Negativity On The Club. A good thing?

[LostDoggy]

Re: Negativity On The Club. A good thing?

Aker is Aker. He struggles to fit in a Team environment with the extremes that his personality offers up and becomes perilous for all when his on field performance can't carry him through. He polarises people for good and bad and when let out of control you get the internal and external division that we've seen. In the end the Club were probably forced to end the relationship for the harmony of the Club and Team, it just shouldn't have got to the point it did.

But we knew what we were getting into. It's almost like we didn't know what it really meant to have a larger-than-life psycho motormouth mega-ego superstar because we've never had one before. I tell you what, Premiership teams (other than maybe Geelong) are full of these idiots, because they can play.

Okay, Aker is gone, and at the end there he wasn't the same player, no worries, no regrets, but does this mean that our experiment with genuine, bona-fide, crazy-ass superstars is over? I ask again: we took Aker coming over as a sign that we were now a genuine contender. Does the fact that we patently and miserably failed to get the best out of him and let it end this way mean then that we were actually not a genuine contender at all, and that we were playing out of our league? Are damaged superstars (both Aker and Bazza) all we can hope for in the future, and even then, no guarantees?

There are no winners out of this sorry saga.

[LostDoggy]

Re: Negativity On The Club. A good thing?

Pretty much. That's where he differs from a Cantona, Keane or Kobe who drew the spotlight due to their on field prowess.

Aker seeked it out to compensate for his lack of on field influence.

Er, you mustn't have been watching Roy Keane's career. He was noisiest when he was under the pump form-wise. It was his way to motivate himself and his team (I would say very similar to Aker) -- love-hate relationship with his teammates and fans, I think sums it up best.

We seem to only want vanilla flavoured players. Vanilla won't win you the Grand Final (or even a prelim, for that matter), that much I can assure you.

[comrade]

Re: Negativity On The Club. A good thing?

Er, you mustn't have been watching Roy Keane's career. He was noisiest when he was under the pump. It was his way to motivate himself and his team -- love-hate relationship with his teammates and fans, I think sums it up best.

So Aker was just trying to motivate the team? He said it himself - he does his football thing for two hours a week. The rest is all for Aker.

[LostDoggy]

Re: Negativity On The Club. A good thing?

Shit, I've said far more than I ever wanted to about this. I'm going mjp's route from now on. Zip it.

[comrade]

Re: Negativity On The Club. A good thing?

We seem to only want vanilla flavoured players. Vanilla won't win you the Grand Final (or even a prelim, for that matter), that much I can assure you.

No, fit and firing players will.

[LostDoggy]

Re: Negativity On The Club. A good thing?

So Aker was just trying to motivate the team? He said it himself - he does his football thing for two hours a week. The rest is all for Aker.

Well, he was definitely trying to motivate himself, and from his on-field actions, he was a pretty good motivator out there for the younger guys.

But que sera sera. I'm signing off. Cheers comrade.

[comrade]

Re: Negativity On The Club. A good thing?

Well, he was definitely trying to motivate himself, and from his on-field actions, he was a pretty good motivator out there for the younger guys.

But que sera sera. I'm signing off. Cheers comrade.

Cheers.

Onwards to a premiership (God, I hope).

[BulldogBelle]

Re: Negativity On The Club. A good thing?

Lantern, you are spot on the money with your summation.
The so called 'hard' decision has shown up that we aren't a 'big-time' club capable of managing large personalities and we are arguably deficient in our mental/pshychological strength. (Evidenced by how few times we have been able to get over the saints/cats and pies in close ones).

Despite the fact that AFL is a different sport, your examples across NFL/ NBA/ Soccer are all valid because your arguments are based on the humans involved and 'group' psychology. This situations are repeated in all sports at all levels and in workplaces also.

[Doc26]

Re: Negativity On The Club. A good thing?

Lantern, you are spot on the money with your summation.
The so called 'hard' decision has shown up that we aren't a 'big-time' club capable of managing large personalities and we are arguably deficient in our mental/pshychological strength. (Evidenced by how few times we have been able to get over the saints/cats and pies in close ones).

Despite the fact that AFL is a different sport, your examples across NFL/ NBA/ Soccer are all valid because your arguments are based on the humans involved and 'group' psychology. This situations are repeated in all sports at all levels and in workplaces also.

