MILLER : Get Mal Michael

[CoggaRules]

Re: Read it and week Aker fans!!!

A world of difference recruting a veteran to fill a short-term need (such as Cloke in the ruck, Mark Graham, Leon Cameron) while you develop kids - in contrast to recruiting Akermanis into a forward line that already has Brown, Pettifer, Meyer, Deledio, Tambling, Krakouer and P.Bowden in it.

A forward line that needs to give minutes to Pattison, Hughes, McGaune, Limbach.

A forward line that already contains two veterans in Richardson and Brown that approching retirement age.

yeah already have the tutors in Brown, Pettifer and P. Bowden, to show the youngsters how its done. P. Bowden is an expert in tutoring them on how to put your hands on your hips and hang your head, when the next stuff up happens. We dont need an Aker you are right, he will only be able to tutor them in other non required things.

 

[Tyger]

Re: Read it and week Aker fans!!!

Maybe Aker could help develop the forwards we have coming through. Taking Aker gives us the time to develop the right kid instead of throwing him to lions before he's ready.

 

[Weaver]

Re: Read it and week Aker fans!!!

yeah already have the tutors in Brown, Pettifer and P. Bowden, to show the youngsters how its done. P. Bowden is an expert in tutoring them on how to put your hands on your hips and hang your head, when the next stuff up happens.

Brown is an ideal tutor. The others are evidence that we have options in the position - even before we draft more kids this year. Even before we strengthen our midfield and use Tuck, Coughlan, Hyde on the half-forward line.

We dont need an Aker you are right, he will only be able to tutor them in other non required things.

Yeah he can teach them all how the indiviual is more important than the team. That team rules don't apply to stars. He can also teach them that you toe the line when the team is doing well and winning premierships, but the minute the team struggles and you actually need a bit of leadership - you dump on your teammates and coaches.

Obviously the Lions value his mentoring of kids highly don't they? As they play all their kids and build a team for the future one of their key components of the rebuilding effort is to get Aker out the door.

They know about club culture, team spirit and the need to build teams. They know that Aker is an impediment to that. They are prepared to give away a Brownlow medalist in preference to allow his cancer to infect their kids. But of course we want him to mentor our kids?

 

[Weaver]

Re: Read it and week Aker fans!!!

Maybe Aker could help develop the forwards we have coming through. Taking Aker gives us the time to develop the right kid instead of throwing him to lions before he's ready.

Nathan Brown? With Richardson, Brown and Aker in the forward line. Add one other tall (say Pattison) - then there simply isn't much game time for developing players. Meyer, Deledio, Tambling are getting to the stage where they need game time - not a veteran keeping them out of the team.

 

[CoggaRules]

Re: Read it and week Aker fans!!!

Yeah he can teach them all how the indiviual is more important than the team. That team rules don't apply to stars. He can also teach them that you toe the line when the team is doing well and winning premierships, but the minute the team struggles and you actually need a bit of leadership - you dump on your teammates and coaches.

hmmm, is that different to dumping on your teamates and going to another club for the bucks?
Give you the tip man, we get to a point were we are toeing the line when the teams doing well and winning premierships, then when the time comes that the team struggles, they can do all the dumping they like. And do you know why? because if they didnt dump or if they did, the team is still struggling, so it doesnt really matter does it?
Weave my man, you need to move your way of thinking a little more closer to the new century man. Footy is business, the old adages of need a bit of leadership etc, were part of the ancient philosophies.
To prove that point, we had a captain that was 4 times B&F for us, and he showed the exact leadership qualities that you suggest, and we went from sturggling to F***ing struggling didnt we?

 

[Tyger]

Re: Read it and week Aker fans!!!

Then clean out the cupboard. We have plenty of rubbish keeping the kids out of the team. Obviously they arn't ready to step up or are not quite up to it. Aker could give them the time they need and show them how to play the mid field role or as a small "effective" forward.

 

[tigerdan]

The more I read these posts the more I am leaning towards preferring Michael ahead of Akermanis.

Presumably he'd come cheaper (both in salary and in what we'd have to give up).

I also like the idea of him holding the defence together, similar to what Mark Graham did.

Aker is more of a risk/cost.

However, I don't see him as solely a forward, surely he could play on the ball as well, just like Brown does. He would add polish, that's for sure. But we might be better served by bolstering our defence than by adding cream on the top.

