Should Eade Have Retained Chris Grant?

[Pembleton]

This is a bit of a spill over from the Tom Williams 10 week thread. I thought it should have its own home. Chris has stated that he was planning on playing in '08 until he spoke to Eade. Chris seemed to be implying that Eade pushed him into retirement. Was that a good decision by Eade?

My opinion: Chris Grant should defintely have been retained. Perhaps the question of his fitness is too big for some, but surely its no bigger than for Wade Skipper, who we knew was going to miss basically the entire pre season, or for Tom Williams, who has barely had 2 consecutive months without wearing a moon boot since he was drafted. What about the questions on McDougall, who is just crap at footy, or on Wight, who has never been good enough to string many games together, or Tiller, who has barely played a senior game and looks like at best he will be a fringe type tall, or Minson, who has back injury concerns and has never played a single AFL game as a permanent KPP, or Everitt, who has only previously played as a floating style flanker.

The only tall KPP we have on our list that was a clearly better bet to perform in '08 than Chris Grant, is Brian Lake. So, i think Eade stuffed up.

 

[Ruiner]

I kind of covered this in the other thread but maybe Eade thought the young guys deserved a shot. Grant had become somewhat limited as to the role he could play. Williams seemed ready to step up to CHB which would leave Grant to play where? He'd played a lot loose in the backline in 06 but I'd hope we've got a bit more depth and don't need this role as much anymore.I'd argue that Grant was past playing a role as a key forward and may not have given us much more than we'll get from a Tiller or Minson. He certainly couldn't handle the rigors of CHF anymore. On the other hand he is Chris Grant, so was retiring him a mistake? If Williams is injured long term, then probably, but he wasn't superman anymore, he probably wasn't going to save us again.

 

[Aker39]

I have gone on record as saying I didn't agree with the decision.

Chris did what he has always done, he put the club before him.

I think it was the one time where the club should have put his interests 1st.

 

[stefoid]

My mind says 'no', but my heart says 'he should have been able to do whatever the @#$@ he wanted to'

 

[JorgePosada]

My mind says 'no', but my heart says 'he should have been able to do whatever the @#$@ he wanted to'

When Doogs is ****ing up something, your mind will probably also say what your heart is.

 

[BOOMA BULLDOGS]

This is a bit of a spill over from the Tom Williams 10 week thread. I thought it should have its own home. Chris has stated that he was planning on playing in '08 until he spoke to Eade. Chris seemed to be implying that Eade pushed him into retirement. Was that a good decision by Eade?

My opinion: Chris Grant should defintely have been retained. Perhaps the question of his fitness is too big for some, but surely its no bigger than for Wade Skipper, who we knew was going to miss basically the entire pre season, or for Tom Williams, who has barely had 2 consecutive months without wearing a moon boot since he was drafted. What about the questions on McDougall, who is just crap at footy, or on Wight, who has never been good enough to string many games together, or Tiller, who has barely played a senior game and looks like at best he will be a fringe type tall, or Minson, who has back injury concerns and has never played a single AFL game as a permanent KPP, or Everitt, who has only previously played as a floating style flanker.

The only tall KPP we have on our list that was a clearly better bet to perform in '08 than Chris Grant, is Brian Lake. So, i think Eade stuffed up.

so true mate. i cant believe that its taken this long for these so called "SUPPORTERS" to bring this issue up! it is an absolute disgrace what eade and his pathetic match committee have decided to do with the best player to put on the red, white and blue in the last 30 years! when i read that Q and A with mike and could have killed rocket!
let the man who saved this club in 1996, make his own decision. thats what they did at st.kilda!
of course granty wasn't gonna be the match winner he was, but he was rarely baeten as a defender, and when we needed to kick a goal, he'd invariably go down there and do it!
we have no-one who is 6'4" or taller that could do that. i'm all for blooding youth, but to see doogs get slaughter by lucas made me sick. why do we persist with inept KPP's? this is why eade has lost me.............for now.

 

[murphy2bedabest]

Chris said to Eade that he thought he could help the likes of Minson Wight and Tiller up Forward and that he Could no longer play back.

he also said that he thought he could get up for about 12 games.

with Williams going down he would not be playing CHB, as he would have been helping out with our forwardline, so he would have never been an option.

i think that the time was right for Grant, but not for the fans......

 

[Pigdog]

No the time was right. Realistically Chris Grant was not going to play in a premiership side with us. Therefore we have to find players who might. The players who will fill the void left by Williams (who is still along way off from being a very good tall defender anyway) will now have the opportunity to play a key role in the team. If they prove they are not up to it they must be turned over and the process continued until the point that we have a team that might one day contend for a flag.

 

[BOOMA BULLDOGS]

No the time was right. Realistically Chris Grant was not going to play in a premiership side with us. Therefore we have to find players who might. The players who will fill the void left by Williams (who is still along way off from being a very good tall defender anyway) will now have the opportunity to play a key role in the team. If they prove they are not up to it they must be turned over and the process continued until the point that we have a team that might one day contend for a flag.

with all these QUALITY talls u talk about, we ain't seeing a flag for the next 10 years!!!

 

[dogupya]

If they prove they are not up to it they must be turned over and the process continued until the point that we have a team that might one day contend for a flag.

I've been waiting for 3 years for him to begin this process.

 

[murphy2bedabest]

so true mate. i cant believe that its taken this long for these so called "SUPPORTERS" to bring this issue up! it is an absolute disgrace what eade and his pathetic match committee have decided to do with the best player to put on the red, white and blue in the last 30 years! when i read that Q and A with mike and could have killed rocket!
let the man who saved this club in 1996, make his own decision. thats what they did at st.kilda!
of course granty wasn't gonna be the match winner he was, but he was rarely baeten as a defender, and when we needed to kick a goal, he'd invariably go down there and do it!
we have no-one who is 6'4" or taller that could do that. i'm all for blooding youth, but to see doogs get slaughter by lucas made me sick. why do we persist with inept KPP's? this is why eade has lost me.............for now.

