Player Watch Pick #5 (2006) - Travis Boak

[JimmyBC]

People are making it sound like Boak is a 371 game version of Willem Drew. He's a 3 x All Australian as a midfielder (very difficult to do), 2 x B&F (4 x runner up) and runner up in a Brownlow. In his prime, he was a gun footballer. He's now past his prime but is still a solid player at 36, which is almost an achievement in itself.

That was all a long time ago in a galaxy far away.

 

[rogerjames]

I'm not as against the sentiment as some from a bigger picture perspective but I'll still never understand why the club think this is the sort of thing they should publish to the fans. The only investment fans have in the club and players is what they do on the field and ultimately winning on the field. It's bizarre to be telling the fans that what you do on the field is a secondary concern.

My other concern is that someone like Boak is undoubtedly a good person but then the system will also spit out an entitled man child flog like Houston and call him a good person. It's a bit of a warped bubble like that.

I would have got rid of Boak at the end of 2023 & that statement is why. Can't have club leaders with that sentiment & expect to be successful. Do we hear this crap from other clubs, it's so nauseating.

Tell me you want to win so badly every time you take the field. Tell me how important it is to win a flag & you will drag your team-mates with you to achieve this. Tell me you bleed for PA. DON'T tell me you want to be a great person coz I don't give a shit.

 

[rogerjames]

Boak and Hinkley will probably ride off into the sunset together now and I guess it’ll be rather fitting.

Both failures when it counted

 

[Enviable Tradition]

Don't they realise that we pay their wages because we want them to win?

Nothing wrong with being a good bloke but it shouldn't pay 500k a year.

On SM-G975F using BigFooty.com mobile app

 

[rogerjames]

Take the offer Boak. He already got burned not leaving us for Geelong.

He's part of the reason we haven't won a flag.

 

[rogerjames]

I feel like he can stay for 2025 and play during the h&a but under no circumstance can he be selected for any finals.

Then he shouldn't play at all. Seriously read your comment again.

 

[Willsy10]

Being a good person is obviously important in all walks of life but when you are a professional footballer surely the legacy you want to leave behind is your footballing achievements.

And at the end of the day we all help pay these guys wages and none of us really care about how good of a bloke you are, we care about winning games of footy.

A team of shit blokes that could take us to a flag v a team of nice guys that never get you there? I know what I’m taking.

We are leaning far too much on this nice guys stuff.


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[rogerjames]

I also think he brings a lot of confidence and direction to the young players in the team behind the scenes.

Not seeing that in finals where we are continually getting flogged

 

[rogerjames]

Yeah I bet Selwood and Hodge said the same thing when they retired

If we'd picked Selwood we'd have at least another flag. One could lead.

 

[rogerjames]

Boak was done the moment he’s sooked it up after losing a prelim and Koch, in one of his rare decent moments, had a crack at the group for not winning.

Fork in the road moment on many fronts.

The day I lost respect for him as a footballer. It summed his attitude up perfectly.

 

[rogerjames]

Here's a stat that some here will enjoy:

If he plays 12 games he equals Robert Harvey for most games in history without a premiership (13 he takes the record outright).

At least Robert Harvey played in a GF.

 

[elbarton]

At least Robert Harvey played in a GF.

Huh?

 

[rogerjames]

Huh?

'St Kilda qualified for the 1997 AFL grand final after wins in the qualifying and preliminary finals. Harvey played in the grand final in which St Kilda was defeated by 31 points.'

 

[TeeKray]

'St Kilda qualified for the 1997 AFL grand final after wins in the qualifying and preliminary finals. Harvey played in the grand final in which St Kilda was defeated by 31 points.'

'Port Adelaide qualified for the 2007 AFL grand final after wins in the qualifying and preliminary finals. Boak played in the grand final in which Port Adelaide was defeated by 119 points.'

 

[rogerjames]

'Port Adelaide qualified for the 2007 AFL grand final after wins in the qualifying and preliminary finals. Boak played in the grand final in which Port Adelaide was defeated by 119 points.'

I've wiped that from my memory banks. It never happened.