Opinion Travis Varcoe

[meto]

That you have an agenda with. I do. Often. I wonder why you are so affected by him.
Do you recall asking the same questions about winning a final, a GF, in 2011, with TV in the team?
It is on record. He seemed to have a good reply for you, yet you persist with this line of attack.
The MC is not me, but the evidence is there- they value his role in the team.

You're so bias with your assessments as you claim I am, but did not the commentators make a comment referring to his lack of intent when faced with contact?
His inclusion was part of the reason we never played off last year, a GF we well may've won, he displayed his usual avoidance of anything physical last night although he was on the end of more possessions than the usual, that's going to happen some games when going through the middle.

Yet, you want to make so much of his 19 possessions, but they didn't come without his usual moments of timidity. A lot of them quick dish offs under pressure.
Doubt we'll go well in the finals with him avoiding contests when a ball needs to be won, to much the downhill skier for me.

 

[Vdubs]

You're so bias with your assessments as you claim I am, but did not the commentators make a comment referring to his lack of intent when faced with contact?
His inclusion was part of the reason we never played off last year, a GF we well may've won, he displayed his usual avoidance of anything physical last night although he was on the end of more than the usual, it's going to happen some games going through the middle.

Yet, you want to make so much of his 19 possessions, but they didn't come without his usual moments of timidity.
Doubt we'll go well in the finals with him avoiding contests when a ball needs to be won, to much the downhill skier for me.

I believe you. I believe you really mean what you say. We follow the same team. Let's just agree to disagree on Varcoe. I'm sure we have sat at a game at the G in 2009 rd 1 Geelong v Hawthorn, and Varcoe was on your agenda that night. And we disputed his value to the team all night.
Don't tell me there are more people who think like you do. No, I know there are and you are not alone here; anyway, I think he'll help us in finals this year, has a much better fitness base, had a preseason, not trying to make up for lost time. Let's see.

 

[meto]

I believe you. I believe you really mean what you say. We follow the same team. Let's just agree to disagree on Varcoe. I'm sure we have sat at a game at the G in 2009 rd 1 Geelong v Hawthorn, and Varcoe was on your agenda that night. And we disputed his value to the team all night.
Don't tell me there are more people who think like you do. No, I know there are and you are not alone here; anyway, I think he'll help us in finals this year, has a much better fitness base, had a preseason, not trying to make up for lost time. Let's see.

We are on the same side, yes, but we just disagree on him, I'm hoping if we make the big stage he plays his best game for the club, Premiership opportunities don't come around often.
But I'd trade him in an instant for Polec, Harlett or Winguard, theirs is the type of attack on the ball we need to ever see another flag.
But if he's played I hope he contributes and plays well, I support the club.

 

[Berserker26]

Annnnd I'm out.

Can't read this any longer.

My ability to suffer idiots who probably haven't ever pulled on the boots or been exposed to football from a non-spectator level is too much.

Good luck chaps.

 

[Turbocat]

Possibly. But you can't have one rule for just one - that means any player who has shoulder problems is exonerated from getting the hard ball.

Sure you can. Just like certain players train every session and other don't.

 

[Vdubs]

We are on the same side, yes, but we just disagree on him, I'm hoping if we make the big stage he plays his best game for the club, Premiership opportunities don't come around often.
But I'd trade him in an instant for Polec, Harlett or Winguard, theirs is the type of attack on the ball we need to ever see another flag.
But if he's played I hope he contributes and plays well, I support the club.

I will add though that Varcoe does NOT have the body, resilience, whatever, to attack the ball like Wingard for instance. His joints are not up to it, where we differ is that you think he squibs it. CS would not condone a player who did that; I think he is using his nous, no point spending a season out every second year, and accepts he still has outside smarts to bring to the table.

 

[ThatsjustDappa]

But I'd trade him in an instant for Polec, Harlett or Winguard, theirs is the type of attack on the ball we need to ever see another flag.

I think any club would trade almost any player for this bloke.....try harder...

 

[Vdubs]

Sure you can. Just like certain players train every session and other don't.

Absolutely, individualised training, starting with preseason, is the norm at EVERY AFL club.

 

[Vdubs]

The big question now is, that if we accept it is not in his best interest, or the team's, for TV to have ferocious attack on the ball/player, is he good enough to have in the team for the other things he gives us?
Clearly, right now, maybe due to lack of better options, the MC does.

 

[CharacterFirst]

I imagine its been said already, but I suspect that TV is under instruction to not be physical in order to protect his shoulders.

 

[vealesy]

Maybe that is Brown's excuse too.

 

[you pick one]

The big question now is, that if we accept it is not in his best interest, or the team's, for TV to have ferocious attack on the ball/player, is he good enough to have in the team for the other things he gives us?
Clearly, right now, maybe due to lack of better options, the MC does.

I except the point you make but until last night he's been generally ignored by his team mates even when I my opinion he had worked hard to get into great positions,the question there for is why if that's the role they have devised for him do they then burn him.

 

[Vdubs]

Maybe that is Brown's excuse too.

Excuse is probably the correct term.
They have special consideration and have been excused from circumstances to put them back in hospital and rehab.

 

[meto]

The big question now is, that if we accept it is not in his best interest, or the team's, for TV to have ferocious attack on the ball/player, is he good enough to have in the team for the other things he gives us?
Clearly, right now, maybe due to lack of better options, the MC does.

And that's undeniable, they do, at this point in time. Our reserves have really had little to offer of late, just a team of kids doing it tough atm.
I do think they burn him as YPO said, I'm sure there's not the respect that should be, heard Mitch Dunc on SEN say they were still trying to fit him in somewhere as if his role was still undefined, did you hear it?
Anyway, if he plays I wish him well, but it's painful sometimes, but not always.

