but can still smile after seeing menzel play at all let alone as well as he did.

 

[Jimmy Yamazaki]

Great come back just reminded everyone what we've been missing.

 

[Boxhead_31]

Such a gracious person as well as a ripping player:

 

[Teriyakicat]

He did himself proud tonight, and reminded us all what a talented player he still is.

EFA

And showed us why both he and the club persisted through 4 years of adversity.

LONG MAY IT CONTINUE!!

(I predict a few quiet games in the future with some posters forgetting what he's been through and bagging him out, saying he's finished. Watch this space!)

Thought he'd come out oozing adrenalin and burn out after a quarter but this game has been such a long time coming that the young lad had so much energy to spare that he could've completed cartwheels around the G for an hour after the game.

What would've been a nice touch would have been for the boys to have given him a round of applause as he led them off the ground- along with their most sincere apologies for raining on his comeback game.

 

[Strangled Cat]

He was just amazing. Brings a tear to your eye seeing him out there & performing so well. Hope he's having a great time celebrating his comeback with his family & friends

If the scenes last night were anything to go by, I'd say that is a safe bet.

 

[Boxhead_31]

The best thing is the conversation has now changed from the agonising what could have been, to, what could be still to come?

Love how the narrative has changed from "Luckless Cat Daniel Menzel" to "Fairytale Return for Daniel Menzel."

Never again do I wish to see the words Luckless and Menzel associated near each other moving forward

 

[Teriyakicat]

Its great to see what pure enthusiasm for the game looks like. Dan Menzel is it.
Not about $$, or flags, or anything else than playing the game and being a part of it.

How any GFC person could not feel affected by his purity for the game, or things bigger than the game, is beyond me.

A credit to you Dan Menzel.

Go Catters

Stop it! You're making me

Very well said, Daz. I just feel so sad when I think of his 4 year absence from the field but I also appreciate the fact that those 4 years have shaped him- he's been forged in the fires of self doubt, anguish, pain and, I'm sure, depression but he's come out of that a newer brighter star with a backbone of steel, empathy for his fellow man and a genuine love of helping others achieve their potential. He will play each game as if it was his last because, in this game that is called "Life", you just never know what's in store for you around the corner, do you?

 

[Teriyakicat]

Love how the narrative has changed from "Luckless Cat Daniel Menzel" to "Fairytale Return for Daniel Menzel."

Never again do I wish to see the words Luckless and Menzel associated near each other moving forward

He's made his own luck. It took 4 years.

 

[Boxhead_31]

Look at the leap. Who said there was no upside to strength and conditioning rehab work…

Brilliant.

Go Catters

Kicking looked sharp as well. His passes where flat low and fast and kicking the first from 50 easy.
No sign of loosing any strength via foot

 

[Geelong_Sicko]

He was just amazing. Brings a tear to your eye seeing him out there & performing so well. Hope he's having a great time celebrating his comeback with his family & friends

The camera panned to his family whenever he kicked a goal. Can't remember if his brother Troy was in the crowd with them or not, though.

 

[Teriyakicat]

Mixed bag at the football last night.

Was crook at the footy years since that happened (not liquid enduced) , the football side was rubbish , we lost and missed the finals , we lost to Coooollllliiiwoooooooddddd , etc,etc yet I walk away (just) with the undertone of happiness.

Hope you're feeling better this morning, Turbo!

 

[Teriyakicat]

What a mark. It's just fantastic that he has the confidence to do these things, too bad it didn't rub off on his team-mates.
I'm proud of the club for getting him back, but that worked for only one of the perennially injured.

So it is pretty deflating that we have Menzel back playing in a team that obviously doesn't want to be out there.

Vardy played, don't forget- and he did pretty well for a bloke who's missed 2 years.

 

[Boxhead_31]

The camera panned to his family whenever he kicked a goal. Can't remember if his brother Troy was in the crowd with them or not, though.

Troy was in Sydney with the Blues but was watching:

 

[Strangled Cat]

He will never go anywhere else, and he will sign another deal no worries at all

Nah, mate. Crows' supporters would accept a straight swap for Danger... he's South Aussie and he's that bloody good!

 

[Cattery]

What can you say, a twenty three gamer returning after four years on the sidelines and producing a performance like that, more then compensated for the "effort" the team put up.

 

[Teriyakicat]

I think it's time to draw a line under the comeback thread, filled with heartache, disappointment and anticipation (and ultimately jubilation at his VFL return), and to start afresh.

What a performance!

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On a night where stats weren't needed to highlight his impact on the field, they've certainly added a few inches of icing to a very tasty cake that's been 4 years in the baking.
Congratulations to Daniel on his return, congratulations on his spectacular achievements on the field and very special congratulations to him for his amazing attitude towards the game and his huge effort in trying to whip his teammates into some sort of fightback.

 

[GFrost]

I realised that I didn't think about his knee at all during the game.
I was only focused on him playing WELL and hoping good things would happen in terms of involvement, goals, marks.
Perhaps having watched a VFL game or two I got that fear out of my system because I always thought I'd be a wreck watching his first AFL game back every time he twisted and turned.
But I didn't, not once.
Anyone else the same?
Apart from the happiness at the long journey back, for the first time in four years, I was thinking of Menzel the footballer not Menzel the knee victim.