2025 Pre-Season chat

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Cataholic said:
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.
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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.
 

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Kobe Gryant said:
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.
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Don't disagree.

I'm conceding that they're going to get him to 300 no matter what.
 
Mattttty said:
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!
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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.
 
CatToTheFuture said:
Despite the hate he had a decent year. I'd take it
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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.
 
Tony Barber said:
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.
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This.

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

Ageing is relentless, and it catches us all.
 
Mattttty said:
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!
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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.
 

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OzeSparky said:
He did. But the speed of the game has shown him up more then once.
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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.
 
Cataholic said:
Don't disagree.

I'm conceding that they're going to get him to 300 no matter what.
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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.
 
Pure_Ownage said:
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.
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For sure - I have no grudge carrying him to 300. He deserves the achievement and accolade.

But he's done.
 
From 2016-2022, Mitch Duncan was probably my favourite player, alongside Sel. Did everything right, and never got the accolades. He only needs 4 games to get to 300, and he's a leader around the club now that Hawk is gone - so I have no problem keeping him on.

With all that said, his time is up - and I think the club knows it and is giving him the extra year so he can go on his terms. Only needs 4 games, but I expect vast majority of this year to be played in the twos, to help transition some of our VFL kids with promise. Having a legend around like him directing traffic, will be invaluable for their development.
 
ShadowCat said:
From 2016-2022, Mitch Duncan was probably my favourite player, alongside Sel. Did everything right, and never got the accolades. He only needs 4 games to get to 300, and he's a leader around the club now that Hawk is gone - so I have no problem keeping him on.

With all that said, his time is up - and I think the club knows it and is giving him the extra year so he can go on his terms. Only needs 4 games, but I expect vast majority of this year to be played in the twos, to help transition some of our VFL kids with promise. Having a legend around like him directing traffic, will be invaluable for their development.
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I do think he would be a terrific development person and I hope he hangs around once he retires in some capacity.
 
Cataholic said:
For sure - I have no grudge carrying him to 300. He deserves the achievement and accolade.
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Not exactly a grudge - but I dont want to carry any player in any match ever just to get them some empty statistical accolade. Duncan has been great for us and one of my favs, but the team that is put on the park is there to win, not to reminisce about glories past. I want to look into the seeds of time, and say which grain will grow, and which will not, and not to gaze upon the spent husks.
 
jim boy said:
Not exactly a grudge - but I dont want to carry any player in any match ever just to get them some empty statistical accolade. Duncan has been great for us and one of my favs, but the team that is put on the park is there to win, not to reminisce about glories past. I want to look into the seeds of time, and say which grain will grow, and which will not, and not to gaze upon the spent husks.
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I have the same sentiment to be frank, but concede that sentiment is going to win out here, and if that has to be, then Duncan isn't the worst to carry across the line.

I'd prefer the club focus as you outlined, but then I also think such milestones sometimes have a role to play in the psyche and morale of the players and club.
 
jim boy said:
Not exactly a grudge - but I dont want to carry any player in any match ever just to get them some empty statistical accolade. Duncan has been great for us and one of my favs, but the team that is put on the park is there to win, not to reminisce about glories past. I want to look into the seeds of time, and say which grain will grow, and which will not, and not to gaze upon the spent husks.
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Culture is important to a club and how they treat a player is something others look at.

How do you think the locker room would feel if a player as well liked and respected as Duncan was left stranded in the 290s? What message does that send to potential free agents?

Maybe they wouldn't care maybe they would, but clubs need to add that to their analysis when deciding on things.
 
catstorm said:
Culture is important to a club and how they treat a player is something others look at.

How do you think the locker room would feel if a player as well liked and respected as Duncan was left stranded in the 290s? What message does that send to potential free agents?

Maybe they wouldn't care maybe they would, but clubs need to add that to their analysis when deciding on things.
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Absolutely.

Mind you, if he needed several more games to get to 300 I'd be more cold blooded about it, in agreement with what jim boy said.

But it's only a handful of games, we can probably carry him as a sub for those few games, and there'll be a benefit to morale.
 
catstorm said:
Culture is important to a club and how they treat a player is something others look at.

How do you think the locker room would feel if a player as well liked and respected as Duncan was left stranded in the 290s? What message does that send to potential free agents?

Maybe they wouldn't care maybe they would, but clubs need to add that to their analysis when deciding on things.
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I was disappointed Gary Rohan was stranded on 98 games with the club. I thought he had more to offer than Mitch at the current stages of their careers. If Mitch has lost another yard in the off season he will be glacial.
 

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2025 Pre-Season chat

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