Kouta was a serious freak in his absolute prime and the best all-round player I've ever seen in that short time at the end of the 90's. He had height, strength, pace, athleticism and pure football ability. He had everything and would dominate any position or role. That quarter against West Coast was truly sensational and any youngster who hasn't seen it should see it.

Unfortunately though, in my eyes, he also has an unfortunate association with the dying days of the Elliott era with the acceptance of ridiculous & disproportionate paypackets which went outside the 'team' ethos, IMO. To his credit, he did in the end accept pay cuts but the damage was done.

Unfair to pin that on him Rexy.

In fairness, he would have been unaware of what was going on when he signed his contract, and as you stated when he did become aware, he accepted paycuts to get us out of trouble.

It's actually horrifying to think what may have happened if he hadn't accepted them, and given his manager...there would have been a very real chance of him being talked into not accepting them.

_________________
"The ability to speak doesn't make you intelligent." Qui-Gon Jinn 15-05-2005

"there’s more chance of me becoming the full forward for the [Western Bulldogs] than there is of any change in the Labor Party." Julia Gillard 18-05-2010

If there was no salary cap I wouldn't have a problem what he was payed, I'd say well done to him.

With a salary cap, it's simple mathematics. He would've known the situation, make no mistake.

Known which situation?

That his contract was roughly 10% of the salary cap, which leaves 90% to pay 39 other players (mathematics as you say).

I agree he'd have known that.

But to say he was aware of the other players being paid outside the salary cap...I'm not so sure he'd have known that.

Simple fact is that he signed the contract in good faith (and inside the salary cap), could have stuck to it, but when asked to help the club out he accepted paycuts to get us under the cap and save us more penalties.

_________________
"The ability to speak doesn't make you intelligent." Qui-Gon Jinn 15-05-2005

"there’s more chance of me becoming the full forward for the [Western Bulldogs] than there is of any change in the Labor Party." Julia Gillard 18-05-2010

Kouta's year in 2000 is up there with the best I've seen from any player. As I type this I'm looking at a glossy photo on my desk of him from that year, personally signed to me.

As others have stated, he had it all. Very stiff not to win the brownlow that year, and very unlucky to cop the injuries he did in such a short time. Unfortunately after he'd done his knee the second time, he was never the same player.

Each time we play Richmond I'll never forget how those pricks laughed and cheered as Kouta did his knee in the 2001 semi. Love it how we sink the boots into them so often.

Not sure Kouta would do well on a footy field these days at nearly 38 years of age. Still looks very fit though.

_________________
Premierships: 1869, 1871, 1873, 1874, 1875, 1877, 1887, 1906, 1907, 1908, 1914, 1915, 1938, 1945, 1947, 1968, 1970, 1972, 1979, 1981, 1982, 1987, 1995.

"GIBBS."

On his day, Kouta was the best footballer I've ever seen....but he wouldn't be on my list of the best 5 Carlton players in the last 30 years.

For consistently delivering high standards over extended periods and match-winning performances in big games, I would have Sticks, Diesel, Judd, Johnno, SOS and Braddles ahead of him. Maybe Ratten & Madden too.

Kouta's form in 2000 from Rounds 6 to 19 was out of this world. If he'd stayed injury free after that, I think he would have won a Brownlow medal.....maybe even a Norm Smith medal

Aside from that period, his career was very good (with some other stand-out games - eg. '99 PF, '95 GF, '96 vs WCE) but inconsistency and injury dogged him.

_________________
It's never as good as it looks and it's never as bad as it seems.