Tyson Edwards battled cancer last season

[jenny61_99]

We were NOT denied that at all. I was there - it was fantastic.

Fantastic for those who didn't judge him too harshly at the time I guess.

I'll admit, I judged him harshly. I thought he was being incredibly childish at the time. But this realisation makes a very prudent point. We all go off half-cocked sometimes when we often (read almost always) only have half the facts. We often read more into things than are there - or perhaps just plain misread what we see.

We could all learn from this.

 

[Allefgib]

Yep but don't confuse criticism of underperformance with harsh juding of scenarios where you don't know all the facts

Anyway - good on you zooma. Looking forward to seeing him heavily involved with Mo-Vember this year.

 

[Huntercrow]

We were NOT denied that at all. I was there - it was fantastic.

Fantastic for those who didn't judge him too harshly at the time I guess.

Fair enough! but what I meant was the level sympathy and the national coverage had all the facts been known.

 

[Allefgib]

Yeah its a tough one - but I'm more than supportive of players wanting to try and keep a life away from footy just that.

Don't get me wrong, I love the buffons/extroverts who give us an insight as well

But I really respect how Tyson handled all this. I don't feel its for me to be disappointed about tbh. He gave us a great send off game and now I just feel even more respect for the man.

Very curious to know how its gone down with the players who didn't know and were possibly 'miffed' at the time.

 

[icrow32]

I'll admit, I judged him harshly. I thought he was being incredibly childish at the time. But this realisation makes a very prudent point. We all go off half-cocked sometimes when we often (read almost always) only have half the facts. We often read more into things than are there - or perhaps just plain misread what we see.

We could all learn from this.

Thanks Neil!

 

[jenny61_99]

Thanks Neil!

Made me laugh. Didn't realise I'd said that!

 

[Adz2332]

Just thought id pop in and say good luck to Tyson Edwards with his battle. Hope it all works out for him. Was a champion!

 

[Godallblighty]

I think the veterans all knew that 2010 was going to be their last year, though I know what you mean about Edwards' durability.

Putting himself on the LTI list would have forced him (and/or the club) to make his battle public, which is what he was seeking to avoid. We had plenty of LTI options anyway, it's not like we were lacking in opportunities to play our rookie listed kids in 2010 even without him going on the list. I'd imagine that this decision was taken in conjunction with the club.

Besides, he was dropped after R9, missed R10 and played his farewell game in R11. That left him 12 weeks (factoring in the bye) to be fit again if he wanted to come off the LTI list. That's 3 months, not 6 months. He just couldn't see that happening, so he called it a day. Good decision from a classy player who always had the club at heart.

I take your point about the LTI list but surely the time to have him on ice was the six months between Nov 09 and April 10? Could even have said it was a groin problem and that wouldn't have been a total lie. Not trying to make light of a serious situation, just highlighting that there were ways to protect the guy's privacy and perhaps manage a difficult period more proactively.

On the other hand, maybe the club considered all this and figured he was good to go. Just seems a bit extraordinary to me.

 

[BACCS]

Just listened to Tyson on Today Tonight, and he went through the farewell game in some detail.

He had told Craigy about round 9/10 or so that his energy levels were low, and that the cancer was starting to take its toll on his footy. Craigy had forgot about the cancer, which surprised Edwards.

He then explained that given the clubs position, as in unlikely to play finals, that they should give his spot to a younger player, on the proviso that he got a farewell game at home.

What Zooma wasn't expecting was when Craigy suddenly dropped him the following week instead, with no farewell game planned. Then, there was the supporter backlash and he finally got one.

Sounds like Craigy handled this pretty poorly, however, Edwards doesn't hold a grudge or anything like that against him, as he knows Craigy just wants the best for the team.

 

[jenny61_99]

How can you "forget" that someone has cancer? Sounds all very strange to me.

 

[BACCS]

How can you "forget" that someone has cancer? Sounds all very strange to me.

I'm not sure, but that is what he said. Would be interesting to hear Craigy's side of things.

