Retired # 2: Tom Bellchambers - Knocks Cam Mooney the **** out - 24/5

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Bunk Moreland said:
No wonder none ever reached their true potential.
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Okay, Kreuzer, Big Boy and Ryder I can somewhat (in the case of Ryder, was AA at Port) accept but Grundy? Really?
 
Salmon.


*ducks for cover*
 

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Thanks Tom

Goodluck in your future activities, enjoy your family and weekends mate.
 
So initially there was no intention to select Tom for his last game. Two of his mates sooked up and became vocal about it. (Hooker and Hurley) The coaches apparently back flipped and agreed to play him. Tom then refused the chance to play because he didn't want to be gifted a game. All un-confirmed (source:sen) but if true what a mess this club has become. Like little kids in the sand pit the lot of 'em.
 
westking said:
So initially there was no intention to select Tom for his last game. Two of his mates sooked up and became vocal about it. (Hooker and Hurley) The coaches apparently back flipped and agreed to play him. Tom then refused the chance to play because he didn't want to be gifted a game. All un-confirmed (source:sen) but if true what a mess this club has become. Like little kids in the sand pit the lot of 'em.
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Honestly, none of that sounds like Hooker or Hurley in the slightest.

We are in a bad spot but it’s pretty hard to see this happening.
 
Bunk Moreland said:
Honestly, none of that sounds like Hooker or Hurley in the slightest.

We are in a bad spot but it’s pretty hard to see this happening.
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I actually think this is a thing that exactly could happen and especially from those two. These three players are the most loyal players we have right now. If you are this loyal, you expect loyalty in return. If this is true, its been mismanaged. Should never get to that stage of angst.
 
Senior Essendon players have voiced their displeasure at the way Tom Bellchambers’ retirement was handled, according to SEN Chief Sports Reporter Sam Edmund.

The popular Bombers ruckman announced this week that he would hang up the boots after playing 136 games across 12 seasons.



Bellchambers, who has only played seven times this year, hasn’t been in the side since Round 13 and there was some “source of frustration” at the club after he wasn’t given a farewell game against Melbourne on Saturday.

Edmund reported that senior defensive duo Michael Hurley and Cale Hooker were particularly unhappy about the 31-year-old not being selected for one final match.

“There was some angst at Essendon this week and not for the first time this season,” he said on AFL Nation.
 
So he was fit to play and wanted to play and we said no. That’s just sad and culture destroying, who cares, seasons over, sit him and full forward and let him try to kick a few snags. Hawthorn gave us a lesson on how to do it today.
 
He hasn’t really been properly fit to play for awhile, I’d rather develop Draper against a top quality ruck in Gawn than watch Tom get destroyed.
 

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Imagine Tom Bellchambers becoming the reason you decide to suddenly give a shit.

Bellchambers played 12 seasons and never won a meaningful game. He's not a club great. He is basically a less successful Peter Somerville and almost nobody remembers Peter Somerville. He isn't owed a 'farewell' game.
 
If players are going to sook about petty **** like that they GAGF!!
About time the club started getting some campaigner back in them.
Nothing against T bell, solid servant over the years, but the bloke can barely get out of a jog, putting him out there, last game or not would show that the club has little, to no integrity whatsoever.
You go out there with your "best team" to win every game. You dont go out their to tell a nice story.
 
PersonallyI couldn't care less about his farewell game but under different circumstances would the club have given him one? If we had a better season and were under less pressure as a club would he have played? I reckon he would have.

Are decisions like these being made to actually change the playing groups culture or because of the optics for the members? It would be bad look for supporters to have lost so many games in a row and throw someone a charity game. It may be no coincidence that we didn't.

If that has been our policy for a long time, or is a new policy by the new regime then why would proven, mature senior players (actual leaders) be jacking up over it?

Hooker and Hurley havn't been dummy spitters over their long careers. If there was either an established policy or a clearly articulated new one you would expect them to respect the decision. However, It wouldn't surprise me if the club is being spineless now in the attempt to appear like it's changing culture - to rescue as much member $$$ as possible. Another knee jerk decision.

In terms of the effect on the playing group. How organisations farewell long term employees is important for one main reason. It sends a very clear message to all those remaining about their own importance to the organisation - saying you aren't just a number here. Your time and contribution here is valued and will be valued when you leave. Ive often argued for farewell events for staff at all levels for this reason (even for fairly difficult staff or less than amazing performers) for this reason.

These things can have considerable impact on organisational culture if you dont bother with them or get them wrong.
 
CBombers17 said:
In terms of the effect on the playing group. How organisations farewell long term employees is important for one main reason. It sends a very clear message to all those remaining about their own importance to the organisation - saying you aren't just a number here. Your time and contribution here is valued and will be valued when you leave. Ive often argued for farewell events for staff at all levels for this reason (even for fairly difficult staff or less than amazing performers) for this reason.

These things can have considerable impact on organisational culture if you dont bother with them or get them wrong.
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When you say that, you mean like a staff afternoon tea right? Or recognition at the Christmas party. Maybe some sort of gift?

I think the club got it right with the top-ups in 2016, gave them all signed jumpers and clapped them off at the Crichton. I would hope that Bellcho was properly acknowledged last night, along with McKenna who is probably already in Ireland at this point. The way they live streamed it you'd never know what happened in that room for 99% of it though.

Farewell games as a concept are more about the public being able to say thank you and goodbye, which I think is why we all turned up for Jobe Watson's second last game, his actual last game was an elimination final in WA? Not to diminish the Queensland members who did attend home games this year, but it's not quite the same as being at your home ground in front of 45 or 50k.

