Thoughts on JA Leaving Saga

[Vinnie Vegas]

Guess we shall see. It's strange though, how someone so dumb managed to kick 50 goals in a season despite getting the opposition's best defender each week.

He was badly figured out by decent teams by the end of 2009, and only managed two goals and 14 possessions in three finals that year.

He only kicks goals against crap teams. We're not a crap team. He won't kick goals against us.

 

[mattys123]

Guess we shall see. It's strange though, how someone so dumb managed to kick 50 goals in a season despite getting the opposition's best defender each week.

Very rarely did Jack ever get the best defender, and when he did, he didn't have a kick.

Jack had one full year as our full foward, in 2009 and these are the sides he kicked more then 2 goals against (Home and away, he averaged under a goal a game in the 3 finals).

Melbourne - 4 goals
Essendon - 4
North - 3
WCE - 3
Port - 4
Melbourne - 3
Freo - 4
Adelaide - 3
Richmond - 3
Sydney - 4

I'm sorry, but that's not exactly a "who's who" of the top teams of 2009.

He has always struggled against the top teams and their better defenses, there is no doubt about that, even in his only one "good year" as a productive forward he struggled to kick a good score against top teams.

And as for his finals performances, well;

5 finals
6 goals (3 in one game against Adelaide in EF 08)
24 total kicks
10 total marks (FOR A KEY FORWARD?)
11 total handballs
9 tackles (including 5 in a losing side against StKilda in QF 09)

Nup, terrible stats in big games, terrible stats in finals, terrible stats in games that actually count, not good enough.

He will probably perform very well for Freo on the big ground at Subi, but away from home, where the ball will go forward a lot less, and under more pressure, he will be lucky to average 1 goal a game.

There was a reason why he played his last few senior games at Collingwood in the backline, because we saw no future for him as an AFL senior level forward.

 

[smiddaz123]

Very rarely did Jack ever get the best defender, and when he did, he didn't have a kick.

Absolute rubbish.

 

[mdc]

He was badly figured out by decent teams by the end of 2009, and only managed two goals and 14 possessions in three finals that year.

He only kicks goals against crap teams. We're not a crap team. He won't kick goals against us.

Right. This would certainly be damning, except that Travis Cloke kicked 0 goals against any of Gee/WB/Saints for the whole damn 2009 season in six games. 0! And he didn't have to contend with Lake or Scarlett. Yet not a word is ever said about his big game credentials or whatever you want to call it.

Now, if you want to take the overall goal average for Anthony, Dawes and Cloke over the past 3 seasons (bigger sample size and all that jazz) against Gee/WB/Saints, they're all as mediocre as each other. 1/game to Anthony, slightly less than that for Dawes and Cloke.

Fact is, our talls have all struggled to score against the best teams. It's not unexpected given how young all 3 are and how good their backlines are, nor is it grounds to dismiss a player wholesale.

Very rarely did Jack ever get the best defender, and when he did, he didn't have a kick.

"Luke Ball was only ever a depth player and shanked every kick"

 

[Gambit78]

Jack Anthony left because he had competition for his position in our best 22. Which, by the way, Collingwood prides itself on. He found it too hard to work for his position and decided to go to another club where the competition was less. Yes, it may be a good decision on paper in regards to his footballing future, but I can't help but think it was a bit of a cop out on Jack's behalf.

Cameron Wood was probably confronted with a similar dilemma when we recruited Darren Jolly. Yet, Wood is still at the club, doing the work he needs to do so that he can break into our best team. Would it be too far a stretch for me to make a character judgement about these two? One that doesn't look at Jack all that favourably?

 

[smiddaz123]

Jack Anthony left because he had competition for his position in our best 22. Which, by the way, Collingwood prides itself on. He found it too hard to work for his position and decided to go to another club where the competition was less. Yes, it may be a good decision on paper in regards to his footballing future, but I can't help but think it was a bit of a cop out on Jack's behalf.

As MDC said, that was Luke Ball's situation. It isn't like Anthony sought a gig at some shitkicker club either, he went for a genuine up and coming team.

 

[Antz]

There is one thing we are all forgetting here. Jack is only 22 years of age, turning 23 very soon. He is still a young tucker so hence there is room for development and improvement. We may regret losing him but hey thats the way it goes. I wrote off Reid earlier on last year and it came to back to bite me in the ass, thank god for that

 

[soreplums]

Jack left because the most important thing for a player at his developmental stage is game time (AFL not VFL) and at Freo (baring injury) he will get it. I will make a prediction right now, Jack will finish in the top 5 in the Coleman Medal for 2011. He is a very good fit at Freo and I'm sure we'll welcome him back when he's proven himself. Good luck Jack (against anyone but us).

