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Curtains for Richo?
- Thread starter Lidsand
- Start date
GoodOne said:
That appears to be the trend, however in the 13 seasons 1987-99 there were only 9 players older than 35. These things tend to go in cycles. Fletcher looks like playing on and he's only slightly younger than Richo.
Hope he goes on. I dont care how good Hardwick is, we are years away from even pretending to be contenders.
No harm at all Richo playing on for one more year if managed correctly by the coaching staff. If he is a bad influence on the younger kids or doesnt buy into Hardwicks gameplan then that is different, but I cant see that being the case.
No harm at all Richo playing on for one more year if managed correctly by the coaching staff. If he is a bad influence on the younger kids or doesnt buy into Hardwicks gameplan then that is different, but I cant see that being the case.
maverick said:
That's the precise reason why he should move on. We need to starting developing our own era and move away from Richo. We're no hope for finals next year so it will just be another depressing year for him and he should know that. The only reason he could have for playing on would be to get to 300 games which is when we starting getting into the area of it being a selfish decision instead of doing what's right by the club. No individual is bigger than the club, not even Richo.
Not to mention our last 35yo player was David Cloke, who kicked 8 goals in his final game and polled 16 Brownlow votes as a 36yo.
Kevin Bartlett kicked 58 and 37 goals in his final two seasons at 35 & 36.
Jack Dyer kicked 45 goals, including 6 in his final game.
Barry Rowlings and Jack Titus struggled to the line a little though.
Kevin Bartlett kicked 58 and 37 goals in his final two seasons at 35 & 36.
Jack Dyer kicked 45 goals, including 6 in his final game.
Barry Rowlings and Jack Titus struggled to the line a little though.
The club can afford to run with Richo for 2010. The list is deep enough to have him on board. We'll probably need to pay him $$$ @50% (or overpay someone else) just to get up the 92.5%. We'll only be missing out on a Pick 99 or something like that. He's worth one more year.
Hardwicks not stupid. He will have seen the value the Hawks had by keeping the right "elders" on like Crawford, Dixon & Barker in Clarksons first few years. He knows wiping the lot out will be detrimental to our young players development. Other reasons -
Poor Posty - Leysy has only seen the past 3 games this half of the year. But saw young Posty cop a towelling from Lewis Roberts-Thomson. Didnt get one possession in a half of footy. It does young key forwards like him no favours to be playing on experienced key backs many years his senior. He has also gone back to Coburg pretty sore from his time at AFL level. We can't burn what talented players we do have. Jack, Jayden & Morton will benefit greatly from sliding down to the 2nd, 3rd & 4th banana respectively.
Draft picks - We will be missing out on the last rookie pick by keeping him on. We should be having a dozen or more selections to get the players we like from this years pool so we wont me missing anyone we're keen on.
Money - Imagine the $$$ the club will make from giving Richo a swansong season. Heck we made $700K just from Rd 1. We would similarly pack the G out for Richo's last game. He will also have his 300th on the cards. This money can go straight into the following seasons recruiting/development. Good free dollars for the clubs future.
Its pretty obvious what will happen. Richo & Cuz are the two that will go round again.
Poor Posty - Leysy has only seen the past 3 games this half of the year. But saw young Posty cop a towelling from Lewis Roberts-Thomson. Didnt get one possession in a half of footy. It does young key forwards like him no favours to be playing on experienced key backs many years his senior. He has also gone back to Coburg pretty sore from his time at AFL level. We can't burn what talented players we do have. Jack, Jayden & Morton will benefit greatly from sliding down to the 2nd, 3rd & 4th banana respectively.
Draft picks - We will be missing out on the last rookie pick by keeping him on. We should be having a dozen or more selections to get the players we like from this years pool so we wont me missing anyone we're keen on.
Money - Imagine the $$$ the club will make from giving Richo a swansong season. Heck we made $700K just from Rd 1. We would similarly pack the G out for Richo's last game. He will also have his 300th on the cards. This money can go straight into the following seasons recruiting/development. Good free dollars for the clubs future.
Its pretty obvious what will happen. Richo & Cuz are the two that will go round again.
richo will be the first big test for DH. i will be watching his press conference tomorrow with interest... if he's gonna retire richo like he should, he must start dropping subtle messages from tomorrow to prepare the supporters for richo's imminent end
Leysy Days said:
Great post....I only hope this is what DH is thinking. Richo deserves to walk out on his own terms it's as plain and simple as that in my humble opinion. I'm the first person in the queue hoping for a flag and backing hardwick to the hilt on any decision he makes but forcing Richo out is a non negotiable to me....Richo stays if Richo wants to stay.
Johnson, Browny, Simmonds, Bowden, Richo, Cousins. Played 54 games between them this year so in effect we wiped out the lot this year. So not so sure it is pretty obvious. Cousins for sure. Rciho will have to wait and see but I do see the money-turnstyle aspect you suggested as being an influence.
Tiger_4_Life said:
That's the kind of rationalization that seen our club in darkness for the last 29 years. Richo stays if Richo wants to say? Are you kidding me......the club will decide the fate not the individual. Sentiment has no place in football and not being ruthless will kill this club off for good.
Leysy Days said:
As long as it's guaranteed by the club and Richo that 2010 is definitely his last season. Hopefully we don't see some Wallace-type favouritism again at this club.
Barnzy said:
Bullcr@ap.... if james hird wanted 2 play on would the bombers have stopped him.. NO! footy clubs are all about respect and earning that respect. Richo has earned our respect... its that kinda respect that every1 of our players on the list should be striving for.... thats a successful culture! not the crap we treated matty knights and co with.
Its the crap on our list that we retain in hope of a miracle that holds us back!
Tiger_4_Life said:
I have mixed feelings about Richardson playing next year, from a list sense he should be retired, however his value as a marketing tool cannot be dismissed and frankly we can't get rid of everyone (or so we have been led to believe) and there are certainly some that deserve the chop more than he does.
However, notions such as him deserving to 'walk out on his own terms' and 'Richo stays if Richo wants to stay' are frankly idiotic. He is not Mother Teresa or St Francis of Assisi. He lives in the real world and playing on means a lot of money to him, and it certainly beats the hell out of getting a real job. We are talking what, at least 300 plus thousand per year? How many people wouldn't hang on for grim death, for as long as possible for that kind of money? It's only human. Again I'll live with whatever decision Hardwick makes (again he can also Gaspar or Bowdenise him during next season if he needs to) but it's not Richardson decision to make - he stays or goes on the basis of the needs of the club and not on the needs of Richardson. We'll be cellar dwellers until doomsday if list management decisions are abdicated to the individual players involved and not determined by the club. Aint just going to happen.
