But you can set a tone. I know we’re nowhere near it. But I’d like to have heard Andrew Welsh say something like, “We’ve had a terrible year. There were all sorts of reasons for that, the main one being injuries. But as President of this club I want to make one thing clear. My aim for this club, starting right now, is to win premierships. That’s why the club exists. That’s why we all play this game. Anyone who does not have this as the number one goal in his or her mind is not welcome. It will be hard. I will have to work harder. The Board will have to work harder. The administration will have to work harder. The coaches will have to work harder. And the players will have to work harder. What’s been happening for the last X years has not been good enough and it has to change, and my intention is to see that it does change, starting right now. This club’s aim is to win premierships, and we are starting down that road right now.”
And then not trade Merrett.
Agree. And we didn’t. He’s our best player. Why would we trade him for anything less than an equally good or better player? And no club will ever do that.
I think he will be good. It’s his nature to play the best he possibly can. I never thought he was quite right as captain, and McGrath is born captain material. Our basic problem though will still be our stodgy, dull, unimaginative and unsuccessful coach, but hopefully he’ll be gone by mid-year and I just pray that the club goes for someone young, intelligent and strong-minded and with clear ideas about standards and discipline. In other words, not Solomon and 100% not Hinkley. Luke Hodge. Andrew Mackie. Someone who knows what it takes to win a flag.
I don’t disagree that he’s our best. I won’t go in to this too much because I’ve done it to death elsewhere, but at this point I’d take four high picks over Merrett and I think, for us in our situation, that would be a win.
He’s right that he isn’t part of our future. The picks we could have got for him may not have been his whole worth right now, but in my opinion his worth to us, like almost any player who isn’t going to be here for our next flag, is lower than what it is to Hawthorn.
Okay, well we’ll disagree amicably.
I agree to this in a jolly manner.
That’s jolly good.
Tally ho!
I actually am sick and tired of word games, what we need is action. Welsh and all his predecessors, Scott and all those previous Coaches, all give us nice stories, but then it just goes to crap once again. At least, and it is a small win, Welsh and others said no to Zac and actioned it.
I fully agree that we need action. But words are a form of action, particularly from a new president of the club, and I thought it was very disappointing that on our best and fairest night not one speaker used the word premiership even once. They barely even used the word win. It was all pulling together and alignment and general puffy waffle.
Nice touch by the EFC .. awarding actual Crichton medals retrospectively to those B&F winners back in the 60s. They received gifts in lieu.
Bombers award retrospective Crichton Medals for former champions
Glad I got to see all these gents play (except Reg Burgess) racing across Windy Hill back in the day. All worthy winners.
Jack Clarke was my favourite player as a kid and was just exciting to watch. He seemed to have all the time in the world to dispose of the ball and was just such a clever player. Clarke and Birt in my view were the best midfield duo to ever play.
Clarke was my favourite player as a kid as well. l concur with the rest of your assessment of him.
Hutchison and Reynolds?
I never saw them play. My Dad followed Fitzroy and he said that Hayden Bunton and Chicken Smallhorn were better than Hutchison and Reynolds, but he would have said anything to discredit the Bombers.
Bunton was no slouch.
Never saw his player either. Watched Chicken Smallhorn on the ABC footy show for years. He was a very small man and he also won a Brownlow.
Bunton and Smallhorn no slouches- 4 Brownlows combined