I have absolutely no problem with Jack leaving Collingwood to better himself. You need to play at the highest level to develop and grow and for him, he wouldn't get the same opportunities as he would at freo- and playing on a big Subiaco Oval will help him even more as a forward. How many of you would stay in your own job if you had better opportunities elsewhere?

I would have loved Jack to stay at the club, but lets look at who he would be competing for a spot in the starting 21/22.

He did the right thing by his career and good luck to him.

 

[mattys123]

Haha, the good old Herald Sun, more top notch reporting;

http://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/a...kers-work-harder/story-e6frf9jf-1225984311981

FREMANTLE recruit Jack Anthony believes the Dockers train harder than premier Collingwood.

Actually read the article, no where in there does Jack even make a comment, it's a second handed comment from the Freo Sports Science Manager.

Fremantle sports science manager Jason Weber said Anthony had made big fitness gains since joining Fremantle's pre-season program.
"He demonstrated last year from when he arrived in that November period to the pre-Christmas testing, he significantly improved himself," Weber said.
"And he certainly has noted a difference in the way we approach things here compared to his former club."

Next the Hsun will say Jack hated his time at Collingwood, and feels right at home at Freo, after Mark Harvey makes the comment "he has fitted in well".

 

[Rohan25]

If Jack Anthony can spend a few weeks training at another club and "significantly improve himself", then all I can say is, our games are going to be one whitewash after another if we ever decide to step the training up a notch.

 

[Markfs]

Good luck to him. I hope he doesnt become a great player because that would leave some egg on some people's faces.... but it's his career and he should have the right to try to play as much senior footy as he can, rather than sitting around playing backup.

Actually, it's a pretty similar situation to Luke Ball. The clubs had probably told both players that their opportunities were limited and both players decided to leave. Most would be thinking that St. Kilda made a mistake and we can wait and see what pans out for Jack in the next couple of years.

How many of you would stay in your own job if you had better opportunities elsewhere?...well said!!

 

[Ed D]

Haha, the good old Herald Sun, more top notch reporting;

http://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/a...kers-work-harder/story-e6frf9jf-1225984311981



Actually read the article, no where in there does Jack even make a comment, it's a second handed comment from the Freo Sports Science Manager.



Next the Hsun will say Jack hated his time at Collingwood, and feels right at home at Freo, after Mark Harvey makes the comment "he has fitted in well".

Yep, gotta love the media (especially at this time of year) to turn nothing into a story just to get some readers.

 

[frizzle]

We just won the flag, I'd say we are doing something right wouldn't you? Personally I don't care if we train harder or easier than any other team, we are winning & that's what counts.

 

[Jelly Bean]

Jack Anthony left because he had competition for his position in our best 22. Which, by the way, Collingwood prides itself on. He found it too hard to work for his position and decided to go to another club where the competition was less. Yes, it may be a good decision on paper in regards to his footballing future, but I can't help but think it was a bit of a cop out on Jack's behalf.

Cameron Wood was probably confronted with a similar dilemma when we recruited Darren Jolly. Yet, Wood is still at the club, doing the work he needs to do so that he can break into our best team. Would it be too far a stretch for me to make a character judgement about these two? One that doesn't look at Jack all that favourably?

But this is my point, Gambit (and I am still waiting on Mattys response to this as well.)

The same thing happened with Luke Ball from St Kilda. And Shane O'Bree from Brisbane. And even Cameron Wood from Brisbane. So if it reflects badly on Jack, then it must reflect badly on each of these players as well. As long as there is consistency in your approach then I am comfortable, but at this point it seems a little one eyed.

 

[Harry O]

But this is my point, Gambit (and I am still waiting on Mattys response to this as well.)

The same thing happened with Luke Ball from St Kilda. And Shane O'Bree from Brisbane. And even Cameron Wood from Brisbane. So if it reflects badly on Jack, then it must reflect badly on each of these players as well. As long as there is consistency in your approach then I am comfortable, but at this point it seems a little one eyed.

Probably the only thing that reflects unfairly on JA at the moment is he spent a month on the gas in the USA post GF, and turned up to Freo pre season unfit (even by his own low standards aerobically) and got lapped in the time trials. Not sure how this would reflect on how hard we do or do not train as a club.

 

[GreekLunatic]

Maybe thats why he left . Maybe he didnt train hard enough.

