Rumour File #8.

[brazilblue]

Something was just not right with Emu this year. After 2009 I was seriously thinking he would give AA selection a shot in 2010.

We all know what happened but it still erks me that he has not been able to get on the park.

It will be an absolute tragedy if he moves clubs for massive unders and then hits the form we all know he can injury free.

To be honest I would prefer to lose him for nothing to a shit club then get r*ped by a better club that could challenge for the flag with him in great form next year!

I can understand why he has requested a trade but I think even he is not sure of his abilities anymore ... in my eyes he is in our best 22 fit and firing ... I just hope he has a change of heart if no one seems interested.

Either that or he is really shot and CFC is just getting what they can!

 

[Kades_Dad]

Excellent post mate. Bower is a talented defender with an attacking, running style that is perfect for the modern game and complements the rest of our backline. Please get yourself injury free and stay, Paul. We would get massive unders if we traded him now.

Yes he can run. Yes he can take the game on. But his one on one accountability, decision making and disposal are big negatives in his game. Watch the last quarter of the elimination final in Brisbane in 2009 for some prime examples of this. His mistakes were a large part of the reason why we lost the game.

He's not in our best 22 as of today. If we got a good offer for him then I say take it.

 

[Marc Shmurf 3]

The club and Bower were thinking about parting ways a long time ago.

 

[Silvagnis]

Nothing excellent about posts that use hindsight with drafting.

Laidler's taken Bower's spot, but lets turn this into another bash Marcus Davies for an incident in the first half thread.

Jordan Russell's bashers have moved onto Davies.

White is more versatile than Bower, but I'd rather keep the latter and try to get him right again.

Only in hindsight. Not our fault WCE picked spuds. Were WCE to have picked someone good like Dangerfield|Rioli|Harry Taylor instead of Masten and Whitecross instead of Notte.

you'd say Kennedy, Taylor, Whitecross was a fairly amicable swap for Judd. 3 10 year players for the 2010 Brownlow Medal...

Holding onto pick one is paying unders.

Every Geelong would have snapped up Masten before Taylor.

 

[Silvagnis]

Yes he can run. Yes he can take the game on. But his one on one accountability, decision making and disposal are big negatives in his game. Watch the last quarter of the elimination final in Brisbane in 2009 for some prime examples of this. His mistakes were a large part of the reason why we lost the game.

He's not in our best 22 as of today. If we got a good offer for him then I say take it.

Harsh assessment.

With Jamison out, Bower had to play on Bradshaw who is out of his weight division.

 

[Stamos]

The club and Bower were thinking about parting ways a long time ago.

Any idea of what we are after in terms of a trade?

 

[Silvagnis]

The following posts should be framed for posterity...

Wouldn't accept a pick outside of the top 10 for Toovey - and still think we would be on the losing end of the trade with that top 10 pick.

Picks are just a lottery.

Our premiership window is over the next 3-4 years.

Not all that many top 10 picks will match Toovey's production over that period. And in all likelihood Toovey has a better career than 2-3 who go inside the top 10.

Production now is what we need if we want premierships and knowing the draft few players even inside the top 10 would help us all that much as they would help others.

Pick ten for a Marcus Davies type defender who has one of the worst kicking actions I've ever seen.

 

[Salaryman]

Pick he top 10???

 

[Big Red is back]

Bower has far more talent and potential than Davies. I think we've blown this one, we should've played Bower instead of Davies when we had the chance, now we may lose him.

TBH I would prefer if it was Davies asking to leave for more opportunity than Bower. Davies has shown he can shut down a forward, but has no impact on any game (apart from costing us against WCE) Bower has the ability to shut down his opponent and backs himself to provide drive out of the backline and set up attacks.

He did the job on Buddy Franklin when he was fit and firing, if we can get a full preseason into him and he stays injury free he would be an asset to the team and TBH Davies would not have a hope in hell of shutting down a guy like Franklin. Bower was forced to play on the top 2 forwards when we lacked KPD talent, with Jamison and Hendo back there now, he could take the third tall EASILY. He provides run out of defence similar to Harry'O but minus the bomb goals from outside 50.

We drafted him with pick 20 in 2005 with plans for our future but now all that planning seems to be getting flushed down the toilet. We have 2 players from the 2006 draft (Austin will be gone) and only 1 player from 2005 what did we finish last in those years for??? Of course we got Gibbs and Murphy, but 2 gun players out of all those DPs is disappointing to say the least. I feel we grabbed Austin to make Gibbs feel more comfortable, it was clear to me a couple years ago that the guy was just not up to it. Bower is one of the picks that has shown he IS up to it and IMO we are making a mistake letting him go.

Spot on .. post of the day

 

[Big Red is back]

We have to trust the CFC for the info they have on the players.

Davies is a 2013 player and onwards. I don't think he was quite ready for this year just yet, but injury situations with Russell and Bower may have forced our hand somewhat.
He's a great kid and will repay the coaches and the fans for their trust.

Davies offers no more than White or Austin both of whom will not make it.

Bower offers dash and creativity and like other posters when fit i recall him playing very well on Cloke and Franklin.

