Do we give 'RECYCLED PLAYERS' a fair go??

[mjp]

Just a question.

As supporters, do we give players we recruit from other clubs a fair go? Or do we jump on them WAY quicker than we would if they had been drafted by the club?

I guess I'm talking about the current crop - Lobb, Bramble, Harmes et al - but you could also include Treloar, Hannan, Lloyd etc.

I mean, was I surprised we signed Bramble? Somewhat...but I don't think it's fair to say every time he does something you don't like that he is hopeless, that being delisted by Hawthorn somehow PROVES he is hopeless and that he needs to be replaced...

Likewise the others.

I know Lobb is a touch point right now - and he wasn't great vs Freo - but I'm not sure he's much different to the player we recruited. Everyone points at the 2022 season when he kicked a few goals, but over the rest of his career he's pretty much performed the way he is for us. I mean, I'm not sure he gave us too many sleepless nights back when he was playing for the orange and we beat them in the 2016 finals. He was recruited for depth, he gives us depth...do I wish he was better? Of course, but it's not personal...

Even Treloar - who I openly admit I was against trading for and have taken a while to warm to...he's dead set one of us now and has been playing some unbelievable footy...but it just feels that we don't really embrace him as our own. As far as I can tell, he's a well-liked team-mate who does everything right and tries hard to connect with members etc....

Thoughts?

[Happy Days]

Once guys get the stink of not being wanted by another club on them, it’s really hard to shake.

[Mofra]

In the past few years I'm not sure we give many of our players a fair go, really. Even Dunkley got death threats in his second year with us. People not just forced Ryan Gardner off social media, they tracked down his family and abused them too. It can get pretty savage out there.

TBH if we get a handful of half-decent games from any PSD pick, that a win. Zero draft cost and (presumably) base salary for a guy who is contributing should be celebrated.

I'm still not sold on Harmes but I think that's in some respect a 'coaching' issue because the second half on Saturday night seems the perfect time to unleash him into the defensive mid role we know he can do.

Treloar was damn near our BOG in the Grand Final which, because we want to wash that game from memory, he never gets credit for. He has actually stood up when it mattered.

[mighty_west]

As far as i'm concerned once they pull on the tri-colours, they're one of us and whoever they played with is irrelevant, yeah even if we snagged Toby, geez we hate him and i can't stand him too but if he came to us and played the way he does now we'd love him in no time, well i know i would, for me it's all about how a player impacts our team and not just as an individual, i'll judge Macrae, VDM, Scott, McNeal as much as Treloar, Baker, Bramble or Keath for instance.

[GVGjr]

Across the competition there appears to be quite a few players that don't get the chances they probably deserve at some clubs and are desperate for opportunities at others.

Lobb hasn't quite worked out as well as we would have hoped for but he was absolutely the right decision to try and bring in.
A couple of things have worked against him:
He went from being the #1 key forward at Fremantle kicking 36 goals to the #3 key forward with us which has proven to be a difficult transition for him. He probably played injured a bit last year as well
The other challenge has been the earlier than anticipated arrival of Sam Darcy as a forward/ruckman.

I said it at the time we recruited him that we really needed him more in 2022 knowing that Bruce wasn't going to play.

Are we using him the right way? Probably not but he didn't really grasp his chances.

With Harmes we seem to have changed our mind about how we might best use him in between the preseason and the start of the H&A season. That's probably due to his fitness and very much to do with his form over summer.
I see him very much as a spare parts player and I think that is okay.

I like the Bramble inclusion as he has a bit of a point of difference with his running ability. Well worth adding him to the squad but there is still some work to do with him.

Baker and Poulter can go from good performances to poor ones so quickly so you can understand why their clubs let them go and probably why we think we can get some improvement from them.

Treloar was an interesting inclusion to our list when it happened because we already had an impressive midfield and his inclusion meant we had to spread out the workload perhaps a bit further than what is ideal but once Dunkley left Treloar was a more vital player for us. I think he has ended up being a great addition for the club.

I like the way we identified Ryan Gardner and even though he's not necessarily a first string player he's a solid option for us.

Overall I think we have plans for the players we target from other clubs but it's not always going to work.

[GVGjr]

In the past few years I'm not sure we give many of our players a fair go, really. Even Dunkley got death threats in his second year with us. People not just forced Ryan Gardner off social media, they tracked down his family and abused them too. It can get pretty savage out there.

