Mooney - A message

[jim boy]

Cameron, you were a great player and you are not entirely bad now. Give it away now before they they can say you are a bad player, which they will by year's end if you continue on.

Geelong are now in a position where we can afford to blood someone, who may not be as good as you right now, but will be better than you come finals time, if given game time.

For yourself, for the cats, do the right thing

 

[azyboy]

Agreed. A great servant of the club - in 07 he truly was the heartbeat of our team. Unfortunately father time waits for no one. What are the financial implications if he retires? Surely steps could be made to ensure his salary is paid in full.

 

[Gaz_Brownlow]

Agreed. A great servant of the club - in 07 he truly was the heartbeat of our team. Unfortunately father time waits for no one. What are the financial implications if he retires? Surely steps could be made to ensure his salary is paid in full.

Honestly, there needs to be a dose of realism from a few big footy posters.

Cameron Mooney has insisted, as far back as 2008, that he can't wait for the day that others surpass him (talking about Nathan Ablett at the time, ironically) and he can step aside.

He has already acknowledged this year that he has limited time and needs to be managed accordingly. He was kept this year to offer an option and to get a few good games when called upon. Scott knows this, Mooney knows this and everyone in the Geelong Football Club knows this. He is not holding anyone back...Vardy got in the team on his own merits, Brown is not quite ready (and needs to hold his body together in the VFL for a few more weeks)....and certainly Hawkins nor Pods are being sacrificed for his position.

He is simply doing his job, trying to accomodate the teams needs and hopefully be available as an option further down the year. He does not need to retire and i hope he is able to see out the year and give us a potential option if needed.

The only observation that is correct on a lot of these posts is that the big hairy cat bleeds blue and white and will always put the teams needs ahead of his own. He is still integral to the football club and losing his presence to retirement mid way through the season would be bloody stupid. I certainly don't think he is in the best 22...but saying that he at least keeps a couple of positions honest at the moment as both Pods and Hawkins have been average at times this year.

The time will be right at the end of the year, but why short ourselves of a geniune option now? We have premierships to win.

 

[CF]

I agree Mooney is not in our top 22 at present. But he is still a useful player to have up our sleeve and they can see if he develops form as the season wears on. He will def retire at some stage this season but no need to chuck it in just yet.

 

[catempire]

With you Jim Boy.

I've seen nothing in 2011 to suggest Cam will be of any use to our tilt at the flag and the longer he stays on the more opportunities he is denying the next generation.

 

[jim boy]

If he goes out now - he goes out a champion.

I love the guy too much too see him go out trying to regain a spot while kicking the dew against the likes of Port Melbourne, much, much better to go out while he is still in the ones.

 

[cancat]

As long as Moons is a better player than Hawkins he should not retire.

 

[AM]

The coaching and fitness staff know only too well where Moons fits into the scheme of things. Let's leave that sort of decision to the people who are actually in the position to know.

 

[bulletproof]

We are already over reliant on Pods, if Mooney was to retire we would be stuffed if Pods went down.

Podsiadly, Scarlett and Ottens being fit and fresh in September is our only hope of winning it.

We need Moons to give Pods a break. It will be a great credit to him if he accepts this secondary role.

One of my favourite cats of all time.

 

[alfy!]

Still needed this year, in case of injuries or bad form or resting players. He can call it a career at the end of this season.

 

[catempire]

There's a gulf between what people want him to be and what he can actually offer right now.

If Pods goes down we are stuffed full stop.

 

[J Squad]

I can see what Jim Boy means, Mooney to retire on a high note rather than a struggling, out of form has been. We all know he isn't up to it, but when he gets a chance to play GC, Melbourne, Port etc. that gives a quality player a much needed rest which is what the aim of our list is to achieve. Mooney will take a key defender, he will throw his body around, he will encourage a youngster, teach them everything and back up anyone.

Been a huge fan of Cam Mooney at the club, 2011 will sadly bring the curtains on his career but he will know that in his final year he did what he always has for the team, and that's his role.

 

[AM]

There's a gulf between what people want him to be and what he can actually offer right now.

