Robertson damns Demons

[kv_baby]

Whilst at work i sprung upon this

http://www.bigpondsport.com/news/tabid/281/newsid/37752/robertson-damns-demons/default.aspx

Monday, September 14, 2009 - 4:10 PM
Source: BigPond Sport

Former Melbourne Demons' forward Russell Robertson has attacked his former club over its attitude toward older players.
"The Melbourne Football Club has had a history, over the last ten years, of giving up on guys as soon as they hit about, 28, 29 or 30 and it's continuing to happen," Robertson, told BigPond Sports Weekend.
"The Melbourne Football Club sat me down and said you're still in our best 22.

If we were playing finals you'd be out there with us, but we need to draw a line in the sand and build for the future and if you're out there we can't play a young kid. So there's the door," said Robertson describing the decision-making process that led to his exit and ultimately his opinion that the Demons are headed in the wrong direction.
Robertson's assertion is that a club that has a singular focus on youth at the expense of experience, is damning itself to failure due to the lack of mentoring.

"There is a place there for the older guys to help the younger ones out, to teach them how to play.

"We have a very young forward line at the Melbourne Football Club and I would have loved to have been able to teach Liam Jurrah a few things.

"You talk to a lot of guys in the AFL about their teams and they always say it's great to have a mix of young and old guys who steer the ship," followed-up the three-time leading goal-scorer at the Demons.
It's Robertson's view that the failure is not the making of coach Dean Bailey.

"It was a club and an organisation decision, they drew a line in the sand and said we have to build for the future.

"I do believe that Dean had pressure coming from all corners, but he would have loved for me to stay.

"Now I just hope in that future that they decide to keep older guys rather than just pushing them off because it's crucial to a team," said Robertson.
Robertson remains positive he will get a chance to pass on the jewels of his experience at another club come 2010.

"I've just retired from the Melbourne Football Club at this point.
I'm fielding offers at the moment because they've been coming in pretty thick and fast, so I'll have a look at them all. For me right now it feels like a bit of an un-jumbled puzzle ... I've just got to go away now, have a think about it and put that puzzle together.

"I'm thirty years of age, I came back from a big injury and I still feel great," was the high-flyer's assessment of his current circumstances.
In other news AFL great Leigh Matthews has urged Bombers' captain Matthew Lloyd to retire.

"I tend to think that when you lose your status, you lose confidence, you lose self belief and you start on a downward spiral.

"I think Matty's situation seems to be that and as hard as it is, because you are retired forever as we all know, it almost looks like it's the time that Matt is not going to be the full-forward," Matthews told the lads at AFL Central on the BigPond Sports Weekend.

Also fronting up on BigPond Sports Weekend was Tigers' key forward Matthew Richardson who was full of praise for Ben Cousins, describing Cousins as, "the biggest bargain in the history of football".

 

[Bartram_Class]

I almost don't want to reply to this.

"There is a place there for the older guys to help the younger ones out, to teach them how to play.

"We have a very young forward line at the Melbourne Football Club and I would have loved to have been able to teach Liam Jurrah a few things.

Surely Robbo has noted that James McDonald has stayed on?

There is always a place for the 30+'s to stay, hence Neita played on into 2008 for instance, but only when they are still going to be in our best 22. Robbo might be in our best 22 right now, but come round 22 next year, he wouldn't be.

 

[melbournemartin]

He does have a reasonable point. I want to see him get picked up next year.

 

[WattsGoodForYou]

I almost don't want to reply to this.


Surely Robbo has noted that James McDonald has stayed on?

There is always a place for the 30+'s to stay, hence Neita played on into 2008 for instance, but only when they are still going to be in our best 22. Robbo might be in our best 22 right now, but come round 22 next year, he wouldn't be.

Exactly would of probably played 10 games tops (unless serious injuries to the team), so it would of been in the best interest of both the club and him.

 

[Deestroy]

It's quite understandable for Robbo to make comments like this, he wants to play on next year so to paint the picture that he is good enough but for a no over 30's policy is in his best interests.

In my opinion if Robbo was a guy with the leadership and selflessness of McDonald he would have stayed on. If it was Neitz who was is Robertsons position right now we would have kept him on as a leader in the forward line for an extra year. I just don't see Roberston as that sort of player.

 

[master bate]

Which part of Robbo 2009 was going to help the likes of Jurrah?

Was it the sitting on the deck for 3 minutes after another failed hanger. Was it the going back to Casey and only just doing what was required (I believe before his future was even decided).

Robbo - I love ya mate, you're a modern great, a childhood hero. But seriously can it mate.

The only bit I'm interested at all in hearing was the stuff about Dean Bailey. If he isn't running the club then who is, Schwab, Connolly, surely not Jimmy.

 

[Wonaeamirri33]

Agreed... it IS understandable that he's making these comments, I guess, but very undignified I would say.

IMO, he's not got more than one moderately serviceable year left in him at AFL level, and the case can easily be made that he would be surplus to requirements at MFC for the majority of next season even if he had been kept on.

 

[Dez!]

Robbo leave it alone.

 

[dee64]

I think he has a point. We tend to make list management decisions purely based on age rather than output.

Robertson and Wheatley had more to offer us next season than Newton and Bell. Love him or hate him, Robertson usually commands one of the better opposition backmen. This could only help Jurrah and Watts next season.

 

[Deestroy]

I think he has a point. We tend to make list management decisions purely based on age rather than output.

Robertson and Wheatley had more to offer us next season than Newton and Bell. Love him or hate him, Robertson usually commands one of the better opposition backmen. This could only help Jurrah and Watts next season.

Newton and Bell both have contracts for next year.

 

[ExTasDeeMan]

If robbo didn't do his achillies last year, it would be another story.