Unless we get both - but that would likely cripple our drafting for this year, and I think we've done enough of having our first pick at #35.

 

[IDGAF]

Re: Read it and week Aker fans!!!

We are in this crap because no one has ever had the balls to see anything through. We flail about from one half-finished plan to another.

We set a youth policy and draft some kids, the next year we are recruiting veterans and recyling duds. One year we are recruiting a bunch of strong bodies because we want to be Brisbane, the next we are recruting running players because we want to be the Eagles.

Richmond has never had any consistent planning over the course of 4-5 draft / trade periods.

We are at the stage oy our development where we need to keep bringing in large batches of elite young talent for another 3-4 years.

Then, in 2010, it might makes sense to recruit the equivelent of a Michael or Akermanis to give us that little push from 4th to contender.

Right now Akermanis would be a waste. He'd help us win another 3-4 games for three seasons. BIG DEAL. It is that sort of short-term impatience which demands wins immediately that has cripled our club for two decades.

Instead of looking for a HFF to win 3 extra games next year, lets try to find the midfielder that will help Polo, Deledio, Coughlan, Tuck and Tambling win 16 games in 2010.

Totally agree with what you are saying Weaver . but the point of making an exception to the rule in MM`s case is the fact that we have a gaping hole the size of the grand canyon down that for all intents and purposes could hinder the progress of our young talls coming through by putting to much pressure on them to step up too early , Thursfield being the biggest concern .

Putting a plan in place is idealistically great but as with all things in life you have to have a plan B or a plan C should things go awry .

The evolution of the game has left a one dimensional player like Gaspar pretty well redundant . Ray Hall just does not cut it . Thursfield needs kid gloves for the next year or two . We "DESPERATELY" need a Mark Graham like temporary solution whilst we draft accordingly to correct our short comings in this area .... How much could we have done with MG this year ? At the end of the day it may have been the difference between us making the finals or not .

I would be insulting your intelligence by stating the obvious that you don`t draft an 18 year old and slot him into full back in his first season .

You have to have a back up plan is the point Weaver , and in this case , we need to put it into action

 

[froars]

Re: Read it and week Aker fans!!!

You have to have a back up plan is the point Weaver , and in this case , we need to put it into action

Wait till end of year and see what market there is. Doubt MM or Aker will be the only players interested in moving elsewhere. Hopefully, there's some who can foot the bill of our backline deficiencies.
Don't know much about Polak - can someone fill me in please?

 

[Tyger]

Re: Read it and week Aker fans!!!

Can't swing both ways froars.

 

[Weaver]

Re: Read it and week Aker fans!!!

Totally agree with what you are saying Weaver . but the point of making an exception to the rule in MM`s case is the fact that we have a gaping hole the size of the grand canyon down that for all intents and purposes could hinder the progress of our young talls coming through by putting to much pressure on them to step up too early , Thursfield being the biggest concern .

I don't have a problem with recruiting a veteran option as a FB if Gaspar goes. I agree that we can't play a kid and that we'd be better off letting Thursfield or McGuane play on 3rd-forwards.

I think having Gaspar and Michael is overkill. We may as well let Gaspar conceed 4 every week as let Michael conceed 2. For where we are at it doesn't make much difference. It only makes the job of replacing Gaspar and Kellaway because we now have to replace Michael too.

I also think that Michael is not the best option because his head is not in the right place. He would not be coming to prove himself, or to achieve that elusive premiership.

Furthermore I think it is almost certain that we will have to recruit a mature guy to replace Stafford. We need some insurance for Simmonds. If we are recruting one veteran already, adding the second in Michael would be a bad move for where we are at.

 

[froars]

Re: Read it and week Aker fans!!!

Can't swing both ways froars.

I'm lost (scratching head)
Just saying look at your options before you commit your energies and focus on one person as the be-all and end-all to our backline problems.

 

[Bojangles17]

Re: Read it and week Aker fans!!!

I think having Gaspar and Michael is overkill. We may as well let Gaspar conceed 4 every week as let Michael conceed 2. For where we are at it doesn't make much difference. It only makes the job of replacing Gaspar and Kellaway because we now have to replace Michael too.

.

