Ponkstar wrote:
Players need to be able to stand up for themselves.
This enforcer business is rubbish IMO, unless its one of your talentless players who is there for the express purpose (Exhibit A: Paul Barnard)
Who is our current No 1 flag flyer? B. Fevola
Who has been our most suspended regular player? B. Fevola
Same Q's and A's for the Lions and J Brown. Swans and Barry Hall. Port and Picket (til this year).
Would the coaches of those teams prefer these players out there playing or flying the flag but missing crucial games?
This whole talk of evening up is old school stuff. Rhys Jones missed an entire season with some of the stupid stuff he did.
Whats the common factor with those players and the teams they play for....PREMIERSHIPS.......the coaches wore those suspensions as long as they were not GF's.....Choco Williams stated Port were soft and he wanted Pickett and Hardwick to combat the Craybros at bris etc..result=Flag.
Brown and co terrified Collingwood during the GF's thye played in.....Richard Cole, Rhys Shaw and Shane Obree were targeted for being weak and have never been the same since.....
All the good flag teams have them...even the crap premiership teams.....
like Collingwood in 1990..Darren Millane was a Dandy boy who scared players......the facts prove they are an essential part of a team...
Dean Wallis, Roger Merrett...all premeriship players, all protectors/enforcers.....remember Wallis taking out the dangerous goalkicking Brad Green in a final..Green has been labelled soft since and doesnt have the confidence to be the player he could have been....
Look at Geelong..favourites to win the flag...Milburn and Mooney take care of business....Josh Hunt, Scarlett as well.... their soft skillful players get protection....and have confidence....and will probably win the flag.....
Earl Spalding, Fraser Brown gave us that grunt factor we needed...when Ratten was copping it you knew Fraser would be in their dealing with the aggressors.....our young blokes dont have that although I am hoping Josh Kennedy can remedy that...its should be senior players but that aint going to happen is it?