Opinion Commentary & Media VII

[Danni_Benson]

Correct. He did allude to senior players at * are more professional. Confirms to me that our club is devoid of any real leadership on field. I think we need to get someone in like Caleb Daniel who not only is a high talent but always goes 100 per cent. Experienced and probably gettable.

No doubt we are void of strong leaders.

I’m always taken aback when one of our young draftees is asked in interviews, who at the club is your mentor etc and it always seems to me like they struggle to come up with a name or two! But I guess that partly sums up where we are at as a club.

 

[The Filth Wizard]

If I got into a lift with Kane Cornes, Craig Hutchison, Caroline Wilson and Matthew Lloyd I'd press the button to get off at the next floor and take the stairs. I'm certainly not going to passively sit down for an hour a listen to everything they've got to say.

I'd press all the buttons and then get off.

 

[Danni_Benson]

Maybe they do. But seriously Ben. You were at the club for 7 years. In a team screaming out for leadership, why didn't you step up?

I honestly think what Barlow said pre Geelong game that our group is introverted plays a massive part.

They dont have the confidence to call each other out.

I honestly think that’s why we don’t get the most out of our players. They’re not accountable to each other.

Probably explains why we’ve got co-captains too! No standout leader to show and demand the way!

 

[DuckYeah]

McKay seems like a true tosser to me

Warragul.

 

[Samsquanch]

I honestly think what Barlow said pre Geelong game that our group is introverted plays a massive part.

They dont have the confidence to call each other out.

I honestly think that’s why we don’t get the most out of our players. They’re not accountable to each other.

Probably explains why we’ve got co-captains too! No standout leader to show and demand the way!

Very likely the case. I'm sure that a lot of clubs have alpha types who bark orders and make demands on other members of the team during matches and at training. If their own performance is at least serviceable then others will listen and act on what's said. We don't seem to have a lot of noisy demanding players (Corr is one who does seem to bark out orders although I'm not sure if those around him seem to listen).

I think that when he's firmly established in the team that Comben will be the type to lead those around him and have the players take notice. If Zurhaar shaved off that soup strainer then he might be able to pull it off as well. I'd like to see Larkey make absolute demands on the standards he expects for balls coming into the forward line and Curtis should as well, although I suspect they are both too polite to go mongrel on teammates who mess up simple passes due to indecision or skill errors.

Wardlaw is the one who could be the general when he's got another season under his belt but the true next captain, assuming that the banner is passed on in 2026 should be Sheez. Provided it doesn't distract from his playing ability.

 

[Jeremy Jordan]

If I got into a lift with Kane Cornes, Craig Hutchison, Caroline Wilson and Matthew Lloyd I'd press the button to get off at the next floor and take the stairs. I'm certainly not going to passively sit down for an hour a listen to everything they've got to say.

Honestly, what purpose does Lloyd’s comments about Harley and North tanking the last game serve? ‘North f**ked up heaps to get where they are, now here is what I think is another f up’. Nothing can be changed. I honestly don’t understand why he would make that comment. The story is ‘West Coast will be really happy with Harley’. But no, it’s ‘what a f up by north’ and over something over everyone said they shouldn’t do.

 

[Mogroos]

If anyone was ever in doubt that key players in the industry, club officials, AFL officials, media have been trying for 30 plus years to kill our club it's very obvious now (allegedly, so people are telling me). They now have a few mouth pieces in the media who are happy to smack us while we are down to fuel the narrative that we must become Fitzroy. The great thing is we will not let that happen.

 

[Psi-Roos]

We are OFF THE CHART!

Keep the lid on, mate. It's early days yet!

 

[justroyal]

I didn’t hear it directly but did hear Dwayne referencing it recently. Apparently McKay said the * senior players took things like watching films far more seriously and led by example. He was surprised how devoted to personal and team development they’ve been compared to his experience at Arden St.

Like OF my first thought was “you could have set the standards you twat” and secondly “we know our senior players are the ones letting the side down” and finally “GAGF’d moneybags!”

First I thought similarly to you.
Then I remembered who his coach is.
Yep, that senior standard and professionalism really did wonders for us. All that education. Wow. The dumb campaigner forgets he already had him coaching before. So he saying Bard wasn’t that good before, or he has gotten A LOT better

 

[Marstermind]

Honestly, what purpose does Lloyd’s comments about Harley and North tanking the last game serve? ‘North f**ked up heaps to get where they are, now here is what I think is another f up’. Nothing can be changed. I honestly don’t understand why he would make that comment. The story is ‘West Coast will be really happy with Harley’. But no, it’s ‘what a f up by north’ and over something over everyone said they shouldn’t do.

It's all theatre. And pretty shit theatre too. Imagine going to a Primary School production and you know none of the kids in it. It's that level of bad theatre.

