Wasted Talent

[Falconer02]

Who do you think is the biggest Wasted Talent by injurie or not coping with the AFL,
My vote is Anthony Koutifides ( he has been great but i realised the other day he is 30 years old and I feel he could have been one of the greatest of all time.)

 

[RooMatera]

Eagles Phil Read, Injured at such a young age, two knee constructions (both left and right knees) and only starting to find his feet again this year until an ankle inury about a month ago.

How stocky this kid is now is unbelievable aswell.

 

[Falconer02]

I agree even though he is a smart arse ****

By the way did you read that article on Daniel Kerr in the West Australian on Daniel Kerr he said phil reads brother was his hardest opponent ever he kept him to 2 possesions or somethiing. In school footy or WAFL i dont know

 

[Adrian Shelton]

Johnathan Ross-off field bothers the obvious reason here

Darren Cuthbertson-Too much,too soon. Doubt anyone could have kept a start like that going anyway(an interview on Channel 9 after his 4th or 5th game with Louie put 'the kiss of death' on him too )

 

[Milkman]

Read and also Luke Mcpharlin.

 

[R00StaR]

Originally posted by Falconer02
Who do you think is the biggest Wasted Talent by injurie or not coping with the AFL,
My vote is Anthony Koutifides ( he has been great but i realised the other day he is 30 years old and I feel he could have been one of the greatest of all time.)

Kouta would have to be up there, he has been good but couldve/ shouldve been one of the greatest ever (perhaps). Its too late now to be one of the greatest, but he still has time to leave his mark. I recall a game where he smashed us, they said it was like an adult playing against U11’s or something like that, and it was!

 

[Woodson]

Not wasted...just Bad Luck

Originally posted by Falconer02
By the way did you read that article on Daniel Kerr in the West Australian on Daniel Kerr he said phil reads brother was his hardest opponent ever he kept him to 2 possesions or somethiing. In school footy or WAFL i dont know

And Todd Viney once beat Boris Becker in a tennis match....big deal. Don't forget that Kouta was playing with a heavy heart for a while not revealing his ol' man in serious health which may have contributed to his 'lost motivation' ....that goes a long way to whether you consider it 'wasted talent' ...he's had hurdles to jump with recovering from a serious knee injury and coming back quicker than expected. I wouldn't rate Kouta as 'wasted talent' but unfortunate circumstances that robbed us (AFL fans) of seeing a brilliant player. Never forget that game at Optus Oval when Kouta single handedly won the game.

 

[RooMatera]

yes....... 'that' game...

 

[Stiffy_18]

Ryan Fitzgerald. Was taken at number 4 in 98 draft and in 4 years on an AFL list he has had 2 knee reconstructions, 2 shoulder reconstructions, hernia operation and another operation to clean up a cyst in a knee. Got delisted by the Crows last year and signed up for South Adelaide in the SANFL. Injured his knee at training and will require another knee reconstruction. I think the fella had genuine talent but couldn't show it with all these injuries. As a result of his injuries his confidence was ruined and his performances didn't show his true potential.

Great fella too but has had a rotten luck with injuries.

 

[RooMatera]

The kid must have brittle bone disease
Or a hypochondriac with Dr. Nick Riveaira as his family doctor.

 

[Woodson]

Born to be butchered

Poor Ryan Fitzgerald.......what BAD Luck !
...did the same black cat cross his path every day, did he enjoy walking under ladders, did he get a pleasure breaking mirrors, was he born on Friday the 13th.....
I bet he's a father now knowing probably them coloured condoms burst easily....and I dearly hope his kid is PERFECTLY HEALTHY.....

...or is his real name Frank Spencer ??

 

[Deestroy]

Schwarz - Could have been so much more.

Others:
Lyon
Tingay
Alan Jackovich
Cuthberson

Theres a number of other players from the 90's who's careers were promising but ruined by injury.