It sucks, but if we want to be a power club, we need to make the tough calls and leave emotion at the door.

 

[Trav 20]

Wish the bloke would just shut up.

 

[Den11]

I dont think these comments are all that bad, and it is what we would expect. I can imagine him saying in that low thoughtful voice, and trying not to harm the club. Pity he missed the point.

Pity he couldn't see also that if he had of chased and worked hard he wouldn't have been dropped back to casey and he would of been a good role model for Jurrah, but he didn't work hard enough off of the ball, so signed his own retirement cheque.

Pity he can not see this himself.

Still love him though right call by the club

 

[dee64]

Newton and Bell both have contracts for next year.

That's my point. God only knows why they were re-signed to 2 year deals last season. Both were fringe players like Chris Johnson, who was rightfully offered only a 1 year contract. The club should have offered them 1 year deals, take it or leave it.

This year we are struggling to free up list space for draft picks. IMO, that's poor list management.

 

[JuveRule]

It's all well and good to keep the older, more experienced heads there, but as a club we're in a position now where it's time to start afresh, both in a playing group and educational sense.

Yes, Robbo would've been able to teach our young forwards a thing or two, more precisely how to be effective forwards, but would he have necessarily taught the things they need to become premiership forwards? Of course, a lot of that comes about through the coaches and the game plan, but now’s the time for the playing group to build their own identity instead of learning from those who, despite some of them playing in a grand final and indeed being in teams that, looking back, could’ve played in more with a bit more luck, didn’t actually get that top prize.

If you're learning from someone who hasn't made it to the top, there's less of a chance that you'll make it there yourself. It's not necessarily the case in other sports (see John Buchanan - did nothing as a player but was the best ever international cricket coach), but in AFL at least it seems this applies. (Just as a side note, it shat me when I heard that Woewodin had asked Crawford about backing up from a Brownlow medal-winning year when Crawf had had a shocker in 2000. Surely it wouldn't have been that hard to get Rob Harvey on the line...)

 

[WattsGoodForYou]

I was sure we had a forwards coach for teaching players?

 

[The Dr]

I dont think these comments are all that bad, and it is what we would expect. I can imagine him saying in that low thoughtful voice, and trying not to harm the club. Pity he missed the point.

Pity he couldn't see also that if he had of chased and worked hard he wouldn't have been dropped back to casey and he would of been a good role model for Jurrah, but he didn't work hard enough off of the ball, so signed his own retirement cheque.

Pity he can not see this himself.

Still love him though right call by the club

My thoughts exactly. Hope he gets given another chance and proves the MFC wrong!

 

[dee64]

If you're learning from someone who hasn't made it to the top, there's less of a chance that you'll make it there yourself.

The ultimate teacher at a football club is the coach. Based on your theory, we are doomed, because Bailey hardly made it to the top.

 

[WattsGoodForYou]

The ultimate teacher at a football club is the coach. Based on your theory, we are doomed, because Bailey hardly made it to the top.

Nor did Tom Hafey , or as another poster said John Buchanon...This list goes on being a great player no way transfroms to to being a great coach. Take Clarko for example, he did ok as a player, fairly handy. But as a coach he has a flag.

 

[Den11]

Dennis Pagan also,

Then on the other hand you have Spud Frawley and Tim Watson!!

 

[WattsGoodForYou]

Dennis Pagan also,

Then on the other hand you have Spud Frawley and Tim Watson!!

Mighty Tim Watson the coach, If the Saints win this year he should be thanked as his efforts delivered Nick and Justin.

 

[JuveRule]

The ultimate teacher at a football club is the coach. Based on your theory, we are doomed, because Bailey hardly made it to the top.

Bailey and Clarkson were both assistant coaches in Port's 04 flag.

I never said you can't win a flag if you haven't had experience of being there, i just believe that it's an advantage. The way football is played has changed a lot, but if you have a look at the premiership coaches from 1990, Matthews, Malthouse, Sheedy, Parkin, Blight, Worsfold, Thompson & Clarkson were all involved in premierships before. That's 14 out of 19 flags. (You could mount a case for Williams with 4 SANFL flags as a player and an old man like Fos, but that's another can of worms). Of course there will always be exceptions to the rule like Denis Pagan and Paul Roos (Alan Jeans before that, even Alan Joyce, although he inherited a great list, and so on and so forth) who are simply just great coaches.

Easy to get off topic though.

I think it's likely Robbo will get a chance with another team next year and indeed could slot into a side capable of winning a premiership. I just think that he'd given all he could for us.

 

[Wonaeamirri33]

Of course there will always be exceptions to the rule like Denis Pagan and Paul Roos (Alan Jeans before that, even Alan Joyce, although he inherited a great list, and so on and so forth) who are simply just great coaches.

Roos was a helluva player too - was one of the best in the game at that time, and there weren't many better on-field leaders than him either - he could've easily won a Brownlow with the Roys...

 

[unstable punt]

He does have a reasonable point. I want to see him get picked up next year.

if he didn't spend most of the time lying on the ground he would have got one more yesr

 

[CM Sean]

I feel sorry for Robbo. To me, this article is just the raw passion of Robbo coming out into the open. His passion and drive to wanna play on, has caused him to be rather dissapointed with the way he was dealt with. I think he speaks a bit outta spite, which is normal for a man of his passion towards the Melbourne Football Club. I beleive he still does and always will love and support this football club, he just needs a little time to get over the hurt of being asked to move on. You can't blame him for being upset, Anyone who is asked to leave what they love would feel the same as he does. It's just his emotions coming out, nothing more, nothing less.

ohh and btw, he didn't damn the demons, he's just dissapointed atm. He wanted to play on and he was denied, Can't help but feel sorry for the guy tbh.