Rocca breaks down again

[Quicky]

Not looking good for Anthony at all. He can’t get fit. He looked very ordinary in the VFL televised game a week or two back. He played a couple of effective games early last year but not many in the last few years. Every set back is a step closer to the door. Not sure what his contract status is. Personally I think we have enough players that will never be better than fringe players in a premiership list to cull first but if Rocca can’t get fit he is a waste of a list spot and a salary. I hope we see a comeback and some form by the end of the H&A season. It would be tough to risk him in the finals without senior lead in matches and that would make it more difficult to keep him on the list in 2010.

After reading a few of the above posts re a Presti comparison I would just add that we never had options for a retired Presti like we do to cover Rocca. We were lost down back last year with out Presti. With a few players back we look more able to cover for Rocca’s absence. Same could be said Rusling.

Rusling is younger but he is also unproven.

Which players do you think will never be more than fringe players in a premiership team??

 

[Timmy from Thomastown]

Partly true Mark, although Leigh Brown has covered Rocca admirably and theres no reason to suggest he couldnt do the same job down back to cover for Presti had that been needed. The truth is that as at Nov 2008 and apart from Cloke (arguably, he had a poor year in 2008), we didnt have any experienced ready made tall options at either end of the ground.

Presti has had two shocking seasons with injury and its a relief he's finally got himself fit.

My argument was more with the hindsight analysis the poster used to draw his conclusions.

I for one was happy to see both of them get reappointed. As for season 2010, I think time is up for Ant. Nobody disagrees there.

 

[Col Davies]

Thats right, and clubs never go down the path of telling lies. Its a bt like all those fluff pieces from all the players extolling the virtues of all and sundry and how anyone mentioned deserves a place in the team. Problem is, going by those fluff pieces, 38 players would be playing seniors every week.

But, I reckon you'd actually believe what the club told you. Because thats your lot in life.

Why are you here?

All you do is moan about eveything Collingwood.

You sad little man

 

[Kick It 2 Me]

Games played in the last 3 years to end of 2008....

Rocca 54
Presti 35

In the last five years

Rocca 72
Presti 67


Career games......

Rocca 241
Presti 208

Rocca, injured at 30, still injured at 32.
Presti, injured at 28, fit and firing at 30.

Sorry folks but Rocca is gawn gawn gawn.

We all still dream of a sunny September day, a zephyr wind, 85,000 and Rocca banging torps thru the big sticks from 60. It won't happen.

 

[Pie eyed]

Wel I don't give hoot about opinion on whether Prsti or Rocca have contributed more over the last 5 years. Just another 40.000 word mental jousting match over 1 or 2 tenths of a 100th of a percent.....

The difference is so minute as to make it pointless to differentiate, they are both totally different players fulfilling totally different roles and they have no matter who's the best both been in the best 22.

Some may have mourned Rocca last year and good on em. They also mourned a few others who are still yet to be buried.

Mourn when you like but expect everyone else to come to the wake until the body is cold..



Go Rocca.

Go Pies.

 

[spartan-magpie]

Wel I don't give hoot about opinion on whether Prsti or Rocca have contributed more over the last 5 years. Just another 40.000 word mental jousting match over 1 or 2 tenths of a 100th of a percent.....

The difference is so minute as to make it pointless to differentiate, they are both totally different players fulfilling totally different roles and they have no matter who's the best both been in the best 22.

Some may have mourned Rocca last year and good on em. They also mourned a few others who are still yet to be buried.

Mourn when you like but expect everyone else to come to the wake until the body is cold..



Go Rocca.

Go Pies.

 

[FuManchu]

You're right on the first point. Edited.

If you can refer to any quotes you may have made last October that we should definitely keep Presti and definitely delist Rocca I'll concede that you are a good judge.

If not, you're just using hindsight to justify your opinions. Anybody can do that.

The salary is irrelevant, BTW. We have to pay somebody. Whether we pay a veteran too much in his last year or a kid too much before he's achieved anything doesnt affect the list one bit.

And the point about Rocca being more important than Presti because we had more options in defence and less up forward.....what point does that prove??? That we need Rocca?????? That Presti is more dispensable???

As I stated before, I said it was a good time to sweep the cupboard clean, maybe do some trades with them if poosible, see if we could get some draft picks for them both and O'Bree and one or two others as well.

We needed Rocca more, but he for whatever reason couldnt get on the park. He was more important structurally up until last year than Presti. Now its the opposite, Presti is far more important and Rocca is an irrelevance now. The point being we learned to cope without him last year, maybe not all that well, but by prolonging his career into this year, he potentially could have kept a younger player from getting a chance ( but given MM's selections this really hasnt been the case) or his in and out nature was only going to destabilise a forward line that needed the stability of players playing every week, not one week in, one week out which is what was touted for Rocca at the seasons start. If he was week to week and they would have known his injury was always going to be a hindrance given his weight, why was he persisted with?

 

[mattys123]

Interesting that there have been comparisons between Presti and Rocca and what they have "given us" over the past few years.

I say "interesting" because I see Rocca's 2009 as very similar to Presti's 2008.

We shouldve written Presti off towards then end of last year, but we played him when he was unfit and carrying problems, then he got a little unlucky with a shoulder crunch in the 1st final, ending his year.

I'll compare that to Rocca's year, who has played I believe 3 games so far, and wont play any more then 2-3 more before the finals.

Dont get it wrong, if Rocca gets 2-3 games under his belt at VFL level at any time between now and the finals, he will be lining up on the MCG or Etihad in Black and White for sure, like it or not.

I like some though, worry what he will bring in the finals once we get there, and also worry who goes out for him, Leigh Brown?, who has served us so well this year, Goldsack? who is just coming good, or Nathan Brown?, who is clearly developing into the next Presti.

It is sad, about that you are right Fu, but I hope it doesnt become sadder in that bringing Rocca back adversely affects our finals run.

Maybe bring him back for a farewell game, round 21 would be good, but if he struggles to perform in that, please dont embarass him in the finals, it would be a sad end to his career and would give all those "aresholes" (mostly non-Collingwood supporters) who have bagged Ant his whole career a "happy" ending to their stories.

I hope if he comes back and doesnt perform, we dont persist with him, I guess that's what I'm trying to get at.

 

[colldogz]

reel shame. i reckon hes goal kickin woold be goin better too if he is playing. a shame.

 

[Maggie23]

Delist, delist, delist!
Time to get rid of the useless dinosaur!

 

[Pie eyed]

Delist, delist, delist!
Time to get rid of the useless dinosaur!

See ya troll boy.

 

[Timmy from Thomastown]

As I stated before, I said it was a good time to sweep the cupboard clean, maybe do some trades with them if poosible, see if we could get some draft picks for them both and O'Bree and one or two others as well.

I know you're red-carded so responding is a little pointless but I cant let this rubbish go by.

O'Bree Presti and Rocca together would have had ZERO trade value at the end of last year. Very few players over the age of 28 have any trade value at all. In fact I'm pushing to recall the last trade done of a player in that age bracket. Perhaps Nathan Brown to the Tiges, and that turned out to be a disaster for Richmond.

If they change clubs, invariably they go for free via the draft.

You really do talk shit. Enjoy your holiday.