Barring the Usual Suspects of anticipated delistments - Watson, Patterson, Olarenshaw, etc. - keep a fresh perspective on youth...and Sav.
I defy anybody to name one player - barring self-made men like Buckley, Burns - who came up under Tony Shaw's 4 Year Tenure as Coach.
It's little coincidence, I think, that one stalwart in Mark Richardson and one young gun in Simon Prestidaicsomo have improved dramatically under the cultivation of Mick Malthouse and company, but offered very little under Tony Shaw.
Under Shaw, they were much-maligned players. Rohan Connolly said at one point that Presti was a disgrace to the Number 35.
I'm not always overly-thrilled with some of the moves, positioning, etc. that Malthouse executes, but I recognize his ability to nurture players through, set them objectives, and attain their goals.
Because Tony Shaw made himself as a player - he was always called too fat, too slow, can't kick - in defiance of critics, I don't think he recognized the intrinsic need to cultivate players who didn't have the selfsame motivation.
As for Sav this year:
* knee-surgery which didn't go well;
- recall, Brad Smith was announced as "Delisted." But when they formalized the delistments, Brad Smith won a reprieve. For some reason, somebody decided we needed another tall around the Club because Sav's knee was questionable.
* overweight;
- can't lose it at the moment because of his knee.
* some shocking passing;
- this is actually paradoxical. Some of it is attributable to Sav and his diffident leading. But some of it is also due to our delivery in the Forward-line.
Shaw never cultivated Saverio Rocca as a player. He exacerbated the situation by continually dangling Sav as trade-bait (that must do wonders for confidence) and by playing him stints in the Ruck despite his problematic knees, (so it there any wonder they're still troublesome?). Shaw often dragged Sav at the first sign of rain and never afforded him the advantage, if he'd had a bad First Quarter, to try and get into the game.
Round #2 - Adelaide: trailing at half-time, Sav had done nothing. Shaw would have dragged and benched him. Malthouse kept him on and, in the end, it was Sav (and Buckley) who singlehandedly won us the match.
I saw somebody mention Sav had been given his chances, but under Tony Shaw, no stock-players - guys who aren't naturally gifted, or who aren't the quickest mentally, who need special attention and motivation to lift them to an elite level - developed.
Sav has a lot of problems presently - fitness, weight, knees and confidence. If you can accept that Mark Richardson was lifted to another level by Mick Malthouse and company, then surely a fit Sav should be afforded the same opportunity.
As it is, don't expect killer-miracles in the wake of the burdens Sav is carrying.
On Wednesday-night, we'll be running a simple Poll on Sav. Vote!
Anyway, as for the Title of my Post - discount the 4 years players had under Tony Shaw. 2000 is the first-year for every career at Collingwood. So reset everybody's "career"-clock and past histories.
We're starting fresh.
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Sly LeKoupa.
The Last Remaining Bad Guy.<B>
The Collingwood Rant.
Don't believe the Facts until you've read the Rants!</B>
The Unofficial AFL Ranting Board.
[This message has been edited by Sly (edited 04 July 2000).]
Start Fresh, People.
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