So did Lynch. So did Prestia.
Lids was drafted to the worst side since Fitzroy, had failed to win three elimination finals and was back at the bottom of the ladder with a coach barely surviving the sack and a board challenge as well. I don't blame him for leaving, particularly with his body starting to fail him. It turned out to be a win for the club too.
Yeah dont really get all the Lids hate
I would think everyone would agree he was a good player not great and I dont recall a single important game when he became the match winner that he was spruiked to be as a number one draft pick
I think he gave great service to us for years but probably got sick of being surrounded by less talented players and lost faith in our endless rebuilds and "we are going to be really good this year" etc
He was really at the end of the line fitness wise that last year and I remember most supporters saying lets get something good from him before it was too late. It just so happened that year was 2016 and we were crap and it looked as if he was deserting a sinking ship
I felt it was time for him to go and we had to start looking for new people to try to make their mark on the club.
I never heard anything at the time that he was jealous of Trent for getting the captaincy
I also keep hearing that he was no good with the fans but i find that DM is still standoffish with fans and never joins in things such as the players walking back to the club after a match and yet noone seems to berate him for it
I think it was just bad luck that he left us for GWS and out of the blue things clicked for us in 2017 when they never had for the previous 37 years
If he had not gone I like some others believe we would not have been in the position we were in at the end and he really would not have made our team any better that year
I felt for him that prelim final night as it is bittersweet always when someone achieves something that you yourself have always craved
That is a very human emotion
I also dont mind that he spent the grand final day at the zoo and could hardly watch the match later and found it difficult to congratulate our guys on their win
I felt very sorry for him this saturday to see him in that car with best mate Grigg and to see his body language and emotion ( i had a very close up view)
for him the double irony of his team actually finally making a GF but he was not able to play due to injury and that the game had richmond as the opponent
I wish him all the best and hope he does come back to the club one day, officially or not
