Retired too early

[boncer34]

Shamelessly ripped this from the mainbord. Hi Jade .

Which Bombers players do you think retired to early? Matthew Lloyd is the obvious, thanks Knights ya dickhead.

For me Sean Wellman is another one, was only 29/30 when he went and whilst he did miss a chunk of his last season he didn't appear to me to have lost a step. Very much a surprise to lose Mr Reliable so early.

Potentially Hird another one? Thoughts?

 

[Towno78]

Fletch

 

[Beerfish]

Yeah I reckon Wellman could have gone on quite a bit longer. Outstanding player.

 

[blitzer]

Lloyd - probably had a few good seasons left in him. He wasn't getting back to his prime but he was still a fine KPF. Sad thing is he was getting moved on for the likes of Courtney Johns and Neagle. Ouch.

Can't think of too many other recent ones though. Generally we've let players stay a year too long rather than the other way around.

Hird - could have gone on a bit longer but he was 34 and even though he won the b&f that year - he wasn't having the same impact on matches. Also the team wasn't going anywhere at the time. I think it was the right time for him.

 

[Kakkle]

Lloyd - probably had a few good seasons left in him. He wasn't getting back to his prime but he was still a fine KPF. Sad thing is he was getting moved on for the likes of Courtney Johns and Neagle. Ouch.

I'd be baffled if Johns was still on the list when Lloyd retired.

 

[BelleJames]

Jobe.

That time away really robbed him and it looked like things had gone past him a bit. Still, whether people think he should've or not, I wasn't ready to see him go at all, and I think we still needed a bit of his midfield grunt.

 

[eDPS]

Mark Mercuri, wasn't the same player after his brother passed away I think he would have played longer and had a much stronger end to his career if tragedy hadnt struck same with Rama with his cancer

 

[Doss]

Mark Mercuri, wasn't the same player after his brother passed away I think he would have played longer and had a much stronger end to his career if tragedy hadnt struck same with Rama with his cancer

Mercuri isn’t really the sort of player for the thread though. He wasn’t a great player by 2004; his form had declined for reasons well known, like his brother’s passing.

On his exposed 2004 form though, retiring was the right call.

Wellman on the other hand, who retired in the same year, was still in very good form and could have gone on.

Hird could have gone on; his body was failing him though.

I reckon Pops could have gone another year.

 

[blitzer]

I'd be baffled if Johns was still on the list when Lloyd retired.

Actually you're right - Lloyd retired the year after Johns was delisted.

 

[Kakkle]

Jason Winderlich if he had stayed retired hah, one of the rare occasion where you get to see it actually play out.

 

[The Dustbin]

Leon Baker

 

[Blind Turn]

Wellman was the first to spring to mind.

Once he’d made the effort to come back I thought Jobe would extract another year out of himself especially due to a gap in our list for his type. But you could tell he’d lost the drive required of elite sportsmen.

Lloyd definitely had more to offer if he had been handled correctly.

Baker was young enough.

That’s about the extent of it in my time watching.

 

[Blind Turn]

Without having seen the MB thread, Nathan Ablett is the obvious one. Peter Bosustow too if you count ditching the VFL. Ross Ditchburn also.

Actually, didn’t a very talented Wayne Beddison turn his back on VFL footy and leave us for country footy?

 

[AcuteWhistle]

Lloydy for sure, that was a sad day, his retirement.

 

[Stopher]

Boris Bewick was a fantastic impact player off the bench in 2000. He could've gone another year doing similar.

Nice way to go out though.

 

[Doss]

IIRC Bewick retired partly because of salary cap squeeze.

 

[eth-dog]

IIRC Bewick retired partly because of salary cap squeeze.

And because he'd won the flag and was satisfied with that I believe?

I reckon Kelly could have gone around next year again.

 

[NAB777]

Lloyd - probably had a few good seasons left in him. He wasn't getting back to his prime but he was still a fine KPF. Sad thing is he was getting moved on for the likes of Courtney Johns and Neagle. Ouch.

Can't think of too many other recent ones though. Generally we've let players stay a year too long rather than the other way around.

Hird - could have gone on a bit longer but he was 34 and even though he won the b&f that year - he wasn't having the same impact on matches. Also the team wasn't going anywhere at the time. I think it was the right time for him.

Lloyd retired because he'd had enough, and once the mind is gone, it's time to go.

Having said that, he most likely wouldn't have had enough if Matthew Knights never set foot inside Windy Hill.

 

[NAB777]

Leon Baker

Leon...what a star. His ankle was pretty gone, unfortunately.

That's one guy who should have been playing league footy LONG before 27 years of age.

 

[NAB777]

Boris Bewick was a fantastic impact player off the bench in 2000. He could've gone another year doing similar.

Nice way to go out though.

I think Boris was retired...don't think it was his choice.

 

[NAB777]

And because he'd won the flag and was satisfied with that I believe?

Nope. Sheedy sacked him. He wasn't happy.

 

[Doss]

Yeah, I've always understood that Boris wanted to play on in 2001.

 

[TheGreatBarryB]

Tim Watson retired too early first time after ‘91 season. Think he was only 30. Wasn’t the same when he came back. Like Jobe striggled after year off

 

[DapperJong]

For me Sean Wellman is another one

if he retires now it won't be too soon amirite

 

[Towno78]

Lloyd retired because he'd had enough, and once the mind is gone, it's time to go.

Having said that, he most likely wouldn't have had enough if Matthew Knights never set foot inside Windy Hill.

He'd had enough of Knights, not football.
Has since said, had free agency been a thing in his days, he'd have played on elsewhere.