Player Watch JHF - Jason Horne-Francis

[Cursed Cat]

Have you listened to the bloke speak?

I really hope for his sake football works out, otherwise it's the fast lane to Methville if not.

Nope, couldn't care less how he speaks - assuming he's not your average dull private schoolboy type though?

Smart enough to read the writing on the wall when it comes to your club.

 

[Belnakor]

He gave 4 years at a club that is well run and on the up and then shipped off to mum. JHF had to endure a year at a side in utter turmoil, that was one of the worst in recent memory (I mean they finished lower than us FFS and we had the worst year in our history), and doesn't currently have a coach running the side.

You don't need to be a sook to want to get out of that situation. You do to want to leave Freo at the end of last year.

the proof will be in how JHF plays next year i guess. I'm not sure i believe the narrative about sooking. He tried pretty hard before the bye and the club was in absolute shambles so he lost faith. You can understand it from an 18 year old kid.

Cerra on the other hand basically set his development back moving to Carlton where as at Fremantle he was treated like the golden child, who could play where he wanted. At carlton he is an expensive commodity who the club needs to extract value out of.

 

[The Nostradamus]

no one as mentally weak as him

And Not hard to get in his head and rattle him

 

[ApplecrossWC]

Nope, couldn't care less how he speaks - assuming he's not your average dull private schoolboy type though?

Smart enough to read the writing on the wall when it comes to your club.

He makes your “average dull private schoolboy type” sound like Albert Einstein. You should have a listen sometime.

 

[La Dispute]

He gave 4 years at a club that is well run and on the up and then shipped off to mum. JHF had to endure a year at a side in utter turmoil, that was one of the worst in recent memory (I mean they finished lower than us FFS and we had the worst year in our history), and doesn't currently have a coach running the side.

You don't need to be a sook to want to get out of that situation. You do to want to leave Freo at the end of last year.

I wouldn’t mind ‘enduring’ a year of getting paid 200k to play professional sport as a teenager.

Freo didn’t make the finals once while Cerra was there. He played some reasonable footy, didn’t sook and requested a trade back after playing through a second contract at the Dockers.

Completely different scenarios.

 

[Cursed Cat]

He makes your “average dull private schoolboy type” sound like Albert Einstein. You should have a listen sometime.

Got better things to do than judge a young kid's eloquence or lack thereof.

 

[Big_Birdy]

I wouldn’t mind ‘enduring’ a year of getting back 200k to playing professional sport as a teenager.

Freo didn’t make the finals once while Cerra was there. He played some reasonable footy, didn’t sook and requested a trade back after playing through a second contract at the Dockers.

Completely different scenarios.

How has JHF sooked? I keep hearing this but haven't seen it. Or is it because he asked to be drafted back to his home state? Because, you know, Cerra...

 

[La Dispute]

the proof will be in how JHF plays next year i guess. I'm not sure i believe the narrative about sooking. He tried pretty hard before the bye and the club was in absolute shambles so he lost faith. You can understand it from an 18 year old kid.

Cerra on the other hand basically set his development back moving to Carlton where as at Fremantle he was treated like the golden child, who could play where he wanted. At carlton he is an expensive commodity who the club needs to extract value out of.

I know there’s still some sour grapes over Cerra by Freo fans, but his formline was exactly the same in 2022 compared to 2021.

Regardless the trade isn’t going to be judged purely on how he performs in year one. He’s shown more than enough to suggest he’s going to be a very good player for the Blues.

 

[Tigers8922]

Probably. The kid clearly cares about making it as a footballer as he ran away from the dumpster fire that is North.

Irony not a strong suit?

 

[Orange crush]

Vic Metro players own this thread. They sook to clubs before they even get drafted and the AFL allows it.

Bailey Smith, Hobbs, Perkins, etc.

If the shoe was on the other foot, the Vic media would be lapping it up.

Not that I disagree he lacks mental fortitude however.

Tbh, my first thought was: Yes, Marc Murphy

 

[IQ3]

Took his wife beater step dads last name, so just as dumb as he is soft

 

[bzparkes]

I can give you a reason, loyalty. that was easy.

Loyalty to an employer isn't worth shit in this day and age.

You're merely robbing yourself of better opportunities.