 

[David the Cat]

I except the point you make but until last night he's been generally ignored by his team mates even when I my opinion he had worked hard to get into great positions,the question there for is why if that's the role they have devised for him do they then burn him.

Professional footballers play what they believe to be the best option. They don't look up and say…"Oh s**t, thats Varcoe, I'm not kicking it to him".

To suggest they do is absolute nonsense.

 

[you pick one]

Professional footballers play what they believe to be the best option. They don't look up and say…"Oh s**t, thats Varcoe, I'm not kicking it to him".

To suggest they do is absolute nonsense.

Agree with the first bolded entirely,The second lot I reckon I've seen the skipper do just that on 3 or 4 occasions this year and I and others have mentioned it in previous posts and he's as professional as they come in my book,so either he doesn't see Trav as the best option even under minimal pressure IE the kick's not spot on to him and may require some kind of contest to be won or maybe he's got poor vision,but it was/is happening.

 

[romeoh]

We are on the same side, yes, but we just disagree on him, I'm hoping if we make the big stage he plays his best game for the club, Premiership opportunities don't come around often.
But I'd trade him in an instant for Polec, Harlett or Winguard, theirs is the type of attack on the ball we need to ever see another flag.
But if he's played I hope he contributes and plays well, I support the club.

Varcoe has made significanct contributions in Gf's. Until you have seen those Port players stand up in Gf's, who knows? Plenty of very good players don't show enough on the big day. Varcoe has for mine-2011-those opening goals that set us up. That field-length run and goal late in the game, when it was needed. His handball to Chappy in 2009 to kick the goal.

 

[FredLeDeux]

Professional footballers play what they believe to be the best option. They don't look up and say…"Oh s**t, thats Varcoe, I'm not kicking it to him".

To suggest they do is absolute nonsense.

It depends upon what they consider when deciding which is the "best option". They may simply think, based on their experience, that one player in a potentially contested situation is not as good an option as some other player in a similar, or even slightly worse, situation.
Which is not to say that it does or doesn't happen with Varcoe, because I don't know, not having looked for it.
But a professional player should certainly consider this when deciding between options, if he has the chance to do it.

 

[AM]

Varcoe has made significanct contributions in Gf's. Until you have seen those Port players stand up in Gf's, who knows? Plenty of very good players don't show enough on the big day. Varcoe has for mine-2011-those opening goals that set us up. That field-length run and goal late in the game, when it was needed. His handball to Chappy in 2009 to kick the goal.

Also was prepared to mix it when it was his turn to go on that day.

 

[meto]

Varcoe has made significanct contributions in Gf's. Until you have seen those Port players stand up in Gf's, who knows? Plenty of very good players don't show enough on the big day. Varcoe has for mine-2011-those opening goals that set us up. That field-length run and goal late in the game, when it was needed. His handball to Chappy in 2009 to kick the goal.

You like many others refer to a couple of incidents in his career and now years later want to gift him games because he kicked a goal or tackled Buddy, the trouble with that my friend is you're patronising one player over a few possession acts over 8 years of football.

Like any on the list he should be judged according to his 2014 contributions to the team, to keep dragging up this blind support stuff of the past is the perfect example of media and herd mentality brainwash.
Fact is no team enquired for his services in the off season and he hasn't put his body on the line in years, and that's why no interest, obviously they're not interested in that sort of player in their teams.

We will not win a Premiership with a player looking for cheap kicks, I've seen them rather look for alternative options when Varcoe's on.

 

[BlitzenTrapper]

I haven't read much of the past few pages, but I thought Trav was pretty decent on the weekend.
Wasn't amazing, but a significant improvement from the last couple of weeks.

 

[you pick one]

I imagine its been said already, but I suspect that TV is under instruction to not be physical in order to protect his shoulders.

So he's like a satellite then he has been put together and programed to go around and around for ever and not to run into anything,Ah that makes sense now, he's gathering intelligence,I knew he was playing a role.

 

[bulletproof]

I'd give him a pass for this week. Showed glimpses of form.

 

[Mackieilove]

And that's undeniable, they do, at this point in time. Our reserves have really had little to offer of late, just a team of kids doing it tough atm.
I do think they burn him as YPO said, I'm sure there's not the respect that should be, heard Mitch Dunc on SEN say they were still trying to fit him in somewhere as if his role was still undefined, did you hear it?
Anyway, if he plays I wish him well, but it's painful sometimes, but not always.

Yes I heard it.

He said that Varcoe has lacked continuity over the past couple of years, and that the game has actually changed during that time.
So they are trying to work out the best way to get him more involved.

 

[romeoh]

You like many others refer to a couple of incidents in his career and now years later want to gift him games because he kicked a goal or tackled Buddy, the trouble with that my friend is you're patronising one player over a few possession acts over 8 years of football.

Like any on the list he should be judged according to his 2014 contributions to the team, to keep dragging up this blind support stuff of the past is the perfect example of media and herd mentality brainwash.
Fact is no team enquired for his services in the off season and he hasn't put his body on the line in years, and that's why no interest, obviously they're not interested in that sort of player in their teams.

We will not win a Premiership with a player looking for cheap kicks, I've seen them rather look for alternative options when Varcoe's on.

Yep, but he has shown he can do it when it counts. Yes it is years later but he missed a significant period of those years. He missed about 2 years of footy-maybe it takes time. He was okay this week.
As I said-plenty don't turn up on the big day -players I loved who deserved success( Garry Hocking etc).
I am not sure what to do about Varcoe and whether he should be in the team, but his past deeds can still be acknowledged, and certainly ahead of Wingard and co, who may be great but until we see how they go on the big day, meaningless.
Big statements like 'we will not win a flag with......-' fill in the gap are meaningless too.