 

[Paddywhackers]

Not much of a care factor for JA leaving after we had won a flag without him, and adding Taz and Krakour, not to mention the improvement of a young list.

Good luck to him.

 

[KissStephanie]

Not Sure how I feel. I feel like he could of stayed and tried to get in the Side Again with Hard Work and He just Walked Out and Wanted to go to another Side to get games.

It's because Collingwood won the premiership and he felt as though he should have been in the team, even though he didn't deserve it. He is a baby that wanted special treatment. If Collingwood had not won the premiership, then I think he would have accepted it better, and I wouldn't be surprised if he was secretly hoping that St.Kilda would win. He is not a team person like Cameron Wood or Leon Davis who were both obviously happy after the Grand Final replay. He is an individual and a sook.

We just won the flag, I'd say we are doing something right wouldn't you? Personally I don't care if we train harder or easier than any other team, we are winning & that's what counts.

It's impossible to compare Fremantle's training methods for 2011 to Collingwood's training methods of 2011 because he hasn't been at the club to see it, and this is the first year of three interchange players, so all clubs should have altered their training to compensate for that. For Anthony to compare Collingwood's successful 2010 training to Fremantle's 2011 training is just being stupid because the rules have changed since then, so he is obviously still sooking for missing out on a premiership.

 

[Bay Pie]

I think pretty simply, he knew his best would no longer be better then any of our current best 22 talls', best.

Dawes, Cloke, Reid, N.Brown & now Taz at their best all leave JA in the 2s, even at his best.

They all have more strings. JA is a fine player and we'll see how he goes if he isn't the no.1 go to guy at Freo, like he was with us in 2009. If Pav plays forward, JA is definitely no.2 banana.

 

[DIDAIC0S]

Ex-Pie says Dockers wear orange bras!

http://www.heraldsun.com.au/ipad/ex-pie-says-dockers-work-harder/story-fn6bn647-1225984302275

 

[drummoyne]

Can I just make it perfectly clear the JA has not been 'sooking' in the media about Collingwood/Fremantles training levels. Read the article and you will realize that a throwaway line by an assistant at Freo was reconstructed to fabricate a story.

I wish him luck at his new club, I am not sure he has what it takes to make it but at least he has a chance to show it at a club where he has a greater chance of getting games.

@ KS - to suggest he secretly wanted St Kilda to win is absurd and quite disrespectful IMO

 

[Quicky]

@ KS - to suggest he secretly wanted St Kilda to win is absurd and quite disrespectful IMO

True. KS you are always asking people to provide reliable sources, i'd love to see yours for that opinion. Very sensationalist. I certainly havn't seen anything that would support it.

 

[Pie eyed]

Ex-Pie says Dockers wear orange bras!

http://www.heraldsun.com.au/ipad/ex-pie-says-dockers-work-harder/story-fn6bn647-1225984302275

ROFL.

Ex-Pie says he grew hair back in just two weeks thanks to Fremantle!

 

[Lach72]

ROFL.

Ex-Pie says he grew hair back in just two weeks thanks to Fremantle!

The ****ers have been keeeping that secret...spent 15 years losing hair watching them

 

[KissStephanie]

@ KS - to suggest he secretly wanted St Kilda to win is absurd and quite disrespectful IMO

If you read my post again, then you should be able to notice that I said I would not be surprised if he had felt that way, and no matter what you say, I wouldn't be surprised at all. It's an opinion that I feel strongly about, and I don't think there is anything wrong with sharing such an opinion on BigFooty, and it's not as if it doesn't come from anywhere. If you want to take that as being disrespectful, then that's fair enough because I don't respect him actually. What is there to respect him about? People have to earn respect, with me at least anyway.

True. KS you are always asking people to provide reliable sources, i'd love to see yours for that opinion.

If someone suggests that something is fact, then yes I take very little notice unless it is backed-up with a reliable source regardless of whether it is footy or politics or a rumour about a person, or anything else. If someone has an opinion on something, then that's different because I usually either agree or disagree without insulting another poster. I didn't say that he was secretly hoping that St.Kilda would win the premiership though. I simply said that I wouldn't be surprised if he had been.

I certainly havn't seen anything that would support it.

It's just an opinion based on a player that I believe to be an individualist more than a team person. I think that he expected special treatment and was filthy about not being a part of the premiership team and he couldn't accept it. I think that he would have handled missing both Grand Finals much better had Collingwood not won the premiership, because then he would have felt that he didn't miss anything and that he could have made the difference. People can either agree or disagree with that, and it's no worries to me either way.