Please name a current 'big time' AFL Club who has shown a capacity to handle a similar situation without some collateral damage ? The Saints / Cats and Pies have all had their fair share of off field discretions over the journey with questions raised along the way with how they've gone about it. This bagging out of our Club is bloody tiresome and not warranted particularly given where we've come from, our limited resources and the uniqueness of an Akermanis type in the AFL system. Our Club will learn from this and move on and up from this fall out. The biggest group of whingers in this sorry saga appear to be coming from our own 'supporter' base, which we have a not so proud history of.

[Yankee Hotel Foxtrot]

Re: Negativity On The Club. A good thing?

I think the mainstream media almost exclusively has been very understanding and supportive of the decision.

The only organisations that have been negative would be the Footy Show and Aker's own radio show.

I must admit I thought we were on a hiding to nothing with Campbell Rose appearing on the footy show.
I really hope that from here on in, the club refuses to speak about this any more.

[mighty_west]

Re: Negativity On The Club. A good thing?

I actually believe this is a good thing for the club, it shows it as a strong decision made by the club, and one that had to be made.

This will make our club stronger, and it shows that we won't take any crap from anybody whoever they are, no matter how many games played, Brownlows or Premierships won by that player.

Did Aker runaway from cops?, did he get drunk and punch someone? did he take drugs? no, but he did go against team & club rules by lying and leaking info, yes, telling Steve Price & Sam Newman, two shock jocks, Price for MTR radio & Newman, Footy Show personality is like putting inside information on a silver platter to be spread over the airwaves, that is definate leakage.

Funny thing is, i like Aker, and still do, and can understand what he has done & said given the circumstances of his termination of the club [yes i know it was his own doing], i liked him before even though he did similar things at Brisbane, so why should i all of a suddern not like him, because he did the same at our club...i almost expected it to end this way, especually when pretty much given a free range for his media work this year.

Part of his personality of speaking his mind, is being totally into himself, we all knew Aker was like that before we recruited him, and he hasn't changed, and why should he?..you are who you are, he is who he is.

Am i disappointed that it ended this way, off course, we all are, i have enjoyed having him at our great club, am i going to hate him for a few parting shots? no way known, we are all big enough as supporters, members, players, admin etc..you cop it, you deal with it, and you move on..big whoop.

As a member & fan of Aker, i wish him all the best, and i look forward to hearing him in the media, speaking his mind etc, was a pleasure watching him run around in the Tri Colours.

[LostDoggy]

Re: Negativity On The Club. A good thing?

So who else went into work today with people firing pot shots about our club left right and centre?

It seems Akers sympathy card has worked alot better than i first anticipated.

I spent most of the day defending the club, which i must admit i haven't had to do much of. I also must admit.. i quite enjoyed it!

I feel like a collingwood supporter

[G-Mo77]

Re: Negativity On The Club. A good thing?

So who else went into work today with people firing pot shots about our club left right and centre?

It seems Akers sympathy card has worked alot better than i first anticipated.

I spent most of the day defending the club, which i must admit i haven't had to do much of. I also must admit.. i quite enjoyed it!

I feel like a collingwood supporter

I got asked a lot of questions at training last night and copped a few little remarks. All I really answered was along the lines of "It's no loss"

It's funny that most of the people who are standing up for him are probably the ones who booed him every week and asked for him to be sacked after that article. Unfortunately dimwitted morons with a bee in their bonnet are a lot more vocal than people who are more supportive. We get a win on the board Sunday this story will pretty much be dead by mid way next week.

Aker will continue with it though and try and keep the fading spotlight on his pathetic diminishing career ove rthe next few weeks so we'll have to rise above that and just not get involved with him anymore. Once that spotlight is gone he'll be back under the bridge with all the other trolls.

[Doc26]

Re: Negativity On The Club. A good thing?

So who else went into work today with people firing pot shots about our club left right and centre?

It seems Akers sympathy card has worked alot better than i first anticipated.

I spent most of the day defending the club, which i must admit i haven't had to do much of. I also must admit.. i quite enjoyed it!

I feel like a collingwood supporter

Can relate Jaytee although most at my work have been completely understanding / supportive of the Club's stance with the Ex with most along a similar theme to the following eMail extract "He IS a massive douche though Ro. I am sad if you're sad, but still, he's a douche! ". That from a rampant Dees supporter.

[The Coon Dog]

Re: Negativity On The Club. A good thing?

So who else went into work today with people firing pot shots about our club left right and centre?

That didn't bother me so much, it was more the 25 year old woman with a Hawks cap on who waited until I was almost off the train yesterday before she let fly with, 'I hope you ****en lose after sacking Aker, you ****en low pack of losers'!

Funny how in the space of a milisecond so many nasty retorts come into your mind.