Our History of Blowing Opportunities to recruit Champions.

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domus

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Mar 31, 2008
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I was watching an Open Mike episode which featured Kevin Bartlett. He spoke about his desire to leave Richmond and play with Collingwood under Tommy Hafey. He explained that he was very keen to join Collingwood and Ronnie Richards was very enthusiastic and the only reason it didn't happen was because Hafey thought it would ruin his legacy as a one club player and basically refused to recruit him. Bartlett kicked seven goals against us on grand final day in 1980. Surely Hafey's obligation was to the club he was coaching rather than how history would view his mate being a two club player.

I know we had Lockett over the line when the committee men argued over it and I believe Wayne Richardson cast the deciding no vote even though Lockett believed he had already committed to the club. Bernie Quinlan is another who slipped through our fingers. Stevie Johnson was set to play but got knocked back my our medicos and he too made us pay in the 2011 grand final. Jonathon Brown and Nick Reiwoldt were two others who went close.

As Sheehan said-had we got Quinlan we would have won at least two flags.

Mike Sheahan Breaks Down How Bernie Quinlan Nearly Went To Collingwood Instead Of Fitzroy | Triple M
 

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domus

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Genuinely painful stuff. My pa was prez when we nearly got Bartlett and he was cold on Hafey for it for a longggg time. Among other things
I think Hafey was totally negligent in this case. His duty was to do what was in the best interests of the club he coached. We really knew how to shoot ourselves in the foot. What kills me most is how keen Bartlett was to come to the Pies. It wasn't as if we were trying to lure him with big bucks. Not good enough, Hafey.

So John Hickey was your pa? That's awesome.
 

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domus

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Every Team would have Same Stories
I'd like to hear them. Sheehan knows the happenings behind the scenes and I don't think he's ever told any stories of players of that quality either thinking they had been signed or wanting to be signed by a club and then get turned away. Do you know of any?
 
People criticise Gubby for recruiting Mayne and Wells, but his poaching of Buckley from Brisbane is the worst crime of all.
Brisbane dodged a bullet there.
You really hate Bucks.
 
We recruited Buckley.

Hardie, Pert, Mitchell, Buckley, McAdam, Brereton, Osbourne, Rocca, Licuria, Woewodin, Cummings, Clement, Wells, Medhurst, Tarrant off the top of my head as well...

Interestingly, both 1990 and 2010 were won the old fashioned ways... u19s coming through and the National Draft....
 

YouBeauty

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Sep 26, 2004
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Hard luck stories are part of our history and baked into our supporters. This thread is proof of that.... The sentence starts "remember how we nearly [won the flag/made the grand final/recruited lockett]. We will never progress unless we get over this mentality.
 

joff

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Jan 3, 2011
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Hardie, Pert, Mitchell, Buckley, McAdam, Brereton, Osbourne, Rocca, Licuria, Woewodin, Cummings, Clement, Wells, Medhurst, Tarrant off the top of my head as well...

Interestingly, both 1990 and 2010 were won the old fashioned ways... u19s coming through and the National Draft....
Ball and Jolly were half handy pick-ups towards the 2010 victory
 

THATSGOLD

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And Clement, Howe, Anthony Rocca, Adams. In recent years we've definitely faired better on recruits in versus players out. Squared the ledger a bit this year though.
Clement was a fluke. Turns out he was a gun but we let Paul Williams go in the same trade period for him. Clement at the time was an average player.
 

Mr Cannons

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I was watching an Open Mike episode which featured Kevin Bartlett. He spoke about his desire to leave Richmond and play with Collingwood under Tommy Hafey. He explained that he was very keen to join Collingwood and Ronnie Richards was very enthusiastic and the only reason it didn't happen was because Hafey thought it would ruin his legacy as a one club player and basically refused to recruit him. Bartlett kicked seven goals against us on grand final day in 1980. Surely Hafey's obligation was to the club he was coaching rather than how history would view his mate being a two club player.

I know we had Lockett over the line when the committee men argued over it and I believe Wayne Richardson cast the deciding no vote even though Lockett believed he had already committed to the club. Bernie Quinlan is another who slipped through our fingers. Stevie Johnson was set to play but got knocked back my our medicos and he too made us pay in the 2011 grand final. Jonathon Brown and Nick Reiwoldt were two others who went close.

As Sheehan said-had we got Quinlan we would have won at least two flags.

Mike Sheahan Breaks Down How Bernie Quinlan Nearly Went To Collingwood Instead Of Fitzroy | Triple M

I think it was Ian Stewart on the front bar that said plugger was a done deal to Richmond before the afl blocked it, so I’m not sure how true the plugger to pies story is?
 

domus

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Mar 31, 2008
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Hard luck stories are part of our history and baked into our supporters. This thread is proof of that.... The sentence starts "remember how we nearly [won the flag/made the grand final/recruited lockett]. We will never progress unless we get over this mentality.
It's not a "mentality". It's a discussion about our past and it's all factual.
 

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