If Pods goes down we are stuffed full stop.

Nup! We're stuffed if Otto goes down. Pods is important but by no means irreplaceable.

Many of us get upset when players give a club the heave-ho but don't appear to give a tinkers when a club does the same thing to a player.

Chris has said repeatedly he and the fitness staff have a plan for Moons. They are doing just fine with player management at present. Moons included.

 

[Biggy_Boy]

Why would you get him to retire now?

We're 9-0, we will be playing finals. If we had slid like people had expected, then maybe a retirement mid season would be the right call but even if he is no longer best 22 and shouldn't be playing when we have a fit squad, he is handy to have around if needed.

At the end of the season, he should call it quits but there is no reason to chuck aside a player now when we don't know what kind of injuries could occur between now and the end of the season.

 

[catempire]

Nup! We're stuffed if Otto goes down. Pods is important but by no means irreplaceable.

Many of us get upset when players give a club the heave-ho but don't appear to give a tinkers when a club does the same thing to a player.

Chris has said repeatedly he and the fitness staff have a plan for Moons. They are doing just fine with player management at present. Moons included.

Yep! The two aren't mutually exclusive, Otto too!

I'm happy to revisit at the end of the year. At the moment it looks to me to be blind faith. I expect Moons will finish with less than a dozen games and will play no part in finals. He looks a man whose body has given up.

 

[muttweed]

With you Jim Boy.

I've seen nothing in 2011 to suggest Cam will be of any use to our tilt at the flag and the longer he stays on the more opportunities he is denying the next generation.

Anything? What about Rd 1? Mooney to Milburn handpass = goal that won us the game? What about in the Port Adelaide game at Skilled? Moons set up a few goals.

He might not be kicking the goals this year, but he's been entirely unselfish and giving the ball to his teammates to kick goals he knows he can get. In Rd 1 Moondog could have easily kicked that 19 second goal, but instead passed it to Milburn out of pure selflessness and love for his teammates.

As for my letter?:

I love, love, love, love, LOVE you Mooney! You've done so much for us, and you should not be dropped or retire until the end of the year! You're a vital player! Your unselfish contributions for the team only show off the change in you! From the party boy with poodle hair who was the most suspended player in the whole league and who made sure nobody messed with him or his mates on the field with a good punch in the face to the loving, caring, clean-shaven father you are today. Mooney, it's best you retire at the end of the year, once we (hopefully) win the 2011 GF. It would probably host a better ceremony for a player who gave so, so much to the club he loves. Favourite player for life!

 

[vinum coupe]

No. Train, run, swim. Whatever. Don't play for 6 weeks and don't retire

 

[azyboy]

Honestly, there needs to be a dose of realism from a few big footy posters.

Cameron Mooney has insisted, as far back as 2008, that he can't wait for the day that others surpass him (talking about Nathan Ablett at the time, ironically) and he can step aside.

He has already acknowledged this year that he has limited time and needs to be managed accordingly. He was kept this year to offer an option and to get a few good games when called upon. Scott knows this, Mooney knows this and everyone in the Geelong Football Club knows this. He is not holding anyone back...Vardy got in the team on his own merits, Brown is not quite ready (and needs to hold his body together in the VFL for a few more weeks)....and certainly Hawkins nor Pods are being sacrificed for his position.

He is simply doing his job, trying to accomodate the teams needs and hopefully be available as an option further down the year. He does not need to retire and i hope he is able to see out the year and give us a potential option if needed.

The only observation that is correct on a lot of these posts is that the big hairy cat bleeds blue and white and will always put the teams needs ahead of his own. He is still integral to the football club and losing his presence to retirement mid way through the season would be bloody stupid. I certainly don't think he is in the best 22...but saying that he at least keeps a couple of positions honest at the moment as both Pods and Hawkins have been average at times this year.

The time will be right at the end of the year, but why short ourselves of a geniune option now? We have premierships to win.

It is realism my friend. I love what the big hairy cat has done for this club as much as anyone, but his output this year has been embarrassing for a man who prides himself on the role that he plays for the team. Fact is, he has not played a role on game day this season.