 

[Elite Crow]

He was on 5AA and basically reiterated what BACCS said. Craig doesnt come off well after this. they discussed the week before how he was traveling and if we was in line to be dropped to let him know before his last game so he could have a send off, the week later he was dropped with no game. When he questioned Craig about the last game Craig told him he had already picked the side. Craig wanted him to go back to Westies and fight his way back, Edwards after what he went through and the reduced energy wasn't keen on this.

I wonder now this is out in the public what it will do to the playing groups opinion of him. Pretty cold.

Also what's needs to be questioned is our medical staff. He was training one week after the op which in hindsight didn't give him enough time to recover and get his energy level back.

 

[anthc]

How can you "forget" that someone has cancer? Sounds all very strange to me.

you dont forget one of yours best players had cancer

if thats true, and I have no reason to believe it isn't, then neil craig has just lost a lot of respect from me

 

[Allefgib]

I also heard tyson on aa. Agree craigy doesn't come off well...

However it sounds awfully strange. Reckon we need to hear both sides. I wonder if the fact he refused any time off during the pre season made people ' forget' or not give the on going recover any credence.

It does sound at face value that some human empathy was over ruled by some strongly held values.

 

[kirky]

He was on 5AA and basically reiterated what BACCS said. Craig doesnt come off well after this. they discussed the week before how he was traveling and if we was in line to be dropped to let him know before his last game so he could have a send off, the week later he was dropped with no game. When he questioned Craig about the last game Craig told him he had already picked the side. Craig wanted him to go back to Westies and fight his way back, Edwards after what he went through and the reduced energy wasn't keen on this.

I wonder now this is out in the public what it will do to the playing groups opinion of him. Pretty cold.

Also what's needs to be questioned is our medical staff. He was training one week after the op which in hindsight didn't give him enough time to recover and get his energy level back.

Just a couple of points to ponder:-

1. I'll make a judgement once I hear both sides of the story.

2. Why is this being raised now? Why wasn't this raised immediately after last season? Why wait to the start of the next season?

3. I'm not convinced that this is all Craig's and the medical staff fault.

 

[jenny61_99]

I also heard tyson on aa. Agree craigy doesn't come off well...

However it sounds awfully strange. Reckon we need to hear both sides. I wonder if the fact he refused any time off during the pre season made people ' forget' or not give the on going recover any credence.

It does sound at face value that some human empathy was over ruled by some strongly held values.

This.

Allefgib: Knowing what I know and have witnessed about Craig as a person and on a personal level, I find this incredibly hard to believe. He is a hugely empathic person.

There has to be something more to it...

 

[FR0GGY]

Maybe Triggy will forget Craigy's on staff and will appoint a coach in 2012.

 

[Swifty18]

I find this whole thing strange. I expected there to be an article or something about it on the Crows website but nothing; they've said nothing in interviews, nothing written on Facebook or twitter. I thought they'd at least publicly send their best wishes to him. Just find it weird that no one from the Club has said anything KG & Jars brought it up with Truck on Saturday morning & he just said he thought he was pretty close to Tys but it came as a shock to him. (wonder if the players were told before the article came out or if they found out the same way we did...)

I think there's more to this than what we're hearing...

 

[crowman86]

Its all very very strange. Tyson was offered time off after his op and time to recover and take it all in and come back fresh and instead decided to train and do the full pre season. It would have knocked him around mentally more than physically surely? I mean it was a small day op to remove a lump which was later discovered to be a cancer. He decided to not undergo any other treatment so really the only physical thing he had done was a small day op. The fact that they got it so so early on means that there would have been little to no impact on his body?? Players have bigger surgeries physical wise all the time at the end of a season. Must have really knocked him around mentally. I am not convinced that his form suffered due to the cancer. I really don't want to judge because I cannot imagine the pain and suffering he would have mentally been fighting but its all very odd. The fact that they said Mandy wants the real story out, he was worried Mandy might say something to Craig, Mandy was upset with the way it was handled it just doesn't seem to sit well with me. Really interested to see if we will hear the other side of the story. She does have history being involved in trouble and scandals before. The whole thing is a hazy shade of grey right now.

