I don't blame him (not for the injuries at least), I blame the club. I don't know for certain whether their management of him is responsible for him continually going down (although given how some of our other talls have been managed, it does raise my eyebrow), but what I feel absolutely comfortable blaming them for is the fact that when it does happen, they always seem caught off-guard and lacking a plan B. ARE YOU KIDDING ME!?!

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WADA medical director Dr Alan Vernec describes Essendon* FC drug case as biggest scandal in team sport the world of sport has seen. #WC2WB

#GUILTY

If we had picked Darling he would have been back in Perth this year. It's an open secret that non-WA clubs were told that Darling would head back home after his first contract if they drafted him.

But anyway, let's keep throwing names up. It's very helpful.

BRAVE
INJURIES
ONLY CARLTON CHEATS SALARY CAP
ONLY JUDD CARRIES HIS TEAM
ONLY CARLTON BUYS PLAYERS
HIRDY REALLY IS THE COACH
THEY WEREN'T WAIVERS...THEY WERE CONSENT FORMS!
VITAMINS!!!
also INJURIES


ah ds..you never fail me.

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That’s not a political statement — it’s a harsh reality, and we must act,” she said. “He is a clear and present danger to the things that keep us strong and free. I support impeachment.”

Free agent?

And besides what would Watson be doing while Darling was getting traded to west coast for Kennedy?

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I don't buy the argument that Darling would have left for WA. He still has to get there. Can't get there through the draft. He'd have to be traded or maybe just maybe he may be happy to stay at a club where he was comfortable

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T E A M

How do you 'not buy it'. All we've got to go on is what was said to clubs. Sure, clubs could back themselves in, like Brisbane did with Buckley and Sydney did with Rocca. Obviously clubs decided they'd rather avoid the choice of letting him go to GWS for nothing or taking 50c on the dollar from the Eagles or Freo. And I can just imagine the Eagles being very reasonable with us in any trade. Kennedy?? Even in your fantasy land Synners that's hilarious.

From what I heard and read the messages were a lot stronger than the 'might be a bit homesick' variety.

What is funny Punter is what you believe......

Do you have a link that Darling was threatening clubs with he would leave back to Perth if any team ever drafted him????(for free i take it???)

Not that i dont believe you.... but im interested in draft tampering cases by 17 y.o.s....

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Not sure how it's draft tampering if the player comes over and plays out his contract? I'm sure you'll tell me.

It was on some threads here and I independently had it confirmed to me by a friend who worked at a rival club at the time, also Melbourne based. It was basically understood he was a no go zone for non WA clubs.

But anyway, don't let me get in the way of the world according to Synbad. Carry on!

Well if that player came out and said that... you could show us a link ??? i missed it..... anyway.... its not that i dont believe you... its just that im interested in 17 y.o kids threatening the competition....????

Oh your friend told u.... "independently had it confirmed to me by a friend who worked at a rival club at the time, also Melbourne based. It was basically understood he was a no go zone for non WA clubs. "

Oh!!!... it was an independant confirmation... of a player thats a number 1 type talent... who threatens the whole comp ... and everyone backs down... and lets him go to the city of his choice???

Why the fupp... doesnt EVERY KID in the draft do that!!!????

Genius!!!!

Can u ask your independant grassy knoll guy ... and get back to us???

You dont see the comedy in that argument???

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Synners, I just don't care about it enough, he's an Eagles player. Sorry I brought it up and caused you so much heartache and anxiety.

Darling had issues at the time, which were common knowledge, and there was a clear message given to clubs to steer clear of him. consider why every club, many who obviously had room for a key forward, passed him up. I'm sure at least one club in the league gets your tick of approval for recruitment, right? whoever they might be, they passed on him too. Even clubs that might have taken a flier on him and trusted their culture to bring him around.

Darling did have some issues.... but then again.... every kid does?
Menzel has a Lars issue.
Rowe is no good.
Lucas cant kick.
Judd had bad shoulders.
Watson cant run , turn or bend over.......

Issues...

I know... i know... i know.....

