Marcus Bontempelli

[bornadog]

Did EJ have little EJ dolls in the homes of the leagues best players and their kids? This generation’s Mr Football. Just needs to start calling everyone Knackers.

My first footy boots were EJ Whitten Boots. I tell you they were like those big heavy work boots

[Hotdog60]

My first footy boots were EJ Whitten Boots. I tell you they were like those big heavy work boots

It would be interesting to know the stats on ankle injuries back in the day of the high lace ups versus today with the low cut boot.

[1eyedog]

My first footy boots were EJ Whitten Boots. I tell you they were like those big heavy work boots

Mine too. Big black ankle high gumboot type things with screw in stops and a hard plastic bottom plate. I used to wear them everywhere till the stops were completely worn. Used to slide all over the place on bitumen and concrete.

[Twodogs]

Mine too. Big black ankle high gumboot type things with screw in stops and a hard plastic bottom plate. I used to wear them everywhere till the stops were completely worn. Used to slide all over the place on bitumen and concrete.

Leading into the cricket season I used to wear my cricket helmet around the house just to get used to it. Until the night I was sitting on the couch watching telly and one of my kids thought they'd test it out by beaning me from behind with a cricket ball.

[jeemak]

B-Mac sucked and almost ruined the careers of several guys who ended up being premiership players.

This is complete horse shit. Not the first bit, the second.

He had the right idea I think at heart re defence first. But he didn’t seem to have a plan after that.

There were only a few games where things looked like coming together at the end of 2013, but largely it was a contested maul and terrible viewing. I've heard a couple of players talk about his skills development focus and in-close work, and each benefitted us post his sacking. Bevo didn't have the worst base to work with when he took over on this front.

What irritates me is people thought BMAC made us a contested Poss team, yet we were under Rocket anyway (top 3 for CP)

Eade had the group between 2008-2011 playing a contested brand. His issue was personnel not being quite there at the pointy end and the fact we looked so damn good when playing on our terms, meaning the perception was we weren't a contested side. McCartney concentrated on contested footy and it gave some of our younger players a harder edge than they might have had under another coach.

He gets no credit for the 2016 flag from my perspective, but without him we probably retain selfish players like Lake, Higgins and Cooney etc. and the inherent issues with the playing list and its leaders don't come to a head like they needed to. He's the recession we had to have!

[Happy Days]

This is complete horse shit. Not the first bit, the second

Hmmm. Easton Wood was playing as a key defender and was statistically the worst one in the league. JJ and Picken were well on their ways out of the league and Matthew Boyd was horribly miscast to the point of infighting.

Two years later and all four were premiership players, two All Australians, one a Norm Smith Medalist and one a Finals MVP. And that’s just off the top of my head as I’m desperately trying to avoid exercising at the gym.

He was stubborn as an ox and half as good a coach as one. He hangs around and we’re St Kilda at best.

[bornadog]

Just a reminder

[EasternWest]

Just a reminder

That doesn't remind me of anything.

[bornadog]

That doesn't remind me of anything.

Not even that this is a Bont thread.

[EasternWest]

Not even that this is a Bont thread.

Lol.

[jeemak]

Hmmm. Easton Wood was playing as a key defender and was statistically the worst one in the league. JJ and Picken were well on their ways out of the league and Matthew Boyd was horribly miscast to the point of infighting.

Two years later and all four were premiership players, two All Australians, one a Norm Smith Medalist and one a Finals MVP. And that’s just off the top of my head as I’m desperately trying to avoid exercising at the gym.

He was stubborn as an ox and half as good a coach as one. He hangs around and we’re St Kilda at best.

JJ averaged in his last six games in 2014 a bit over his career average(20 over 19), albeit missing round 21 - not really sure he'd have been out of the system after that. Picken played 22 games in defencive roles through the middle/ forward and averaged 18 touches, at his career average. Putting him in more offencive roles was a Bevo master stroke, as was doing the same with respect to changing the role of Matthew Boyd after he placed seventh in the B&F in 2014. According to Wikipedia 2014 was a big improvement for Wood where he played more games than he did in any other year at the club to that point. I'll take your word that he was the worst key defender in the competition but he shouldn't have been playing that role anyway but personnel issues meant he had to, so again, I'd hardly call him a candidate for finishing up his career then and there because of the coach of the day.

I don't think he was a good coach, but his record speaks for itself meaning we don't have to make stuff up to demonstrate it.

[jeemak]

Just a reminder

Not even that this is a Bont thread.

You helped start the diversion off topic so you're just going to have to let it run its course you meanie.

[SquirrelGrip]

I've just come across this Twitter feed with every one of Bont's goals. Extraordinary!

https://twitter.com/JustBontThings

[The bulldog tragician]

I've just come across this Twitter feed with every one of Bont's goals. Extraordinary!

https://twitter.com/JustBontThings

Settle in for the afternoon…

[Mantis]

Settle in for the afternoon…

Yep... my lunch break went for slightly longer than originally planned.