He is struggling with fitness, he has no confidence and was lucky not to be subbed instead of Hawkins. Granted, none of our key position forwards (with the recent exception of Pods) are playing well. But this is why I'm really keen to give Mitch Brown a chance sooner rather than later. If his body is going to stand up to the rigors of AFL football then he needs to play now. As you say, we've a chance to win a flag, and we need to get some games into him. Who knows, he may have a role to play?

I'd suggest Mooney being the proud man that he is, will be questioning the role that he can play on field in 2011. Given he does bleed blue and white, I don't think its beyond the realms of possibility for him to step aside and contribute in an off field capacity for the remainder of 2011, paving the way for Brown and potentially Walker, who could come up off the rookie list. But hey, just my two cents

 

[TheHonestyPolicy]

Without a loss it seems some people have no idea what to talk about in here. Retire? WTF for? His whole playing mantra this season is filling gaps when/where needed, giving guys a rest, he is completely team oriented Cam. He has played ruck, attack, defence. If that doesnt explain what he is doing on the list whatever would? I am sure he couldnt give a toss about some glamourous exit. The guy has 3 premiership medals, and is a recent father. Sounds ok to me.

 

[RegHickeyStand]

How exactly does Geelong benefit from Cam retiring?

Who is he holding out from the seniors. Is anyone seriously suggesting that Chris Scott is thinking that he really wants to play Mitchell Brown, but gosh darn it, Cam is in the way!

Team sport - Cam is playing a role. If the selectors, Chris Scott and the rest of coaching panel has got something so obvious wrong, then we won't even make the bloody 8, they are so dumb.

 

[Pure_Ownage]

No. Train, run, swim. Whatever. Don't play for 6 weeks and don't retire

Agree completely. That is what should happen.

 

[Inferno]

He should hang around until the end of the season. If Mitch Brown goes down/falls out of form, what do we do? The only alternative is throwing Hawkins in the forward line full time and Vardy as back-up ruck/part time forward assuming Otto is fit. Not much of an improvement considering how bad Hawkins has been, I'd rather Hawkins be dropped then Mooney retire. Moons needs to be kept at least as an option.

 

[Gaz_Brownlow]

Moons will go out a champion no matter what. Yes he is being nursed through the season, but he may very well hit his peak towards the end of the year and at least provide an option. There is just no way that he is keeping anyone worthy out of the side....Mitch Brown is not ready....yet, Vardy is playing and so is Hawkins. Mooney is even sacrificing his traditional position to allow these players development.

 

[Generalissimo]

Mooney still has a part to play for the team this year. His days of being the spearhead in attack are over, but he has very gracefully settled into a different role as a kind of utility player. Draw a defender to give some space to Stokesy and SJ. Drop back to fill a hole in defence. Five minutes in the ruck here and there. He offers flexibility, which is the big thing Chris Scott has introduced to the team this year.

Sure he is not quite fit and a bit out of form, but does anyone really think he won't be better with two or three weeks of footy under his belt? Believe me, in the second half of this year there will be times when Mooney's passion, aggro and selflessness will be needed and we will be glad he didn't retire too soon.

If Mooney were to retire now just so that we wouldn't have to see him struggle so hard to play the modest role left to him, it would only benefit Mooney's ego. That would be somehow unworthy for a guy who, more than anyone at the club, always puts the team first. Retiring in this fashion would be right for most dual premiership champions, but not Moons.

Keep going, Cam. You still have one last supreme effort to give the team in the 2nd half of the season. I can't wait to see it.

 

[Scottland2007]

Nup! We're stuffed if Otto goes down. Pods is important but by no means irreplaceable.

Many of us get upset when players give a club the heave-ho but don't appear to give a tinkers when a club does the same thing to a player.

Chris has said repeatedly he and the fitness staff have a plan for Moons. They are doing just fine with player management at present. Moons included.

Andrew Mackie could play as a forward, very good at bringing it to ground level for small forwards in the backline in the last two weeks. Maybe he could bring it to ground level for OUR forwards?