Exactly ^
I think this shouldn’t have been made public for a start, manage these personal issues in house, get him some good help and mentoring and that’s it. Creating a media issue out of it could make it worse.
As for Dempsey, feel for the guy, but he’s a champion player when fully fit and the team needs him back.
Club has probably gotten on the front foot as the media would have loved to announce the reason he was training with the VFL side.
I'm sure the club is doing what they can for him, but I back the leadership group to have made the right decision. Personal issues aside, you can't have one bloke dropping training standards, especially when there's competition for spots. Dempsey should be a leader by now, and setting an example.
Whatever the issue, hopefully playing footy is what makes him happy and will get him though all of this. This should certainly be seen as a wake up call, a 'rock-bottom' from which he can take stock and choose the way he wants to go forward, knowing he has the support of the playing group.
I think it is made public for a reason. Maybe they think Dempsey needs the wake up call that a public mention gets him; hoping to make him realise that there is actually a lot on the line here and not just a normal warning.
Bomber has had plenty of experience with dealing with these issues, albeit each has their own flavour.
I am sure the club felt the approach they were taking didn’t hit home enough. Sometime guys need a bit of space from all the pressure. This give Courtney a chance to spend some time away and re assess what his priorities are. I am also sure the club would be spending allot of time ensuring his welfare is maintained through a strong support network.
I’m also glad the leadership group has made the final decision, as it drives the on field expectations even more.
Interesting when he first started and his fitness wasn’t up to scratch he had allot of soft tissue injuries, not again he is having the same problem.
Of course the club had to make a statement. What were we supposed to say when someone catches on he’s training with the vfl?
Imagine if the "Leadership" group in 1984/85 had suspended players for 4 weeks for going out on the ■■■■. We would have been able to field a team !!
Sorry NickyD, I don't know what Demps did but team rules can be BS. If you are good enough to get a game, then you get a game. If Demps has personal issues, publically cutting him down will not help; team-mates get behind you when you need help.
well the club is screwed if they do and they screwed if they don't.
imagine the outcry on here if Dempsey kept being named in the VFL for an extended period of time with no explanation from the club.
so the club provides an explanation and instead we have an outcry about how this sort of thing should be kept inhouse and there was no need to announce this.
in terms of the affect this can have on players, this sort of action certainly didn't seem to do any harm to Stevie J back in Bomber's day at the Cattery.
The game had changed and is a professional industry, you can keep living in your deluded glory days but that's doing you no favours.Imagine if the "Leadership" group in 1984/85 had suspended players for 4 weeks for going out on the ■■■■. We would have been able to field a team !!
Sorry NickyD, I don't know what Demps did but team rules can be BS. If you are good enough to get a game, then you get a game. If Demps has personal issues, publically cutting him down will not help; team-mates get behind you when you need help.
Imagine if the "Leadership" group in 1984/85 had suspended players for 4 weeks for going out on the ■■■■. We would have been able to field a team !!
Really, you really don't get that the game has changed significantly since 1984/1985 and the both the rewards and responsibilites of AFL players have also dramatically changed since 1984/1985?
I could be wrong, but im pretty sure he seperated from his partner and he's struggling with not seeing his kids that often. Think that may be the main reason behind his troubles
Don't get me wrong WOB, I have a lot of time for you and enjoy your posts, but maybe in this case just keep it to yourself whether it is right or wrong, there isn't any need to speculate on these things or even enlighten people as to what might be happening because if that is what is happening, it is none of our business even though he is a player we all love and admire.
I mean this with the utmost respect.
Although I understand and agree with the sentiment behind your post, I think WOB is just trying to show that Demps IS going through a really hard thing, and he's showing us that by giving the example.
It's a tough call but for the sake of stopping a bunch of idiots (including Essendon idiots) from flaming him, I think on balance WOB is right to put forward what he has.
Although I understand and agree with the sentiment behind your post, I think WOB is just trying to show that Demps IS going through a really hard thing, and he's showing us that by giving the example.
Don't get me wrong WOB, I have a lot of time for you and enjoy your posts, but maybe in this case just keep it to yourself whether it is right or wrong, there isn't any need to speculate on these things or even enlighten people as to what might be happening because if that is what is happening, it is none of our business even though he is a player we all love and admire.I could be wrong, but im pretty sure he seperated from his partner and he's struggling with not seeing his kids that often. Think that may be the main reason behind his troubles
I mean this with the utmost respect.
It's a tough call but for the sake of stopping a bunch of idiots (including Essendon idiots) from flaming him, I think on balance WOB is right to put forward what he has.
That is fair enough, I saw where WOB was coming from and also see where you are coming from, I know WOB isn't the type to troll and spread baseless rumours so this could most likely be true and in that case I think we are all better off not knowing about it and letting Demps and the club deal with it and help him through this hard time.
Imagine if the "Leadership" group in 1984/85 had suspended players for 4 weeks for going out on the ■■■■. We would have been able to field a team !!
Sorry NickyD, I don't know what Demps did but team rules can be BS. If you are good enough to get a game, then you get a game. If Demps has personal issues, publically cutting him down will not help; team-mates get behind you when you need help.
That is absolute rubbish. That kind of attitude fosters a culture and environment where people think it is ok to take short cuts. That was ok when they were amateurs or semi professionals but to think when you are a full time professional that you don't have to abide by the team expectations and rely purely on your natural ability (which MAY very well still have you in the best 22) is not a recipe for success. You are cheating your team mates.
Best wishes are with Courtenay and I'm sure the club will be doing their utmost to nurture him through this and that he re captures the hunger to play for this great club.
That is absolute rubbish. That kind of attitude fosters a culture and environment where people think it is ok to take short cuts. That was ok when they were amateurs or semi professionals but to think when you are a full time professional that you don't have to abide by the team expectations and rely purely on your natural ability (which MAY very well still have you in the best 22) is not a recipe for success. You are cheating your team mates.