 

[Allefgib]

CM86 - it wasn't like it as a small growth on the face that turned out to be benign.

He had the whole left nut, not stiffy's - his own, taken out.

The loss of testosterone alone would be hard to measure/understand its impact given he didn't give himself time to rest.

It is sounding a litlte strange the more its discussed publically and all angles discussed.

End of the day the guy was a champ for the club, I didn't have an issue with him calling it quits before and its only more justifiable now.

I would like to hear the other side of the story though.

 

[FR0GGY]

I would like to hear the other side of the story though.

Yeah that nuts fine.

 

[Allbetsroff]

He was on 5AA and basically reiterated what BACCS said. Craig doesnt come off well after this. they discussed the week before how he was traveling and if we was in line to be dropped to let him know before his last game so he could have a send off, the week later he was dropped with no game. When he questioned Craig about the last game Craig told him he had already picked the side. Craig wanted him to go back to Westies and fight his way back, Edwards after what he went through and the reduced energy wasn't keen on this.

I wonder now this is out in the public what it will do to the playing groups opinion of him. Pretty cold.

Neil Craig's job is coach of a football team, he along with the rest of the selection panel choose the team, a team containing players they deem to be the best available. On form Edwards did not deserve to be in the side. Did he deserve a fair well game, perhaps, but at the time Neil Craig was under a fair bit of pressure as a result of the teams performance during the 2010 season, I think it is unfair to deride Craig on this regardless of what his side is as he is a coach of a football team not the manager of a palliative care clinic.

 

[Godallblighty]

Its all very very strange. Tyson was offered time off after his op and time to recover and take it all in and come back fresh and instead decided to train and do the full pre season.

You know this for sure? Or hypothesising?

It would have knocked him around mentally more than physically surely? I mean it was a small day op to remove a lump which was later discovered to be a cancer. He decided to not undergo any other treatment so really the only physical thing he had done was a small day op. The fact that they got it so so early on means that there would have been little to no impact on his body??

Was all this in the interview? How do you know they got it early on? Because the report in the paper said he had a testicle removed.

There's something very funny about all this but if you're just making stuff up here, it's not helping.

 

[Allefgib]

You know this for sure? Or hypothesising?



Was all this in the interview? How do you know they got it early on? Because the report in the paper said he had a testicle removed.

There's something very funny about all this but if you're just making stuff up here, it's not helping.

His information is exactly as Tyson gave it mate. Except for the fact he missed the stone removal. At that point it was instead of a biopsly - tyson's choice - they only found out later it was a very small cancer so good call.

 

[Filthy Fielke]

Just listened to Tyson on Today Tonight, and he went through the farewell game in some detail.

He had told Craigy about round 9/10 or so that his energy levels were low, and that the cancer was starting to take its toll on his footy. Craigy had forgot about the cancer, which surprised Edwards.

He then explained that given the clubs position, as in unlikely to play finals, that they should give his spot to a younger player, on the proviso that he got a farewell game at home.

What Zooma wasn't expecting was when Craigy suddenly dropped him the following week instead, with no farewell game planned. Then, there was the supporter backlash and he finally got one.

I'm shocked.

That is incredibly poor form from Craig.

I'm inferring from the above that Edwards was called in for a D&M about his 'reduced output', which is when he reminded Craig about his condition. Craig may well have decided to drop him before the meeting, but surely Edwards' reason for low energy levels should have given Craig cause to re-consider his position. This is especially so since, given the unique scenario, Edwards would have struggled to regain form with Westies.

Seems to me that Craig had decided on a course of action (set an example blah blah) and didn't have the mental flexibility to change his mind. I'm sure Craig was under a huge amount of pressure at the time, but still, that's the job.

Maybe he is a stubborn old mule after all. I say this as an ardent Neil Craig supporter.