'It still haunts me', delisted Dog Christian Howard couldn't handle the pressure

[The Bulldogs Bite]

I've mentioned this a few times before but at the start of the 2014 season Howard's career performances wasn't that much different to Easton Wood's but I've never really heard any pressure being applied to Wood whereas Howard had questions being raised about his ability from day one. This is the price the player pays when they haven't come through the elite pathway but have the added burden of being a surprise first round selection.

Neither player came through the elite pathway but one of them never faced the same level of scrutiny than the other did not by a long shot.

When you don't come through the elite pathway but are taken in the 3rd round of a draft the fans and media give you a lot more attitude. I wonder what might have been for Howard had he arrived at the club as a 3rd round selection rather than a 1st round pick.

Whilst it is a fair point you raise, I don't think it makes too much difference to the overall result. At least not in this scenario. It was a bizarre selection from us from the outset - Howard seems like a good kid but he's never had any AFL attributes IMO so whether he was taken in the first or third round matters little.

You've brought up Wood's name re: this a few times, but I think you sell him a little short. His first couple of years were spent developing and he improved quickly. I recall his second or third year playing in the NAB Cup (v Essendon?) where he was really impressive. He had/has some flaws and inconsistency has been at the top of the list, and he did stagnate for 2 years (2012-2013) but he's always had attributes to become a good player (powerful athlete, fast, strong, can jump).

No doubt Wood needs to step up further next season though.

[ledge]

Apparently Howard is an extremely funny guy, maybe his way of hiding the pressure he felt maybe, A bit of a larrikin at times but that's part of growing up, Callum Ward for example.

[Scorlibo]

It's a common trend isn't it. Without knowing to much about Jones or Tutt I'd say they would have had the same issues. It seems the coach had just given up on them and left them in the VFL to finish their season. It's disappointing to read and makes me feel it was the right choice in parting ways.

That's an obscure take from my perspective. McCartney has been potted far and wide on here for his continued faith in players who appear unlikely to make it, giving them opportunity after opportunity with the hope that it will click. At some point he had to let them sink or swim. The Jones example, where McCartney gave him some stick in one of the post-match pressers, ruling out his return to the side before Redpath had been given appropriate opportunity, is probably verging on being a little too tough. Howard's case is completely different though.

[boydogs]

This reads like Patrick Veszpremi's article after being delisted, or Shaun McKernan's. Trying to point to things that recruiters could hang their hats on as to why they still have improvement in them to pick them up. Reality is he's not good enough.

Regarding Macca, there's no doubt he gave up on a few players in the second half of the year and kept them in the VFL regardless of their VFL performances, but I think they all had their chances and didn't take them

[LostDoggy]

I was rapt he was delisted and we'd finally made the call that I think was obvious a year or so earlier. But I'm reading this thread outside a cafe wearing my 2014 VFL Premiers shirt. I wish the fella well wherever he plays.

[G-Mo77]

That's an obscure take from my perspective. McCartney has been potted far and wide on here for his continued faith in players who appear unlikely to make it, giving them opportunity after opportunity with the hope that it will click. At some point he had to let them sink or swim. The Jones example, where McCartney gave him some stick in one of the post-match pressers, ruling out his return to the side before Redpath had been given appropriate opportunity, is probably verging on being a little too tough. Howard's case is completely different though.

I was surprised Howard even got a look in TBH and Austin continued to plod away in the firsts time and time again, so yeah Macca did give them some good chances at the top level. If you're not getting much feedback though it makes it hard to improve in areas you're struggling with. Even if a player isn't up to the top level they shouldn't just be cast aside like yesterdays news which does seem like it happened and that truly is disappointing.

Someone did bring up more support staff may have helped in this area which is a fair point.

[F'scary]

Yep, at the end of the day, when all is said and done, he was an AFL player and no-one can take that away from him.

[Throughandthrough]

Well said. Christian Howard is not the first and won't be the last high draft pick to not make the grade. He wore our colours, did his best, yes we wish it had worked out both for us and him, but honestly with the high rates of depression in young men, I hope Christian stays well away from the ugly vitriol that gets posted about him (not here).