Caro brings up an issue. She could examine the role and effect of social media in the game but instead is told to say something provocative and accusatorial towards the person sitting next to her as if all we care about is what Kane's doing. Kane acts indignantly surprised as if he didn't see it on the running sheet at the production meeting 4 hours ago. He defends himself lamely (he ain't no actor) and puts it back on Caro that she's out of line even asking it. Hutchy picks a side. Lloyd picks the other side. And watch the sparks fly!!!...until the floor manager tells them to wind it up to bicker about something else.

There are plenty of/too many football panel shows of varying quality. This one is at the bottom.

 

[The Dingrel]

Honestly, what purpose does Lloyd’s comments about Harley and North tanking the last game serve? ‘North f**ked up heaps to get where they are, now here is what I think is another f up’. Nothing can be changed. I honestly don’t understand why he would make that comment. The story is ‘West Coast will be really happy with Harley’. But no, it’s ‘what a f up by north’ and over something over everyone said they shouldn’t do.

Yup, should change his name by deed poll to Harry Hindsight. Had we won a couple to start the year he'd be saying the McKay compensation and priority picks were unfair for the rest of the comp. Kid has shown some promise and will be a very good player, perhaps even a generational talent, but so too will McKercher. Even had we lost to the Suns, there's probably a good chance the AFL say no to any PP's you're getting 1 and 2 and they would have been scrutinizing the hell out of every facet of the game from team selection, player positioning, time on ground, CBA's etc.

 

[Samsquanch]

Honestly, what purpose does Lloyd’s comments about Harley and North tanking the last game serve?

I'm convinced that the only reason Lloyd is on at all is so he can catch the flys with his bewildered looking gape as they buzz around the steaming pile of excrement the others serve up.

 

[Psicosis]

I listened to the McKay interview. Watson tried to set him up for a headline North comparison comment. I thought he actually answered it quite well. Reiterated three times he loved his time at North and didn't want to compare. Anyone disagree after listening to the whole interview or we going off a snippet from Dwayne?

 

[apollo_creed]

You can be part of the solution or you can f*** right off.

We know which he did.

The same solution that votes in McDonald and Corr as leaders every year?

As fans we’re frustrated that our leaders are shit and can’t be ****ed, some players probably feel the same.

 

[ajd9 roo]

Just came across this. Resonates alot sadly.

 

[The acurate one]

Wow.

He's clearly talking about Polec. Who else?

Marley Williams? Aaron Hall? Hrovat? Jed Anderson?

Kevin Hughes

 

[marklovesbeer]

 

[DuckYeah]

I'm convinced that the only reason Lloyd is on at all is so he can catch the flys with his bewildered looking gape as they buzz around the steaming pile of excrement the others serve up.

Watch that Lloyd campaigner. He’ll be in the ear of LDU every opportunity he gets

 

[Colby Cheer Squad]

The same solution that votes in McDonald and Corr as leaders every year?

As fans we’re frustrated that our leaders are s**t and can’t be ****ed, some players probably feel the same.

I really don't understand how people like yourself can watch a game and see someone out of form or possibly out of their depth and simply not good enough, and apply the "can't be ****ed" analysis to that. It's ridiculous.

 

[Samsquanch]

I didn’t hear it directly but did hear Dwayne referencing it recently. Apparently McKay said the * senior players took things like watching films far more seriously and led by example. He was surprised how devoted to personal and team development they’ve been compared to his experience at Arden St.

Like OF my first thought was “you could have set the standards you twat” and secondly “we know our senior players are the ones letting the side down” and finally “GAGF’d moneybags!”

Ben could have adopted a leadership role by simply learning the game plan and taking charge of the backline, setting standards and demanding the same of others. Perhaps it's possible though that throughout his entire life he'd always seen others as leaders and himself as a minion. Maybe his brother was the leader and Ben was the follower - one who it never dawned upon, could take the reins when the time came. Maybe he still feels that way.

There were a couple of stand-out events last year that still irk me. The first was how thick he laid it on when he was interviewed during 2023 gather round and the second was when he kicked the ball across goal and it went out on the full just one week after McDonald did the same thing. And he laughed it off like it was a joke.

Could he have set the standards?

I doubt it. He might end up being a better player as he ages and gathers experience but we had a first year recruit aged 18 running around last year who probably had more leadership and presented with higher standards than mature player Ben McKay.

 

[Samsquanch]

Watch that Lloyd campaigner. He’ll be in the ear of LDU every opportunity he gets

That would be unethical at best. But I see where you are coming from.

 

[Passmore]

The same solution that votes in McDonald and Corr as leaders every year?

As fans we’re frustrated that our leaders are s**t and can’t be ****ed, some players probably feel the same.

It voted McKay in too last year, so it's certainly an issue.

Sent from my SM-A908B using Tapatalk

 

[Marstermind]

Just came across this. Resonates alot sadly.

Wow. How is he going to be able to walk out the door if he's already put his shoes in his bag??

 

[Woolly Mammoth]

Be $hit funny if Harley does his ACL this week and is never the same player again.

You could be sure that North would somehow get the blame

 

[DuckYeah]

Be $hit funny if Harley does his ACL this week and is never the same player again.

He might be a roo one day, keep him fit