Our Biggest Turncoat?

[bulldogtragic]

The first final against Hawthorn in 1985 was worse. I've never been as shell shocked as I was that day.

I'm glad I can't remember it then!!

I've never done leaving games early. But I left early that game I will admit, the prelims were heart breaking but this made me so angry and upset and empty. The whole team and all coaches need the whack. Morris and Lake don't deserve any more special mention than anyone else. It's as an awful whole of team performance than any other game I can remember. Why? Because they were not a group of guns with spudly sorts (Rhode era), they were a bonafide outfit. Or should've been that night.

Griffen.

[LostDoggy]

I am more unhappy about Ward than Griffen. Ward left at such a young age and would be perfect in the team now that we have lost so much experience. Imagine Ward, Libba and Macrae in the midfield.

It's funny because I remember gloating to mates and work colleagues about how our midfield of Cooney, Griffen, Ward & Higgins would dominate for 10+ years. All goneski 5/6 years after making those comments.

[jeemak]

Is that what you call being pushed out of the club, a change in roles? Cooney had a hissy fit because he was asked to play a different role, he didn't get pushed out he was expected to be able to adapt to our needs and he would continue to be paid very handsomely to do so. Brian knew we weren't playing in a premiership and he wanted an opportunity to play in one before he retired. It was an excellent decision by Brian who went on to be the best player in a Grand Final. Cooney in effect has left thinking the Bombres offer a better chance to play in a Grand Final as well. Stupid.

Surely if you offer a single scenario to a player that you don't think they'll be comfortable with, and present it as the only option with which to go forward you're essentially pushing them out - if you know full well they won't accept it.

This is what happened with Lake as far as I could tell from the outside looking in, while with Cooney he was going to continue to be badgered about playing a certain way for the remainder of his career if he stayed with our club. EFC needed a good story to sell, recruiting a Brownlow Medalist to their club was just the tonic with only one condition - Cooney could continue to play the way he has since his knee started to let him down.

[Remi Moses]

Surprised no one has mentioned Mark Athorn.

AThorn was poo. He was Essendons best player in that GF

[1eyedog]

Surely if you offer a single scenario to a player that you don't think they'll be comfortable with, and present it as the only option with which to go forward you're essentially pushing them out - if you know full well they won't accept it.

This is what happened with Lake as far as I could tell from the outside looking in, while with Cooney he was going to continue to be badgered about playing a certain way for the remainder of his career if he stayed with our club. EFC needed a good story to sell, recruiting a Brownlow Medalist to their club was just the tonic with only one condition - Cooney could continue to play the way he has since his knee started to let him down.

I guess it depends on whether the player is halfway out the door for other reasons and for all intents and purposes IMO both Lake and Cooney were. It also depends on the mental and emotional character and strength of the player and whether they have the best interests of the club at heart. Some players come into the club and bleed red white and blue without question and others fill up on self worth towards the end of their careers and think they are untouchable because they are vets and champs.

If the best interest of the club demanded Brian and Adam to play a different role then, as employees and servants of the club, they needed to adapt and accept what was required of them. If they weren't going to accept it then they are clearly not acting in the best interests of the club. I am naive to the inner machinations of what transpired between these two players but asking players to change the way they play for the benefit of the club is not forcing them out the door, at least from my position.

[jeemak]

I appreciate what you're saying, and tend to agree.

[westdog54]

It's funny because I remember gloating to mates and work colleagues about how our midfield of Cooney, Griffen, Ward & Higgins would dominate for 10+ years. All goneski 5/6 years after making those comments.

Geez, they are too, aren't they.

That is really, really depressing.

Mind you, having Bontempelli, Macrae and Liberatore in the same midfield is some form of comfort.

[Maddog37]

The only thing Higgins was going to dominate was the best hair awards.

[LostDoggy]

Surprised no one has mentioned Mark Athorn.

I remember being shattered as a younger bloke when Matty Hogg went (for whatever reason) and also Stuart Wigney.

[KT31]

I was shattered when the when both KT and Dougie left to play for other teams and always thought poorly of the few who left were Captains at the time, but I have always understood that this was the culture of the club in those times.
The biggest turncoat for me was Judas then followed by Plough but now it is Griffenflog, he was only captain for a couple of months and had already made the decision to leave.

[G-Mo77]

I remember being shattered as a younger bloke when Matty Hogg went (for whatever reason) and also Stuart Wigney.

So was I for some strange reason. We may have a bleached blonde fetish.