Still not sure why he got dropped after the pies game when he came on as a sub and was excellent.

 

[Silvagnis]

Spot on .. post of the day

There's the confirmation I needed to confirm that it was a bad post.

 

[Blue since 72]

It may be post of the day but Davies has absolutely nothing to do with Bower requesting a trade and whether we need Bower or not or how good he is isn't the point either.

If he's decided he wants to go and is adamant than it could be Judd for all I care as he doesn't want to be here anymore; and that's no slight on Bower.

The reason he's in the AFL is to play senior footy and that's what he wants to do.

For people saying it's a shame he might go and he's much better than player x and he should be playing now, who's spot should he take?

He's too small for CHB, he's no improvement on Laidler or Duigan who are first choice currently so is basically in a line for the last spot in the back six with White, Davies, JR, Thornton and Tuohy.

Fact is through no fault of Bower's we currently have players that can do the job he does just as well if not better.

If he goes I wish him the best but I wont be bagging the club because I think he's better than player x or we should have been giving him games to keep him happy.

 

[Marc Shmurf 3]

Any idea of what we are after in terms of a trade?

Been told that it will be for nothing less than a 2nd rounder or combination of 2nd & 3rd/4th rounders.

However this will be highly unlikely so a 3 way trade is something that we will be trying to orchestrate.

To be put out there, again like the Walker situation, the situation is not totally un-manageable therefore if nothing suitable comes our way both parties are happy to kick on with things.

 

[KnobHead]

Been told that it will be for nothing less than a 2nd rounder or combination of 2nd & 3rd/4th rounders.

However this will be highly unlikely so a 3 way trade is something that we will be trying to orchestrate.

To be put out there, again like the Walker situation, the situation is not totally un-manageable therefore if nothing suitable comes our way both parties are happy to kick on with things.

Good that he's not completely opposed to staying and it's still workable

because of his injuries would be surprised we get a second round pick, even in a weakish draft

 

[Stamos]

Good that he's not completely opposed to staying and it's still workable

because of his injuries would be surprised we get a second round pick, even in a weakish draft

Fremantle's (for example) second pick is 38. That seems unders to me, not overs.

 

[KnobHead]

Fremantle's (for example) second pick is 38. That seems unders to me, not overs.

Hardly played for two years because of injuries, no guarantee he'll get over them. Hence his value is badly affected, as MS3 points out it's highly unlikely we'll get a second rounder - why give up a second round pick for someone who can't get on the park for 2 years?

On the flip side, I'd very much doubt the Blues would be offering a second rounder for a quality player who hasn't got on the park for 2 years.

We're way better off keeping him, hoping he gets over his injuries, because his trade value is so low.

 

[Stamos]

We're way better off keeping him, hoping he gets over his injuries, because his trade value is so low.

Agree with this

 

[Jock]

Agree with this

Me three got a feeling he may do a walker

 

[Marc Shmurf 3]

Bower whilst happy to stay, is also happy to go to any club.

 

[coryne]

Bower whilst happy to stay, is also happy to go to any club.

EVEN PORT ???

 

[laminex]

The club and Bower were thinking about parting ways a long time ago.

Yes he wanted out in his 2nd year, he is clearly a cut and run type of fella. **** him off if he does not want to work hard for his job then he is no good to us.

 

[Wickzki]

The following posts should be framed for posterity...


Pick ten for a Marcus Davies type defender who has one of the worst kicking actions I've ever seen.

He also said elsewhere that Seedsman was worth a second round draft pick and he wouldn't trade him for anything less.

 

[Marc Shmurf 3]

Yes he wanted out in his 2nd year, he is clearly a cut and run type of fella. **** him off if he does not want to work hard for his job then he is no good to us.

actually got to hand it to Bower, he is one of the hardest working players we have got, the only problem was his body and the match committee not having the confidence in it toward the latter part of the year. If we get him fit, some may not like this, but he would be ahead of Duigan.

 

[Wickzki]

Yes he wanted out in his 2nd year, he is clearly a cut and run type of fella. **** him off if he does not want to work hard for his job then he is no good to us.

Sad to say but Bower seems aloof and too hot and cold to be a reliable piece in an AFL premiership team. When he's doing well he's all "I love playing for the jumper... My heart bleeds navy blue....." and then whenever he has to fight for anything he's more than happy to go elsewhere.

 

[Tanks_Alot]

Yes he can run. Yes he can take the game on. But his one on one accountability, decision making and disposal are big negatives in his game. Watch the last quarter of the elimination final in Brisbane in 2009 for some prime examples of this. His mistakes were a large part of the reason why we lost the game.

He's not in our best 22 as of today. If we got a good offer for him then I say take it.

You can't be serious. Bower had to play on Bradshaw after Jamo was out. That guy used to beat anyone in the one on one contests more often than not, he was a huge gorilla type forward. And about his attack, at least he's creative, at least he's willing to have a go, Yarran does the same thing, he gets himself into trouble too, but more often than not it pays off and Yaz's attack off the backline has been a highlight of our season and our team evolving.