Will Mitch Wallis succumb to our 'leading goalkicker' curse?

Much like our old 'dud brother' curse we had to carry until Zaine Cordy laid a brutal tackle in the dying stages of the first quarter on 1 October 2016, our leading goalkickers since that fateful day have been cursed.

2017: Stringer/Picken (joint winners)
Jake Stringer decided that Tinder and KFC were both better than football and went somewhere to further his AFL career without the burden of performance or team success. .
Picken became a victim of his own incredible courage with concussion symptoms forcing him from the game.

2018: Billy Gowers
He never recaptured his 2018 form: two years later, he's living it up on the Gold Coast. Hopefully he can recapture his Instagram form too, it was amusing back in the day.

2019: Sam Lloyd
Good ol' Bong-Lips hit the ground running when he was traded for a token pick to the dogs, reuniting him with high school teammate Easton Wood. 2020 suckled for Lloyd as much as anybody, and he was a late retirement allowing the dogs to grab McNeill as a rookie for the 2021 season.

2020: Mitch Wallis
A revelation as a player who sacrificed his preferred position as a midfielder to stay loyal to the dogs and play as a permanent 'unique' forward/ He has a strong, low centre of gravity so takes one on one marks against any opponent the same height as him.

I've been as bullish on Mitch as much as anyone on this board but against Melbourne I had concerns with him. He's a quality guy, our VC, works hard but the game is faster this year and Mitch... didn't get near it.
Can he get back to his best and become a unique contributor to the team or is his spot going to under consideration?
Bevo doesn't even have JJ as a Round 1 lock so nobody is safe. Can he break the curse?

I will hold fire for now, but the signs aren't great for Mitch. The rule change plus English spending more time forward means we need more pace and pressure forward than ever before and Mitch is more Jason Dunstall than Charlie Cameron. Cavarra might be breathing down his neck soon.

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Originally Posted by comrade

I will hold fire for now, but the signs aren't great for Mitch. The rule change plus English spending more time forward means we need more pace and pressure forward than ever before and Mitch is more Jason Dunstall than Charlie Cameron. Cavarra might be breathing down his neck soon.

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I can't disagree with this assessment, although we do know that Mitch will do everything possible to make a relevant contribution.

A fit Mitch Hannan will also pressure his position.

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Originally Posted by Bulldog Joe

I can't disagree with this assessment, although we do know that Mitch will do everything possible to make a relevant contribution.

A fit Mitch Hannan will also pressure his position.

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Yep, that can't be doubted.

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Originally Posted by Mofra

2019: Sam Lloyd
Good ol' Bong-Lips hit the ground running when he was traded for a token pick to the dogs, reuniting him with high school teammate Easton Wood. 2020 suckled for Lloyd as much as anybody, and he was a late retirement allowing the dogs to grab McNeill as a rookie for the 2021 season.

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Sorry to be pedantic but Anthony Scott was the beneficiary of Lloyd's retirement, taking his place on the primary list. Lloyd hadn't even quit when the rookie draft took place.

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Originally Posted by Axe Man

Sorry to be pedantic but Anthony Scott was the beneficiary of Lloyd's retirement, taking his place on the primary list. Lloyd hadn't even quit when the rookie draft took place.

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You're right, I stand corrected.
Either way - thank you for your generosity Lloydy

I'm calling it. He won't be in the seniors by the mid way mark of the year. Think he is going to struggle to hold his spot in a side that has quite a lot of multipurpose tools, some which can do his job and add value in the margins.

Crazy for me, to have arrived at that point, given how much I respect and value Wally's contribution to the Club. Can just see it happening and potentially being a reflection on as really good spike in the performance of players with skill sets that offer a bit more variety.

A great thread thanks Mofra. While I hope that this is not the case I think there is a real chance he struggles in that role this year

Every year we have a thread about Wally and how he is not best 22.

I think he will be right again and will kick a few goals, or at the very least create some goals. He is a real leader and someone we need in the forward line.

I think he'll be right. Yeah there will be games where he won't kick many or any goals but he has a good footy brain and will pop up when its his turn. He wasn't fast last year so he doesn't rely on leg speed to get the footy. He's a strong man and a good mark. Our forward line looked un organised against Melbourne so when/if we get that sorted he'll play a role there. One thing we know about Mitch is he won't die wondering.

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Originally Posted by Axe Man

Sorry to be pedantic but Anthony Scott was the beneficiary of Lloyd's retirement, taking his place on the primary list. Lloyd hadn't even quit when the rookie draft took place.

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What sort of tenure did we give him?

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Originally Posted by jeemak

What sort of tenure did we give him?

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Someone should put together a thread with this kind of info.

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Originally Posted by bornadog

Every year we have a thread about Wally and how he is not best 22.

I think he will be right again and will kick a few goals, or at the very least create some goals. He is a real leader and someone we need in the forward line.

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Reminds me of pre-season commentary on Liam Picken year after year (prior to 2016)...."not sure where he fits in the side etc".

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Originally Posted by Ozza

Reminds me of pre-season commentary on Liam Picken year after year (prior to 2016)...."not sure where he fits in the side etc".

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I've been one of Mitch's biggest supporters before this year but this isn't just about Mitch.
It's our latest curse that needs breaking. We beat a prelim curse and a dud brother curse which were tough ones, but we need to recognise this voodoo for what it is.

No problems with the premise of the OP about the curse!