2025 Pre-Season chat

[Cataholic]

Fat load of good that did us in the prelim. He gave zero.
His time is already up.

Yep - been a great player for us, but we're in trouble if we don't have a kid surpassing him as soon as he plays his 300th.

 

[Kobe Gryant]

Yep - been a great player for us, but we're in trouble if we don't have a kid surpassing him as soon as he plays his 300th.

You could argue he already has been, it's just whether they bite the bullet if he starts the year poorly.

You don't tend to start as the sub in a preliminary final if players aren't surpassing you.

 

[CatToTheFuture]

Fat load of good that did us in the prelim. He gave zero.
His time is already up.

Despite the hate he had a decent year. I'd take it

 

[OzeSparky]

Despite the hate he had a decent year. I'd take it

He did. But the speed of the game has shown him up more then once.

 

[Cataholic]

You could argue he already has been, it's just whether they bite the bullet if he starts the year poorly.

You don't tend to start as the sub in a preliminary final if players aren't surpassing you.

Don't disagree.

I'm conceding that they're going to get him to 300 no matter what.

 

[Cataholic]

He did. But the speed of the game has shown him up more then once.

Yep...and those legs are going to be just that little bit heavier and slower this year, just like the reflexes, and recovery.

 

[OzeSparky]

Yep...and those legs are going to be just that little bit heavier and slower this year, just like the reflexes, and recovery.

Get the 4 games into him early and then he might even retire.

 

[Art Vandelay_]

Despite the hate he had a decent year. I'd take it

Yep. Lot of undue garbage been thrown Duncan's way over 2024.

 

[Gazza Greatness]

Yeah, this is a good call. And it points to just how wonderful a recruit he was.

Mannagh is a potential star in my books and no way on Earth I'd leave him out of best 22 next year. He was our most valuable player on the ground more than once from memory. And he does both the attention-grabbing things - goals, assists, nice decision-making and creative execution - as well as the other important things - chasing hard, tackling, getting into good spots to receive and support. By all accounts he's also a very good team man and plays a leadership role of sorts with the other early years players who are quite a bit younger than him.

With a proper AFL pre-season under his belt, I'm excited to see what he might be capable of!

Chris Scott did make mention that he made a big mistake by dropping Shaun Mannagh, said he should have never been dropped and the changes that Shaun had to make in his game could have been done in the seniors without the need of him going back to the ressies. He was very clear about that and I tend to agree with him coz I've written a number of times that Shaun is a very classy player and great distributor of the ball of which you cannot have enough of those type of guys in your side on the provision that they are hard at the ball and can run both ways.

 

[Tony Barber]

Despite the hate he had a decent year. I'd take it

There's no hate.
I've loved the guy. I once stated that if I could choose someone to kick a goal on the run to save my life then it's him.

But no longer.
He doesn't have the depth anymore. And if the ball is turned over, he is toast running the other way.
And guess what? He's now the guy that turns it over.

 

[Cataholic]

Despite the hate he had a decent year. I'd take it

Can't deny that.

Also can't deny Father Time showed his growing influence.

 

[Cataholic]

There's no hate.
I've loved the guy. I once stated that if I could choose someone to kick a goal on the run to save my life then it's him.

But no longer.
He doesn't have the depth anymore. And if the ball is turned over, he is toast running the other way.
And guess what? He's now the guy that turns it over.

This.

Been a wonderful player, but like all of us, he ain't King Canute.

Ageing is relentless, and it catches us all.

 

[Pure_Ownage]

Yeah, this is a good call. And it points to just how wonderful a recruit he was.

Mannagh is a potential star in my books and no way on Earth I'd leave him out of best 22 next year. He was our most valuable player on the ground more than once from memory. And he does both the attention-grabbing things - goals, assists, nice decision-making and creative execution - as well as the other important things - chasing hard, tackling, getting into good spots to receive and support. By all accounts he's also a very good team man and plays a leadership role of sorts with the other early years players who are quite a bit younger than him.

With a proper AFL pre-season under his belt, I'm excited to see what he might be capable of!

110 %. What he did in the back end of the year shows why many of us were calling for him to stay in from round 3.
If he keeps that level up I'd be staggered if he ever plays vfl for us again (barring injury). Some of the over 30s (not danger/stew/jez obviously) plus fringe guys like Bowes should and will get left out long before mannagh ever does.

 

[Pure_Ownage]

He did. But the speed of the game has shown him up more then once.

It's a tough one. He's still one of our better decision makers and that is useful. But he's always been a slowish player with decent work in close, great skills by foot in the open and a huge tank. Post the calf injuries the speed has become glacial and we already struggle in defensive transition for legspeed. 5 years ago I think you could have crafted a role to keep someone like him now the game is so fast I don't think you can. He's a much better player than guys like bews and Rohan and even what Higgins was at the end but him being sub shows where it's at. If he plays at all next year he will be sub a lot and I wouldn't be surprised if he retires after his 300th and if not he probably ends up in the 2s.

 

[Pure_Ownage]

Don't disagree.

I'm conceding that they're going to get him to 300 no matter what.

That I agree with and he probably deserves it if we can get him there with sub games. But he's one where a mid season retirement for the msd wouldn't surprise.

 

[Cataholic]

That I agree with and he probably deserves it if we can get him there with sub games. But he's one where a mid season retirement for the msd wouldn't surprise.

For sure - I have no grudge carrying him to 300. He deserves the achievement and accolade.

But he's done.