And on this site regularly in the past

[jeemak]

Boyd went through the elite pathway, and not only that, he was the elite in the elite pathway. I think he will thrive on the pressure of expectation.

Howard sounds like a well-rounded person in life away from competitive sport. But he also sounds like he lacked the absolute hunger and mental application to be the best AFL player he can be. That's not a knock on him as a person - some are simply more driven than others in this area.

Agreed. I was a pretty big backer of Howard until he played his mid-season games with us. He didn't look like a player that had committed to be stronger under pressure or over the ball, and it made his actual solid attributes die with him

As for the comments on the coach, it smacks of a journo pressing a line or theme to which a player answered very honestly and openly, which is now being perceived as a one way communication and effort issue.

The way I read it is McCartney backed Howard over a very long period of time and finally got sick of him coming to his office with the same old shit after the same old shitty senior performances.

A bit like Jones I guess.

When I look at Jones, Howard and Tutt I think it's probably no coincidence that the latter is the only one on our list (for now), and potentially the only one that could consider himself a little hard done by.

[jeemak]

I was surprised Howard even got a look in TBH and Austin continued to plod away in the firsts time and time again, so yeah Macca did give them some good chances at the top level. If you're not getting much feedback though it makes it hard to improve in areas you're struggling with. Even if a player isn't up to the top level they shouldn't just be cast aside like yesterdays news which does seem like it happened and that truly is disappointing.

Someone did bring up more support staff may have helped in this area which is a fair point.

How would you feel if players came into your office and said they would do the things you asked of them time and again, only to be served with something completely different time and again on game day?

One day, I reckon you might just give up and close the door on them. Especially if you were working at a poorly resourced club like ours and had better options for a decent return on investment in other areas.

[G-Mo77]

How would you feel if players came into your office and said they would do the things you asked of them time and again, only to be served with something completely different time and again on game day?

One day, I reckon you might just give up and close the door on them. Especially if you were working at a poorly resourced club like ours and had better options for a decent return on investment in other areas.

Did I not say that jeemak?

Give up and close the door? If that was the case then yeah I'm disappointed. The coaching staff has a players entire contract to get the best out of them. Throwing your hands up in the air and giving up like you're saying our coach did reflects poorly on our staff. I hope this wasn't the case at all.

[1eyedog]

How would you feel if players came into your office and said they would do the things you asked of them time and again, only to be served with something completely different time and again on game day?

One day, I reckon you might just give up and close the door on them. Especially if you were working at a poorly resourced club like ours and had better options for a decent return on investment in other areas.

I have had to sack employees in the past because they are not meeting their position description. Jones' position description is FF and his tasks / activities were get fitter, apply defensive pressure at the least and mark and kick goals on a regular basis. He failed miserably in all of the above so a better employee (Stringer) moved into his position.

[LostDoggy]

Just read the updates on this thread after watching that video BornADog put up yesterday. The voiceover guy says it all.

[Throughandthrough]

www.sanfl.com.au

Glenelg has lured Christian Howard back to Brighton Road as it continues to address its need for speed and clean skills.

Delisted by the Western Bulldogs after playing 20 AFL matches from 2011 to 2014, Howard boasts a neat left-foot kick and a willingness to carry the ball across lines.

The 23-year-old – who was selected with the Dogs’ No.15 pick in the 2009 AFL National Draft – is expected to play a role across half-back for the Tigers in 2015.

‘’He will probably be our player who plays across half-back who we can release as he uses the footy so well,’’ Glenelg football manager Matt Lokan said.

‘’We have been talking to Christian pretty much for the whole year about footy and life in general. So to have him return to Glenelg is fantastic.

‘’It is great for the younger boys to have someone from Glenelg who has played in the AFL system come back to the club.’’

It is understood Howard chose playing for the Bays ahead of an offer from VFL club Port Melbourne, in the event he isn’t selected in either the AFL National Draft or AFL Rookie Draft this year.

[GVGjr]

Good luck to him.