As i said at the time of the game it was a Nab Cup game FFS, who cares, Doogs would have learnt more staying on one of the better players in the comp, then spending his time with his arse on the pine.

that all that i want from the Nab Cup, if come round 1,2,3 or 4 and Doogs is getting beaten Eade will move Lake or Morris on to that player to try and stop them.

 

[BOOMA BULLDOGS]

As i said at the time of the game it was a Nab Cup game FFS, who cares, Doogs would have learnt more staying on one of the better players in the comp, then spending his time with his arse on the pine.

that all that i want from the Nab Cup, if come round 1,2,3 or 4 and Doogs is getting beaten Eade will move Lake or Morris on to that player to try and stop them.

it was an example mate, thats all. but why is it that u think we have to play doogs to see if he has it?
STOP PRESS: u and eade.............HE HASN'T GOT IT.

 

[Pigdog]

with all these QUALITY talls u talk about, we ain't seeing a flag for the next 10 years!!!

I never mentioned quality.

I've been waiting for 3 years for him to begin this process.

So have I. We posted about it all through the 2nd half of last year. Either the players the club have shown faith in pull there collective finger's out or the coaching staff die on the sword. Time will tell.

 

[acker]

The last game I saw Chris play was the Port game.

It was a fitting way to see him finish for me, playing alongside a first gamer (Everitt) wearing Chris's old number #29 who would end up being handed number #3.

The third quarter of that match was even more special, Chris cut loose across halfback and racked up 10 or so possesions. He was fearless, crashing packs and players. Unfortunately that was it for Chris for a few weeks, injured.

Eade and Chris made the right decision it was just getting too hard to keep him up and running and on the playing feild.

Starting a season at 35 years of age would be a tough ask, staying uninjured at that age for a big man would have been nearly impossible.

 

[murphy2bedabest]

I just seen an Ad for ACA saying get ready for sporting Greatest comeback Ever!

The Great man is making a come back!!!

end thread

 

[TedDougChris]

For purely selfish reasons I wanted him to play on. I didn't get to see him play in the last few years, and wanted my little one to see him run around at least once in his lifetime, even if he wouldn't remember it.

I also wanted to see Chris get some more time in the limelight for his 350th game.

But you cant keep holding back time and while he would be useful in our current injury state, he wouldn't have been the difference between our success or failure this season. And it will allow more time for younger players to either show their worth, or prove they can't make it.... Which needs to occur...

 

[scooter600x]

Unfortunately it was time.

 

[Poptart]

Should we have retained Peter Foster, Rick Kennedy, Matty Croft, just in case we got a few injuries to key backs?

Please!

I would have hated seeing Chris play another season just for the sake of it, and end up struggling, his final game he struggled big time, and it was sad to see, his body told him he'd had enough.

 

[acker]

Tony Shaw said a couple of weeks later on television.

That he was commentating at the Bulldogs v Port match, and when he saw Chris crashing into packs around the half back line in the third quarter, he thought at his age he is going to do himself an injury doing that.

And he was proven right.

 

[Guido]

The one argument I flat out don't buy is that "it's good he retired last year instead of going one season too many". IMO, how could it have been any worse? Was going out playing 5 games in a bottom 4 year going out on good terms or something?

Even if his 2008 season was riddled with niggling injuries, he would have most likely played 350, and would have been given the send off a champion of his class and loyalty deserved.

He also would have been given the wider competition recognition that a retiring person of his calibre should have been entitled to, instead of being a post-season afterthought lost among the Hird, Buckley, Ricciuto and Archer retirements.

Would he have been among the list's top 22 in 2008? If yes, he should have gone on. I don't know how much of an influence Eade had on the decision, but IMO the team (and club) would comfortably be better in 2008 with Chris Grant there than not.

 

[#1 Dogs Fan]

I don't intend to go into detail if Eade pushed Grant to retire or not but i will say this.

Grant was good enough to go on another season but that would have blocked some KPP coming through the ranks although most are very raw or no good it still doesn't mean Grant should have stayed on the list.

Grant looked finished to be honest all he could have done was probebly be another leader to the kids, give pointers and play a steady role in the team.

Myself i thought Grant should have gone on one more season but that wasn't the case

 

[hujsh]

I don't intend to go into detail if Eade pushed Grant to retire or not but i will say this.

Grant was good enough to go on another season but that would have blocked some KPP coming through the ranks although most are very raw or no good it still doesn't mean Grant should have stayed on the list.

Grant looked finished to be honest all he could have done was probebly be another leader to the kids, give pointers and play a steady role in the team.

Myself i thought Grant should have gone on one more season but that wasn't the case

I had similar thoughts but decided it may be time. Although i still wasn't ready for his announcement

 

[#1 Dogs Fan]

I had similar thoughts but decided it may be time. Although i still wasn't ready for his announcement

Well considering the fact he was the player that i grew up idolizing and the reason i barrack for the dogs today it was very very hard to see him walk away from the game yes it was hard to take in but in all honestly he could have quite easily played another season if he really wanted to but that wasn't/isn't the case and these things happen. I wish him all the best in the future and hope he decides to return next season for a coaching role at the doggies

 

[Yankee Hotel Foxtrot]

Given the amount of time Grant spent injured last year, I am not sure his body was up to the rigours of another AFL season.
Granty was one of the Dogs best, but I just don't think he had much left in the tank.

 

[koby01]

Why didn't we play the great man out of the square like we are going to do with big Will?

He would have kicked 30 to 35 goals easily if they had of played him FF this year!