Once we are allowed to have crowds again I would hope something is done for the milestones we've missed this year. Whether that's the club itself, or the cheer squad or a supporter group initiative or whatever. Three debuts in Draper, Cahill and Mosquito, Townsend's 50th, Saad's 100th, Walla's 100th, Smith's 150th, Hooker's 200th, McKenna and Bellchambers' retirements, Joe's AFL return.

Actually looking at career games we've got a few interesting ones coming up next year :3 Hurley is looking at 200, McGrath, Langford and Parish are all within grasping distance of 100 AFL games, as are Fantasia, Ambrose and Gleeson, though they keep getting injured.
 
jayce put some quotes from this SEN interview (15/9/2020) earlier in the thread but I just listened to it and there are a couple more bits that I really liked.

Just transcribed TBC's comments, not the questions:

"Essendon is such a powerful club and the supporters out there I think I said that in the statement this morning mate, their loyalty and the fans not only sticking by myself over some ups and downs in my career through injury and that kind of thing but also the other stuff that went on with the supplements saga and you know.

So that to stick by me through thick and thin to be honest mate really does give you a sense of belief and happiness and I'll look back and although I probably didn't have the success on the field that I would've loved, I've certainly built some amazing friendships both on and off the field so I'm really content with where everything sits mate"

"To be honest mate I've had about 16 local clubs hit me up in the last hour so *laughter*. I've kind of just told them to hold five on that but I'll take 2-3 months off and I'll do a bit of travel, obviously I'm in a position now where I'm up in Queensland so I'll stay here for a couple of months, I've got the missus that's come up and we're going to hire a bit of a camper van and cruise up the coast and take a bit of time to enjoy post-football and post-retirement. But I've got a couple of things in the pipeline that I'll put a bit more time into now that footy is done.

So to be honest mate I'm really excited about the next phase of my life. You know, I'd love to stay involved with the football club, it's if that's an option. They've indicated that they'd like me to stay on as potentially a ruck coach or mentor role kind of thing for the young kids so there might be that option because I do love the red and black and it's been a massive part of my life for 13 years."

"To be honest mate I'm probably in okay shape, it's probably that bit where 12-13 years playing in the ruck and that position does take its toll after a while. Probably the major injury was in 2014 I had an ankle reconstruction and kind of blew out my ankle and dislocated my ankle. So from there it's kind of trying to get that back to a reasonable level where I can get out and help the team and I've kind of done that in part.

And then the last couple of years mate it's been both knees, they've started to flare up a bit on me and I've got a couple of degenerative joints in there so there's a bit of bone on bone happening it's unfortunate and I'd still love to go out there and help the team but it's got to that point where this game demands so much of you physically and you know it was time to just put my hand up and say you know as much as I'd love to my body is just not up to it anymore unfortunately."

"Yeah I haven't thought too much about it at the moment, probably from a personal point of view 2012 and 2013 were probably my more successful years, when we had Hirdy coaching at the club and we had a really good team around Hirdy and we were quite successful in those couple of years, so those years stand out from a playing point of view.

But as I said mate it's probably more around the people you meet and the bonds you make. And unfortunately we went through a bit of a shit time over you know a couple of year period at Essendon but in saying that but the bond from that and the friendships that have come around from that time at the football club I dare say they're similar to premiership reunions and that kind of thing, those boys that have been involved with that, we've gone through something that not a lot of other players have gone through. So while it's not something that I'd really wish upon too many people but the bond that has come from that will stay with me for the rest of my career."

"It didn't mate nah it didn't and loyalty is one of the values that I've tried to live my life by and one of the traits that I think that I've displayed over my career, and I think that's a lot of boys did take the opportunity to leave and I don't begrudge them whatsoever but you know they might've need another opportunity to freshen up and that kind of thing, but for me it was about trying to get this club and this organisation back on the right path and moving in the right direction and I do have faith that the decisions that have been made and the people that have been put in place that the club will get back to where it needs to get to."

"Mate if I had a dollar for every time I've been asked that question I would have retired two years ago (about Joe). Joey mate look from my point of view I certainly hope Joe stays with this football club, he's a really good person and a really good Essendon person. In saying that mate it's his decision and he plays his cards very close to his chest. So. yeah.

But look mate he's been around and really involved with the group and he's been really interacting well with everyone and had input in everything and obviously you've seen what he's done on the field int he last couple of weeks since he came back and how important he is to our team but as I said mate I've been around football long enough that I wouldn't begrudge anyone looking for a new opportunity for a fresh start or something like that because football is a very demanding game and sometimes it changes what people need in their life."

"Yeah it's a good question I probably haven't reflected too much yet but I think the think I probably will miss is that mate ship and Murph you probably know more than me but that 15-20 minutes after you've won a game and that feeling you get with 30 or 25 of your close mates, that feeling is hard to replicate.

But I grew up playing this game to play with my mates and to be honest mate I've left this game and stayed in this game for so long because I've always wanted to play with my mates and for my mates. The mateship and that bond is probably the biggest thing I'll miss once it's all gone."

"Also just quickly, to the Essendon fans I really do thank you for your support especially this year I know it's been a tough year and I know it's pretty tough down in Victoria at the moment but the continuous support we receive from our fans down there, it doesn't go unnoticed, the boys really do appreciate it."
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I think selection is usually on Wednesdays, this interview was the day before, on the Tuesday. Although the Tuesday is also when his retirement was announced I think? Stating he had "played his last game". So not sure if this interview was before or after him not getting a farewell game...

Main take aways are that he will probably stay on at Essendon as a ruck coach or mentor or something for the young guys, and a bit about his injury history. Plus predictable stuff about Joe and saga and stuff already covered elsewhere.
 

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Retired # 2: Tom Bellchambers - Knocks Cam Mooney the **** out - 24/5

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