Retired #21: Dyson Heppell - Goodnight, sweet prince. What a legend! 🤙 - 24/8

[Lore]

Contract Status: Unrestricted Free Agent 2024
My Boy Draft 2024: Pick 27, Highly Evolved

 

[andleanback]

Ill be annoyed if hes kept as captain

Also shouldn’t it be a player vote. At the same time heppell should’ve done the right thing weeks ago and stepped down.

 

[Keystone agony]

Also shouldn’t it be a player vote. At the same time heppell should’ve done the right thing weeks ago and stepped down.

All for coaches having a say but the weight of their votes vs the playing group needs to be considered carefully

 

[Don Won]

All for coaches having a say but the weight of their votes vs the playing group needs to be considered carefully

From what I read, I think Brad intends to coaching group to select the captains

 

[ant555]

I think it could get very hard to watch, very quickly. He seemed pretty fit last year - I'm not sure that's going to help him, but we'll see.

I do think they need to take the captaincy off him though, I can't see a single advantage in keeping him in that position.

So him being fitter than he has been for 5 years and totally injury free does not compute ? I am telling you the word from inside the club is he is in the best condition he has been for 5 years. Where that ends up is a question but he is fitter than he was last year.

 

[MightyDon]

So him being fitter than he has been for 5 years and totally injury free does not compute ? I am telling you the word from inside the club is he is in the best condition he has been for 5 years. Where that ends up is a question but he is fitter than he was last year.

He’s getting younger and fitter by the day

 

[thepokey]

I'd still prefer taking it off him even if he is as fit and injury-free as lead to believe. Lets him capitalise on that fitness without as much leadership burden whilst still being able to provide support for whoever is captain.

 

[citizen-erased]

From what I read, I think Brad intends to coaching group to select the captains

Prefer the coaches picking the captain over the players, and the coaches to know who the right leader is for the group.

 

[Charliebrow 16]

I’ve never had an issue with Heppell as captain, but then again he’s always been a favourite of mine, so there’s significant bias. If he captains for another twelve months, I think that’s then the perfect opportunity to hand it over to Redman in ‘24.

 

[MightyDon]

I’ve never had an issue with Heppell as captain, but then again he’s always been a favourite of mine, so there’s significant bias. If he captains for another twelve months, I think that’s then the perfect opportunity to hand it over to Redman in ‘24.

Can’t have yet another season of him getting unwarranted games, he’d be lucky to have played 4 AFL standard games in past two seasons, needs to be selected on form not automatically because he’s captain

 

[Keystone agony]

Can’t have yet another season of him getting unwarranted games, he’d be lucky to have played 4 AFL standard games in past two seasons, needs to be selected on form not automatically because he’s captain

I know poss arent everything but he didnt have a game below 21 disp in 2021

Hes not the only one lagging behind trying to chase and atleast his isnt because of attitude like the 3 mids

 

[andleanback]

Prefer the coaches picking the captain over the players, and the coaches to know who the right leader is for the group.

Coaches / club hierarchy should never pick the captain. Should always be the playing group. Aka coniglio.

 

[TheGreatBarryB]

Judging by Scott’s comments today I’d be surprised he isn’t captain

 

[Lore]

Judging by Scott’s comments today I’d be surprised he isn’t captain

Or co-captain (Watson asked him about it and he said in the right circumstances with complementary strengths it can work, even though he usually prefers to have a solo captain).

Also the cringey unveiling video where Merrett and Heppell shared the announcing duties.

 

[yodellinhank]

Co-Captains, pffft. I'd prefer the club tries No-Captains.

 

[andleanback]

Another captain Sloane steps down…

 

[I Remember Bluey]

Judging by Scott’s comments today I’d be surprised he isn’t captain

It might be his engagement present from the club

 

[P Money]

Genuine question here, because I think my memory is failing me and the last few years have probably tainted my views: when was Heppell a good player? Like which years?

I have been taking a trip down memory lane lately and watching games from 2012/13 (don’t ask me why I do this to myself). And I can tell you now that Heppell was not a good player in those years. Like we’ve seen lately he was slow and ineffective and turned the ball over more times than he hurt the opposition with his disposal. I know he was AA in 2014 so maybe he was good then? Or was he just overrated by the football media AKA Zaharakis (who upon reflection was also never a particularly good player bar his first goal in football).

Again genuine question and not to hate on the bloke because he’s clearly a top guy and a great leader off the field, but hearing about him being injury free and in great nick still doesn’t fill me with confidence about his actual footballing abilities.


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[yodellinhank]

Another captain Sloane steps down…

Yeah, but the crows have Jordan Dawson to fill the void. Who have we got?

 

[Keystone agony]

Yeah, but the crows have Jordan Dawson to fill the void. Who have we got?

A guy whos been at the club 12 months?

We have Zac Merrett

 

[brain taylor]

his whole cruiseydemeanour probably works a lot better under a coach who's a bit of a taskmaster, kinda like when he had BJ to play bad cop.
either way, if his body really is in the condition they say it's in then i'm happy to trust scott's judgement. other potential captains aren't exactly kicking down the door but hopefully by end of year one of redman, mcgrath, or merrett is ready to take over.

 

[Keystone agony]

his whole cruiseydemeanour probably works a lot better under a coach who's a bit of a taskmaster, kinda like when he had BJ to play bad cop.
either way, if his body really is in the condition they say it's in then i'm happy to trust scott's judgement. other potential captains aren't exactly kicking down the door but hopefully by end of year one of redman, mcgrath, or merrett is ready to take over.

If a 27 year old about to play 200 games after what everyone has said has been a great preseason isnt seen ready to take over now considering our circumstances with a fringe best 22 and guy who considered his options as captain, then i dont think he ever will be

 

[Jobe Watson]

Cotchin, Pendlebury, Fyfe and Sloane all realised where they were at in their careers and did the right thing. Really hope we aren't going to go the soft route and let Heppell stay on as skipper. The game has gone past him, he isn't (or at least shouldn't be) best 22 anymore, and the focus - in what is likely his final year - should be on him helping to guide the new captain. Or maybe the coaches genuinely don't think we have a better leader, which is concerning.

 

[ant555]

Cotchin, Pendlebury, Fyfe and Sloane all realised where they were at in their careers and did the right thing. Really hope we aren't going to go the soft route and let Heppell stay on as skipper. The game has gone past him, he isn't (or at least shouldn't be) best 22 anymore, and the focus - in what is likely his final year - should be on him helping to guide the new captain. Or maybe the coaches genuinely don't think we have a better leader, which is concerning.

The part in bold is the issue. I have been saying for a long while now one of our biggest issues is hard edge leadership. Have to really hope that Redman really is ready to step up and wants to take a role and also that Hobbs continues an upward trend. In defense of Heppell although he has been a bit of a mid range leader he has not had a lot of support from the next level leaders.

 

[ant555]

If a 27 year old about to play 200 games after what everyone has said has been a great preseason isnt seen ready to take over now considering our circumstances with a fringe best 22 and guy who considered his options as captain, then i dont think he ever will be

Merrett is the obvious next choice but he has his issues as well and would likely only be a short term fix.

 

[Keystone agony]

Merrett is the obvious next choice but he has his issues as well and would likely only be a short term fix.

Nothing wrong with a few years to roll us over and then look at guys like Hobbs, Mcgrath, Redman ect