 

[projectv]

Can't really blame him for wanting to get out.

No coach. Squad is complete trash. Port should play finals next year so he has that to look forward to.

He could have handled it better but he's young and clearly immature.

 

[La Dispute]

Loyalty to an employer isn't worth s**t in this day and age.

You're merely robbing yourself of better opportunities.

Might seem like a great opportunity now, but playing for Port under Ken isn’t exactly a masterclass move.

It’s actually fairly short-sighted.

 

[hilly]

Nope, couldn't care less how he speaks - assuming he's not your average dull private schoolboy type though?

Smart enough to read the writing on the wall when it comes to your club.

Maybe Dan Andrews could build us a ground or something.

 

[hilly]

Can't really blame him for wanting to get out.

No coach. Squad is complete trash. Port should play finals next year so he has that to look forward to.

He could have handled it better but he's young and clearly immature.

Back posting about North eh..

 

[Byron_Clanger]

I wonder when we'll get to a stage where the top draft pick or picks in the top 5 just say 'Nah, I ain't moving interstate.'

 

[Power Raid]

Terrible thread, he's a 19 year old kid ffs

yep agree

gone are the days where footy is tribal and about one way loyalty (the club is bigger than the player). gone are the days where metal health and happiness isn't a consideration in the work place.

he's a kid (men mature at about 30) and he has probably had a tumultuous upbringing.

So I'm not sure why many think this is all about a kid.



1) The draft needs to maintain integrity but this can be achieved through COLA, compensation and other mechanism
2) clubs should try and be the best place of employment possible and sometimes this won't be enough to keep players
3) players should be free to choose where they want to play subject to point 1) above
4) lots of number 1 draft picks don't play out as planned (jack watts, patton, boyd, mccartin)

 

[The 747]

Hasn't done himself any favours this year, but footy being footy if he plays well next year and on we will forget about it (except for North fans).

If he starts sooking at Port then it will be Regret City from the Kenny Power.

 

[RUNVS]

I could be wrong but I think I have read somewhere a North fan saying that JHF refused to get in an ice bath after games? Is this true?

 

[CrowToon]

Is Archie Perkins even off the tit yet?

 

[bzparkes]

Might seem like a great opportunity now, but playing for Port under Ken isn’t exactly a masterclass move.

It’s actually fairly short-sighted.

Jumping form club to club is always a gamble.

For him, he's just secured an extra 5 years on very good coin and he gets to play at home and be happy and settled.

If that's the best move for him personally, so be it. At least he won't have the ridiculous scrutiny of the Vic media circus on him 24/7 constantly writing articles about him re-signing or not.

For North, they get to pick 2 highly talented kids with no go-home factor.

Some pundits believe Wardlaw will be better than JHF anyway and presuming they pick up Sheezel, they actually do better long-term, I reckon.

 

[Sherrinator]

He was always going back to SA the moment he was drafted, irrespective of who drafted him.

Yes because Port tampered with the draft

 

[CURVE]

The JHF story has a lot of similarities to Nathan Buckley

1) Nathan drafted to the bears but never wanted to be there
2) Nathan had the pies lined up on better dollars
3) Nathan demand the players around him at the bears to be professional and hold up high standards

4) Nathan moved on and is arguably one of the best players the AFL has seen

The question is, will JHF become a Nathan Buckley or not

Buckley was going to North Melbourne after his one year at Brisbane, but Collingwood came in at the 11th hour and stole him away. He stated at the time he wanted to go to Collingwood to win Premierships but won ZERO. Meanwhile during his time at the Pies, North won two Premierships and possibly could have won four if he selected us, and Brisbane won three and possible could have won five if he stayed.

Buckley isn't soft, he is one of the toughest, most determined players of the last 50 years and will be remembered as a great of the game, but he will also be remembered, and more fondly by us North supporters, as the games greatest loser.

But hey, don't let a great piece of trivia ruin your bullsh!t story.

 

[PrisonBars4life]

Have you listened to the bloke speak?

I really hope for his sake football works out, otherwise it's the fast lane to Methville if not.

Pretty sad the way your supporters have carried on. Wishing serious injury. Stating that your players will cause the injury. Calling into question his upbringing, his appearance, now he's going to become a drug addict. No wonder the kid wants out. Your club is full of losers.