 

[liz]

Fitzgeraldn possibly just pips out Heath James, ironically taken by Sydney in the same draft as Fitzy. Made an impressive debut at the end of 1999 then hurt his knee the following season - not a full reconstruction but kept him out for most of the following season. Then started having real problems with his hamstrings - something like 15 or 16 strains or tears in a season and a half. Made his comeback against Collingwood and did a hammy again within about 15 minutes.

Then went through a series of needles in his hammies to break up the scar tissue, started playing again and put in an impressive performance in the SFL in his first game back - kicked a bag of goals, I seem to remember. Two days later was taking part in a junior clinic and ruptured his patella tendon horrendously.

Still trying to make a go of it, however, and may get to play in the Canberra league with the Sydney Redbacks in the second half of the season.

 

[Asgardian]

Originally posted by Adrian Shelton
Darren Cuthbertson-Too much,too soon. Doubt anyone could have kept a start like that going anyway(an interview on Channel 9 after his 4th or 5th game with Louie put 'the kiss of death' on him too )

Adrian McAdam was another who started off gang-busters, for North Melbourne, but then it all blew up in his face.

Tony Antrobus had footy skills diametrically opposed to life skills & brain power.

"Doc" Weildon could have been anything, if he didn't want to self-destruct.

However my vote goes to Peter Everitt, huge talent, absolutely no brains.

 

[Hosko]

I have to agree about ryan fitzgerald, i only saw him play one game, when he was playing for sydney but he was awesome, kicked about 4 goals i think. After that i never saw him again.

 

[eagleskickass]

Well if things keep going as they are for poor old Travis gaspar we'll be saying the same about him Hope he can overcome his latest injury and get on the park for an extended period of time!

 

[Yze_Magic]

injuries ruined the careers of jakovich, Lyon, Tingay, G.Lovett and of course, Schwarz

Demons would have won at least 1 or 2 premierships in the 1990's if not for their stars dropping like flies

 

[Portmanteau]

I'd have to say Yze_Magic. Could've been great that boy.

 

[Hosko]

Another is player who seemed to have the talent but never utilized it was Stephen Jurica. I saw his debut game in 1995 i think it was at Richmond. He played full forward kicked about 5 goals and took one of the hangs of the season, however i never saw him again either . .

 

[tribey]

Re: Ryan Fitzgerald

He had promise but all of it was just that - he's strung all of what, 5 games together in his entire career?

Let's be honest, he went from grass roots footy at Port Noarlunga to the SANFL with South Adelaide to being drafted by Sydney in under 2 years, and after that it was injuries galore.

Hardly the stuff dreams are made of and a true indication of his talent, potential or otherwise. Fitzy's career up until the injuries was nothing but luck and circumstance rather than prolonged talent identification. If he had that much to him he would've already been at an AFL club instead of playing with the C'o'ckledivers.

Perhaps some food for thought is another case of huge wraps, huge start, little after that: Scott Cummings. If he had've done his knee and retired in the immediate aftermath of that 8(?) goal bag for Essendon on debut we'd still be lauding him as the second coming, and how he would've ruled the league for 10 seasons.

 

[The Passenger]

I think Joel Bowden personifies wasted talent.

We got a glimpse of him a couple of years ago (2000 or 2001?? too late at night to bother remembering exact details) he was playing at an absolute elite level and was only 21 or 22, maybe 23, and showed what could've been one of the classier players in the competition. hasn't done a THING since. He still gets enough fo the ball just doesn't use it overly well. Still has time to turn it around though.

 

[Falchoon]

Easily the biggest waste of talent I've seen is Rod Owen, he had it all.

 

[The Passenger]

Nick Holland is also would be a wasted talent through injury.

 

[Fraser]

Cayden Beetham. Pick #7 (I think) in the 1999 Draft. Played most of the 2001 season at looked very impressive. 2002 season he just couldn't cope with AFL any more and left.

Jason Heatly - One of the straigtest kicks on goal I have ever seen. Went down hill after the G/F loss and is now playing for the Tassie Devils in the VFL.

 

[James]

Steven Oliver! Could have been anything, but pined for Castlemaine and kicking 14 goals every week instead of warming the bench, and city life. What a waste.