Imagine if the "Leadership" group in 1984/85 had suspended players for 4 weeks for going out on the ■■■■. We would have been able to field a team !!
Sorry NickyD, I don't know what Demps did but team rules can be BS. If you are good enough to get a game, then you get a game. If Demps has personal issues, publically cutting him down will not help; team-mates get behind you when you need help.
Best wishes are with Courtenay and I'm sure the club will be doing their utmost to nurture him through this and that he re captures the hunger to play for this great club.
Yeah agree.
Sounds like the Collingwood culture and that is the last thing we need.
Imagine if the "Leadership" group in 1984/85 had suspended players for 4 weeks for going out on the ■■■■. We would have been able to field a team !!
Sorry NickyD, I don't know what Demps did but team rules can be BS. If you are good enough to get a game, then you get a game. If Demps has personal issues, publically cutting him down will not help; team-mates get behind you when you need help.
That is absolute rubbish. That kind of attitude fosters a culture and environment where people think it is ok to take short cuts. That was ok when they were amateurs or semi professionals but to think when you are a full time professional that you don't have to abide by the team expectations and rely purely on your natural ability (which MAY very well still have you in the best 22) is not a recipe for success. You are cheating your team mates.
Best wishes are with Courtenay and I'm sure the club will be doing their utmost to nurture him through this and that he re captures the hunger to play for this great club.
Why is it rubbish ? On one hand you want the team to win, and then you don't play the best team, because some-one has a life. And you reckon it is better system, where blokes like Terry Daniher, Paul Vanderhaar, Ronnie Andrews, Merv Neagle and others would not have been played.
And what do you mean by team expectations; you need to be good enough to DontheSash, that is all.
In any case, I really don't have problems with a coach playing who he wants, but the "Leadership Group", I could imagine what Terry Daniher would have said to Timmy Watson and Simon Madden, if they told him to stop drinking beer and smoking !!
And times have changed, we have not won a flag since 2000, and we are over-due.
Imagine if the "Leadership" group in 1984/85 had suspended players for 4 weeks for going out on the ■■■■. We would have been able to field a team !!
Sorry NickyD, I don't know what Demps did but team rules can be BS. If you are good enough to get a game, then you get a game. If Demps has personal issues, publically cutting him down will not help; team-mates get behind you when you need help.
That is absolute rubbish. That kind of attitude fosters a culture and environment where people think it is ok to take short cuts. That was ok when they were amateurs or semi professionals but to think when you are a full time professional that you don't have to abide by the team expectations and rely purely on your natural ability (which MAY very well still have you in the best 22) is not a recipe for success. You are cheating your team mates.
Best wishes are with Courtenay and I'm sure the club will be doing their utmost to nurture him through this and that he re captures the hunger to play for this great club.
Why is it rubbish ? On one hand you want the team to win, and then you don't play the best team, because some-one has a life. And you reckon it is better system, where blokes like Terry Daniher, Paul Vanderhaar, Ronnie Andrews, Merv Neagle and others would not have been played.
And what do you mean by team expectations; you need to be good enough to DontheSash, that is all.
In any case, I really don't have problems with a coach playing who he wants, but the "Leadership Group", I could imagine what Terry Daniher would have said to Timmy Watson and Simon Madden, if they told him to stop drinking beer and smoking !!
And times have changed, we have not won a flag since 2000, and we are over-due.
DIfferent era, way different.
No footballer was professional back then, they trained twice a week and played on Saturday. Hell Vanders would light up a smoke at half time and the only veggies he ate was whatever was in a pastie.
If every other player can stick to the rules of recovery, then so can Dempsey. If he can't for whatever reason, it is up to the club to assist him without it having a negative influence on the culture on the team.
In an era where everyone is trying to find that extra 1%, dropping 1% hurts twice as much.
EDIT: I should add that I actually don't agree with the latest episode of the evolution of professional football but that's another matter.
I know it's not coming back but Footy was so much better back in the 70s and 80s for both spectators and players. I'd have given anything to be a footballer back in the 80s but I'm not sure I'd want to be one now. It's become a bit like joining a monastery, with Big Brother in every room.
Used to love watching Gary Ablett Snr play, even when they smashed us. He wouldn't get a game today, just too wild to tame.
For some players professionalism doesn’t come easy to them, and they need a kick up the bum. Dempsey got form in this area, so tunring a blind eye to poor training standards is really not an option. Hopefully he gets the message and gets in great shape for the second half of the year.
One person who won’t be too bothered by this news is Gleeson.
What is this, Dempsey's 8th season at Essendon?
Hard to remain focussed for that long.
I know it's not coming back but Footy was so much better back in the 70s and 80s for both spectators and players. I'd have given anything to be a footballer back in the 80s but I'm not sure I'd want to be one now. It's become a bit like joining a monastery, with Big Brother in every room.
Used to love watching Gary Ablett Snr play, even when they smashed us. He wouldn't get a game today, just too wild to tame.
Footy was great in the 1980's coz we won flags.
I loved the game then and I love it now.
I loved going to Windy HIll and standing in the outer in the mud and rain with my esky full of VB and smoking my pack of Marlboro Red.
I love it now with my reserved seats at Etihad and the G, and my cup of tea !!
I hate to think that Gary Ablett, Crackers Keenan, Vander, Rotten Ronnie, Terry Daniher, etc would not play now because it is so sanitised. I always said that if my son was good enough to play AFL, then we would take the AFL on in a restraint of trade case, to get him to the Bombers. Lucky for those bastards that he was just a good average player !!
You smoked Marlboro Red?
By mid afternoon it would have felt like being punched in the throat.
Same with Craven A's.