Farewell to an absolute legend of the footy club. He's the first player I remember us drafting, and is without question my favourite Blue. His love for the jumper, his heart and passion, cannot be overstated.
All those years ago, the AFL saw fit to strip us of our first round pick. Little did we know that the very same year, we'd select one of our all time greats with pick 45, a skinny kid who you'd have doubted would survive the rigours of the AFL. From the most ignominious of starts - no touches in his first 3 games and only 12 in his next 3, he went on forge an incredibly resilient career despite his small stature. What he lacked in size he more than made up for in heart and courage. 18 years on, he's seen off every other player from his draft, and in my mind, retires the best of the lot.
Even as I watched old age starting to take it's toll on Simmo, the legs not pumping as fast as they once used to, the kicks beginning to drop off in penetration, I hoped and wished that he'd play on. It's absolutely gut wrenching that it ends like this for a player who deserved so much more. A premiership was forever out of reach for him, but the least he deserved was to go out with at least another finals berth. As disappointed as I was that we let a finals opportunity slip away, it's only made all the more bitter knowing we couldn't do it for Kade.
I sat back on Sunday wondering why it was with Kade that Gibbs swapped jumpers, and I guess in light of his retirement, it all makes sense. I'm a hopeless romantic when it comes to footy, and I'm not sure there's a more poignant moment than Gibbs being carried off by his former teammates. Let's hope the boys can give Simmo the send-off he deserves this weekend.
Vale Kade.
All those years ago, the AFL saw fit to strip us of our first round pick. Little did we know that the very same year, we'd select one of our all time greats with pick 45, a skinny kid who you'd have doubted would survive the rigours of the AFL. From the most ignominious of starts - no touches in his first 3 games and only 12 in his next 3, he went on forge an incredibly resilient career despite his small stature. What he lacked in size he more than made up for in heart and courage. 18 years on, he's seen off every other player from his draft, and in my mind, retires the best of the lot.
Even as I watched old age starting to take it's toll on Simmo, the legs not pumping as fast as they once used to, the kicks beginning to drop off in penetration, I hoped and wished that he'd play on. It's absolutely gut wrenching that it ends like this for a player who deserved so much more. A premiership was forever out of reach for him, but the least he deserved was to go out with at least another finals berth. As disappointed as I was that we let a finals opportunity slip away, it's only made all the more bitter knowing we couldn't do it for Kade.
I sat back on Sunday wondering why it was with Kade that Gibbs swapped jumpers, and I guess in light of his retirement, it all makes sense. I'm a hopeless romantic when it comes to footy, and I'm not sure there's a more poignant moment than Gibbs being carried off by his former teammates. Let's hope the boys can give Simmo the send-off he deserves this weekend.
Vale Kade.
