Past #31: David Hale - drafted at #7 in the Superdraft - 129 games for NM - traded to HFC in 2010

[Brad Roo]

His future is as a ruckman.

 

[ITS INYA BLOOD]

hi all
I was sitting here pondering my navel and i come up with a pertinent question, i think it is anyways. Since Horse retired who would come next as our most productive Full Forward (Carey excluded), and why in hells name why do we continue playing Hale as a forward when to my way of thinking Edwards would surely be a better option, granted i only get to see an odd game here and there, coz surely 1 very good game at Full Forward in what nearly 2 years or so is ample opportunity to prove his worth (seems that long anyways) HE AINT SHOWIN US NOTHIN good, with what ive seen of Edwards he contests well, can take a great grab and has kicked goals in his career.IMO leave Edwards in at least we will get a contest

Cheers Charlie

 

[corey_99]

Is one of the main reasons i havent renewed my membership.
Honestly is the biggest liabilty i've ever seen, i'd rather play Flash at full forward.

 

[Bigeasy]

Hale should wander over to Aylett's house and then they both can **** off to the Gold Coast together.

 

[blackshadow]

Is one of the main reasons i havent renewed my membership.
Honestly is the biggest liabilty i've ever seen, i'd rather play Flash at full forward.

That's just a soft excuse.

 

[Bigeasy]

Is one of the main reasons i havent renewed my membership.
Honestly is the biggest liabilty i've ever seen, i'd rather play Flash at full forward.

What are the other main reasons you haven't renewed your membership?

 

[GoNorth]

Is one of the main reasons i havent renewed my membership.
Honestly is the biggest liabilty i've ever seen, i'd rather play Flash at full forward.

You can not be serious.

 

[Hoser]

The Market Pig!

That being, for those not privy to the phone call, that if we play Hale next week, we are officially fattening him up for draft week - the market.

There is no ****ing way Hale can be selected next week.

I cracked up reading this.

I had images in my head of Hale in the barn, with a spider up in the rafters weaving a "some pig" web.

Shakes head......Zebra's don't weave webs do they?

I think the injury list this week is reflective of the fact that Hale's back is just not strong enough to carry the weight of expectation.

 

[LB2Snake]

Is one of the main reasons i havent renewed my membership.
Honestly is the biggest liabilty i've ever seen, i'd rather play Flash at full forward.

This is a joke right? If not, wtf?

 

[Dan]

Is one of the main reasons i havent renewed my membership.
Honestly is the biggest liabilty i've ever seen, i'd rather play Flash at full forward.

This is like the 3rd.....* Won't renew membership because of Hale *
These guys can't be serious

 

[SandyToes]

I think he'll be good trade to go back to the gold coast at the end of the year.

no.....the only winner from that is North

Would be a good number 1 ruckman at gold coast and with plenty of first round picks next year in the draft for gold coast im sure they would be happy to give us a late first rounder.

I encourage you to take a look at Zach Smith, who is and will be the GCs premier ruckman.
David Hale may benefit from a change of club..recycling players is an artform at new franchise clubs..but without knowing what he's getting at the moment..it's still hard to imagine anyone thinking he's earning it.
So it's perplexing to see people think he's worth anything in addition to his current contract.ie a draft pick
In my opinion North will be happy to let him go unless he comes good in the last half of the season.
Seriously, the guy's looking at being delisted on current form.
Needs to reinvent himself somehow..and quickly

 

[Mr Reliable]

Just watched the replay. Jaysus! Getting a free in the dying minutes, then getting rundown from behind while he fiddled and farted. Talk about the last straw.

I felt really sorry for him.

Selection will be interesting this week. He couldn't possibly play any worse. He might be left in the ones to redeem himself.

 

[RooHooDoo]

Playing David Hale at AFL level is actually devaluing his trade price because he looks so bloody awful.

At least if he goes back to the VFL and plays strongly in the ruck someone might look at him as a viable player at some point. l

 

[ansonholt]

Playing David Hale at AFL level is actually devaluing his trade price because he looks so bloody awful.

At least if he goes back to the VFL and plays strongly in the ruck someone might look at him as a viable player at some point. l

Agreed. He has MUCH more currency as a ruckman, and will definitely have value as at least a 3rd ruckman at GC or GWS, if not one of the existing clubs. Hell, he wasn't half bad when he was number one ruckman for us.

He's not in the pecking order in that position any more and he's no longer a KPF either. Not after last weekend.

I'd say drop him to the VFL, give him a chance to be a ruckman again, and let him gain some value that way.

 

[Brad Roo]

Playing David Hale at AFL level is actually devaluing his trade price because he looks so bloody awful.l

He's actually a very serviceable AFL ruckman.

We just need to shelve this idea of him being a key forward.

 

[The Chiefton]

He's actually a very serviceable AFL ruckman.

We just need to shelve this idea of him being a key forward.

Was.

He is seriously at the crossroads more than ever, and if he can't pull his finger out for the remaining 12 or so games, if he's selected, then he will struggle to find a new home let alone find good form.

He's not strong enough to play in the ruck and the bigger ruckman will just push him around like a bit of shit. He looks to slim and very timid.