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Am neither shocked nor disappointed, but rather am emotionally immune to any associated disappointment concerning Waite unavailability through injury. Rest him till back end (just enough to keep his fitness up) in he hope that you get 3 to 4 consecutive games out of him at finals time (fingers crossed we get there). More value in upgrading a rookie (cachia or other) to fill his spot during season proper. Place him on the long term injury list, don't worry about the literal interpretation associated with the rule, you could argue purposively that he has been eligible under long term injury since way way way back.

I'd go further Punter ... I have doubts that he'll be on the list next year. This of course will require some sort of negotiated pay out. Of course I hope I'm wrong. It disappointed me at the time that we gave him a 3 yr contract given his age history. I just can't fathom the logic behind that. Surely even 2yrs was a risk. I'll add that this is not just Harry Hindsight speaking ... I and many posters made this same point at the time. If Waite could've got a three year deal elsewhere then we should have let him go with our blessing.

Jarrad only needs to be fit for around 6 weeks a year. He can be our Clark Keating for all I care, but so long as he's ready sometime in August and his mates have earned us a September pass and he can make it through that time that'll do me.

Him and Jamo are never going to play 20+ games a year. Hopefully the club has already accepted that and Mick has some better plans to deal with that fact than Ratts did.

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..i'm not a fan of a player breaking his back to get the team towards finals, and another playing being 'managed' to come good finals.. ..throws off morale i believe, and also consistency regarding structures.. ..and if the already non-durable breaks down come finals, what then.. ..another switch back to old structures..?.. ..the more games players play together, the better they get as a team.. ..our revolving doors issues regarding team selection doesn't help team development..

..we seriously need to pick 1 player, and give him CHF to make his own.. ..more important than FF, though having a designated FF would be preferable as well, though not at the expense of a designated CHF.. ..Rowe/Bolt used as CHF one week, and then KPFG/Ruck the next week isn't what i'm talking about, ditto Krooz/Hammer.. ..they're all still light on for experience [ages notwithstanding], and all this shifting about position/role wise isn't helping development, nor team cohesion and understanding..

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..if you can't be good, be good at it..

Completely agree with this logic and Rowe, Casboult, Hampson or even Mitchell need to hold down the two forward KP's.
I see Waite a third Kp with the ability to use his making strength and agility to take the pressure off the other two when he returns.
This with two small crumbing forwards and another medium with marking utility will be able to form a strong unit in the air as well as at ground level with the ability to apply forward pressure as a defence also.
The medium and small forward positional players will obviously be made up of all the mids and the rotationary forwards.

Under this scenario Walker goes into the mid-field rotation - which is not altogether a bad thing.

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"Hence you will not say that Greeks fight like heroes but that heroes fight like Greeks"?

Winston Churchill

I wouldn't say I'm a huge fan of players coming into the side late, but the fact is Jarrad Waite offers things to our side that none of the other forwards can. So if he's only fit to play the last 6 or so games of the year he will play.

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..off-field, we still don't have a huge amount of confidence in our club culture, and it's this more than a 'go-home' risk that stops us picking players like Darling.. ..more than the go home factor, it was believed he was a bit of a headcase/trouble-maker.. ..and there's a lack of belief that we're strong enough to straighten up these kind of players, it's why we've primarily been recruiting goody two-shoes over the recent years, and players like Darling are desired but thought to be too disruptive.. ..lookit, only reason we recruited Mitch was cos we didn't interview him, otherwise am sure [assumption] that we'd have passed on him too like every other club that did interview him..

..when you've had as weak a club culture as we've been through, and have had star players that did as they pleased like we have, you need to get a raft of nice boys thru to try and mend the culture, after they've matured and seasoned over a block of years, you may consider bringing in the bad boys, and have faith you can bring them into line, and hold them on said line.. ..unfortunately, it takes more than a few years to undo all the bad years of culture..

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..if you can't be good, be good at it..

..not as clear cut though.. ..sure, bring in waite he's still our [currently] best tall fwd, i don't think anyone argues that.. ..but, will he have match fitness, touch, be up for the afl tempo, and most importantly be on the same page gameplan wise, compared to the rest of the team that's played most of the season.. ..these are the questions, and also will he be able to stand up and withstand the extra brutality of a finals season..??..

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..if you can't be good, be good at it..