This absolutely somes up the great debate on the value of trading early pix for a veteran

 

[IDGAF]

Re: Read it and week Aker fans!!!

I don't have a problem with recruiting a veteran option as a FB if Gaspar goes. I agree that we can't play a kid and that we'd be better off letting Thursfield or McGuane play on 3rd-forwards.

I think having Gaspar and Michael is overkill. We may as well let Gaspar conceed 4 every week as let Michael conceed 2. For where we are at it doesn't make much difference. It only makes the job of replacing Gaspar and Kellaway because we now have to replace Michael too.

I also think that Michael is not the best option because his head is not in the right place. He would not be coming to prove himself, or to achieve that elusive premiership.

Furthermore I think it is almost certain that we will have to recruit a mature guy to replace Stafford. We need some insurance for Simmonds. If we are recruting one veteran already, adding the second in Michael would be a bad move for where we are at.

I am working on the premise that Gaspar is gone .

We would never have to replace Michael . He would be bought to our club whilst the youngsters cut thier teeth and when he retired they would be more than ready to step up .

As my original post said , it would be GM`s job to find out where Mal Michaels head was , lets not assume at any point we know what and how that bloke is thinking . Suffice to say that if was not anything more than 110% commited to our cause in the manner we required then forget about it .

And finally ... you don`t think 3 ruckmen on a list is sufficient ? 4 including the rookie list . Stafford only pinch hits in the ruck anyway , and has done for some time .

I believe that we can make some inroads in the next couple of years with the list we have , we have shown it this year in patches . But unless we shore up our back half this won`t have a chance . A battle hardened hard @rse down back will make a huge difference

 

[Wally Matera]

Tyger, CoggaRules and Weaver.... get a room and sort it out the Wallsy way... chuck on the boxing gloves and each smash each other until your fking nearly dead!

 

[footy4eva]

we dont need mal michael, we have enough mentally fragile players as it is. dont need more

 

[CoggaRules]

Tyger, CoggaRules and Weaver.... get a room and sort it out the Wallsy way... chuck on the boxing gloves and each smash each other until your fking nearly dead!

what are you after man? a few more dudes to be able to relate to?

 

[IDGAF]

summed it up well, what price?....Not sure R 1 pick would be market value for 29yo R 2 and a player perhaps, something like that or an exchange of draft pix Id like to see him in a tiger jumper but not at the expense of our first 2 pix in what is amounting to a quality pool of talent

F..k - all if you are a shifty pack of pricks

This stinks to high heaven

Glad we did not persue someone as unethical as this bloke .

Just decided to change his mind did ? ..Who the f..k is he kidding ..

LMAOOOOOO @ the Essendon brainstrust on the idiot box tonight denying any wrong doing ... The Lions got shafted

 

[oxx]

These are Sheedys', "Frawley Years"

Poor old love's totally pickled.

 

[beaver's army]

I agree its totally bull******** that brisbane get nothing out of it. I think mal should atleast be out of the game for a year since it was his choice to retire.

 

[oxx]

Dont worry.

Its essendon.

 

[Shane Hird]

U's r just spewin u missed out

 

[GhostofJimJess]

Why do blokes like Michael and Akermanis want to punish their old club so much? They're not the first, I realise, but it's pretty unsavoury.

Players crap on mercilessly about how much a premiership means to being an AFL footballer. It's never about the money nor the indivudal awards, they repeatedly say, it's being a part of a premiership team. But Aker and Michael are triple premiership players for the same club, and have both rubber-gloved their clubs over the last few months in the way they've exited the Lions.

How will they ever go back to that club and enjoy the many reunions and celebrations of that great Lion dynasty in the future? I'm not talking about leaving the Lions - they have every right to pursue their careers elsewhere, chase new dreams, and try and satisfy some inner urge to find success at another club. That's absolutely fair enough - Watson was fine to give the Eagels a go and Hawkins at Fitzroy. But it's the manner in which Akermanis and Michael have penalised their old team in the negotiating processes that amazes me.

 

[Terry Tan]

Great get by Sheedy and the Bombers. This coup has got Sheedy written all over it. There's no downside, they get a 3 time premiership player who should have been AA, in good condition with 3+ years left at FB to sure up their defense.

We would have loved Mal at Tigerland. And it's a pity we couldn't snag Sheeds over the years to coach...it may have been a different story for RFC.