TBH if we get a handful of half-decent games from any PSD pick, that a win. Zero draft cost and (presumably) base salary for a guy who is contributing should be celebrated.

I'm still not sold on Harmes but I think that's in some respect a 'coaching' issue because the second half on Saturday night seems the perfect time to unleash him into the defensive mid role we know he can do.

Treloar was damn near our BOG in the Grand Final which, because we want to wash that game from memory, he never gets credit for. He has actually stood up when it mattered.

Thanks for sharing. I hate reading about things like what you described with Gardner. I've talked to him a little bit at VFL games and at training and he's a nice bloke. No one should be subjected to that rubbish.

[Grantysghost]

Billy Gowers has entered the chat.

[Mofra]

Thanks for sharing. I hate reading about things like what you described with Gardner. I've talked to him a little bit at VFL games and at training and he's a nice bloke. No one should be subjected to that rubbish.

100%. Especially a bloke who had a shot, got delisted, and worked his arse off for a second chance.
Once upon a time we would have celebrated a guy who worked that hard.

[hujsh]

I think the club gives recycled players a very fair go. I feel like we as fans, if they don't prove to be more than fringe players, are more harsh towards them because there's a perception their ceiling is limited. A 'list clogger' if you will. It's probably not fair. There's less talent to go around with the extra clubs so you probably do need the odd Ryan Gardner or similar fringe players on the list to fill gaps while the younger guys develop.

[GVGjr]

100%. Especially a bloke who had a shot, got delisted, and worked his arse off for a second chance.
Once upon a time we would have celebrated a guy who worked that hard.

Our supporters used to rally around the battlers, the guys that worked a bit harder to be a part of our club. Not sure what motivates some people to believe it's their job to target our players.

[ReLoad]

There is quite a few Bullgods that were recycles.

They will most certainly never be spoken of in anything other than the highest of high praises.

[angelopetraglia]

I thought we fully supported Jade Rawlings. Fully behind him when he kicked seven goals on debut with us. But the support fell away as he missed a shot from 30m out directly in front in the last quarter that cost us the game. Damn you Ashley Sampi!

[josie]

Unfortunately there are a few keyboard bullies out there.

I think Treloar has been great for us. Plus he has really embraced the club.

Lobb I?ve not given up on yet. Same for Harmes although early signs are not great.

Baker and Bramble I?m on the fence with but their speed/dash is a point of difference and we can?t rely solely on the lotto that late draft picks offer.

Poulter I?m still hopeful for. He has a beautiful long kick and kinda glides a bit like Bailey Dale.

Gardner is ok as depth.

Keath was great in his first few years so was worth it.

Wish we could pick gems after early draft picks as well as say Geelong seems to do well.

I do question why we offer more than 2 years for some of the recycled players but maybe we have to offer that to attract them.

I said elsewhere I think we tend to hold onto fringe types too long (and I?d add to that we also do not give some fringe players the multiple opportunities others are given). I?m sure there?s valid reasons but I think it?s generally not worked in our favour.

There?s a lot been said about our bottom 6 being below par and I don?t disagree with that. I?d also say our top/mid tier players outside Bont, Libba, Treloar, Jones and maybe Richards, don?t consistently perform eg English, Naughts against really top teams - possibly due to our poor delivery inside F50, Williams, Dale, etc. (again I use Geelong as an example).

[jeemak]

In the past few years I'm not sure we give many of our players a fair go, really. Even Dunkley got death threats in his second year with us. People not just forced Ryan Gardner off social media, they tracked down his family and abused them too. It can get pretty savage out there.

It's horrible, though this did make me laugh when I read it.

The lengths people will go to in order to let off steam amazes me.

[soupman]

I think it's less a recycled player thing specifically and more we seem very harsh on players that have limitations.

Maybe we are spoiled having some pretty amazing top end players, but we have been so harsh on fringe guys of late regardless of origin. Couple this with the fact the only clubs good "recycled" players go to aren't us, means that everyone we recruit through that avenue falls straight in the "yeah but we need to upgrade him if we want to be serious", despite Biggs, Hamling, Roberts, Roughead, Cordy, hell even Tom Boyd all being direct proof that they don't actually need to be that good.