I seriously dunno wtf we can do with him because even if he kicks 2-3 goals per week it's the other stuff that he does or doesn't do that is the problem.

He doesn't get anywhere near enough of the ball to justify his position in the side and I don't think he will fare any better if he were to be thrown into the ruck, same as Koschitzke - his best is behind him and will never be that agile ruckman who can turn games on their head and running around crashing packs, ever again.

I suppose it's worth a try but then who gets kicked outta the ruck? Goldstein is coming along very nicely and Hamish played pretty well in the first half last week and took some really strong contested marks when we needed him to stand up.
I can't see wiggy doing this.

I actually feel a bit sorry for him now as well because he's been given so many chances to become an elite player but sadly we are back to square one yet again.

The last resort has to be to get rid of the rug, he was playing better footy before he got it!

 

[Twinkletoes]

He is seriously at the crossroads more than ever, and if he can't pull his finger out for the remaining 12 or so games, if he's selected, then he will struggle to find a new home let alone find good form.

Didn't he sign a longish contract extension a year or so ago? He's safe as houses (which may not be helping his footy either).

 

[CrazyQ]

Brad's right. His future is as a ruckman, but he is no chance replacing Goldstein. I would shop around McIntosh/Hale.

 

[The Chiefton]

Didn't he sign a longish contract extension a year or so ago? He's safe as houses (which may not be helping his footy either).

Yes, but surely he could be paid out if cicrumstances allow it?
Why did yeah - nah and the current board sign him to a long term contract before yeah-nah left, what the???

He cannot continue to get a game and not putting in like the others, not chasing, tackling, at least attempting to mark and not just raising your arms up like a child waiting to be picked up off the floor.

 

[Twinkletoes]

Yes, but surely he could be paid out if cicrumstances allow it?
Why did yeah - nah and the current board sign him to a long term contract before he left, what the???

He cannot continue to get a game and not putting in like the others, not chasing, tackling, at least attempting to mark and not just raising your arms up like a child waiting to be picked up off the floor.

Big men take time apparently

 

[CrazyQ]

30+ goals in 10 games or so, basically what jack Riewoldt has done, was very promising and with Gold Coast lurking, I see where he was coming from.

 

[The Chiefton]

30+ goals in 10 games or so, basically what jack Riewoldt has done, was very promising and with Gold Coast lurking, I see where he was coming from.

But he doesn't do enough with or without the ball.... Right now, Jack Riewoldt is already 5 times the player that Hale will ever be

 

[blackshadow]

Hales form was putrid on the weekend and he didn't do anything against Freo. This season before he was injured in the opening minutes of the game against the dogs his form was reasonable (not earth shattering). That leads me to wonder, is his back injury more serious than we realise?

Whatever is wrong I think it's time he had a spell in the seconds or if it is the back get it right and then come back through the seconds.

 

[Yianni]

I've read a lot of people's responses. Allow me to try to summarise the entirety of people's feelings.

Hale is an enigma.

I live in England. I'm always back for Comedy Festival in Melbourne and thus the only matches I see are early in the season.

2008 I saw Rounds 1 to 5. I have never seen a footballer look so ill-at-ease on a football field. He ran under the ball, had balls bouncing off his head, shanked kicks, did the worst kind of unbelievable things.

And yet, later that year he would consistently kick 3-4 goals a game for us and (as we all recall) kicked 8 down at Skilled on Matty Scarlett.

Hale is clearly a mentally fragile footballer. He is like Corey McKernan lite. When he is on he is a good contributor, plus he helps in an area that we are clearly weak. But when he has an off day he is the definition of the word liability. 1 supercoach point is not even 1 touch!

What do we do with him? I don't think you can have someone as flaky as him holding down a key position if you are looking to win a flag. Thus for me, Hale cannot be our full forward if we are to be credible flag contenders. If we can get anything for him at the end of this season, he goes. But out of our 4 big men: Petrie, McIntosh, Goldstein, Hale he is clearly the most expendable to me.

Look at Carlton, with Fevola gone they found myriad other avenues to goal. We'll do the same. It's very simple. Hale can't be trusted with full forward. It is simply too important a position to bestow upon someone that over their career has proven that they are simply not up to it when the pressure is on.

So for me, as difficult as it is considering the time invested, Hale is gone. There is a concept in economics called "sunk cost" In short, it means "don't throw good money after bad." Sure we've invested a lot of time and effort in David Hale. But keeping him as our "spearhead" at the expense of someone who might make a decent fist of the position is wasting (a) our current performance, (b) the potential of the other forwards on our list and (c) supporter goodwill

Place in the team must reflect form. Hale = Gone

 

[Yianni]

Formerly known as this:

[YOUTUBE]wDmFEBeSU8A[/YOUTUBE]

You've just got to laugh.

Isn't a forward's arseh*le.

This video is like a video of me pulling Jennifer Hawkins. It showcases my best, not what you can expect from me on a regular basis. A lot went right for it to happen (free kicks) and my subsequent record makes fairly clear that a lot of the things I did that day (holding contested marks) are not things you can bank on.

Look at Hansen last week. Now he can mark and could potentially be a power forward.

Hale? Ruck or not at all...