Why did Joel Smith leave?

Jewellzy · Post: # 1077940Post **Jewellzy** » Fri 20 May 2011 3:32pm

Watching the Roos/Saints game from 97 the other day and it got me to thinking. I still don't really know why he left us for Hawthorn after his knee injury. Can someone please enlighten me?

Mr Magic · Post: # 1077943Post **Mr Magic** » Fri 20 May 2011 3:36pm

IIRC he had a terrible knee injury which St Kilda's medical advice said might not allow him to play up to his previous ability.
St Kilda offered him a 1 year contract.

Hawthorn obviously had different medical advice re his knee injury and offered him a better (and longer) contract.

Ultimately they were proved correct.
Joel accepted their offer and walked out on St Kilda, to a good career at Hawthorn.

stinger · Post: # 1077944Post **stinger** » Fri 20 May 2011 3:36pm

we were only prepared to offer him a one year contract...maybe two....whilst the hawks were prepared to give him a minimum three years...he had a terrible leg injury and wasn't going to play for 12 months...we ..as usual...were far to short sighted...imho...

stinger · Post: # 1077946Post **stinger** » Fri 20 May 2011 3:37pm

snap ..mm

Jewellzy · Post: # 1077950Post **Jewellzy** » Fri 20 May 2011 3:39pm

Ahh, that makes sense. Thanks for helping clear that up.

GrumpyOne · Post: # 1077953Post **GrumpyOne** » Fri 20 May 2011 3:42pm

stinger wrote:we were only prepared to offer him a one year contract...maybe two....whilst the hawks were prepared to give him a minimum three years...he had a terrible leg injury and wasn't going to play for 12 months...we ..as usual...were far to short sighted...imho...

Correct.... except for the short-sighted bit.

With the injury he had, a long-term contract was a gamble, and we weren't prepared to gamble on him at that time.

Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose.

With the benefit of hindsight, this was a loss.

plugger66 · Post: # 1077954Post **plugger66** » Fri 20 May 2011 3:43pm

stinger wrote:we were only prepared to offer him a one year contract...maybe two....whilst the hawks were prepared to give him a minimum three years...he had a terrible leg injury and wasn't going to play for 12 months...we ..as usual...were far to short sighted...imho...

How are you today, Hindsight?

Mr Magic · Post: # 1077955Post **Mr Magic** » Fri 20 May 2011 3:45pm

stinger wrote:snap ..mm

Actually, the scenario with X Clarke is quite similar - we were only prepared to offer him a 1 year contract and I understand we told him to see if anybody was prepared to give him more and we would arrange a trade.

Seemingly X was appreciative to both the Club and the Saints fans as witnessed by his 'goodbye' to all.

My heart tells me that whilst X is now a Brisbane Lion his heart is still with us.

Thinline · Post: # 1077958Post **Thinline** » Fri 20 May 2011 3:48pm

Mr Magic wrote:
stinger wrote:snap ..mm
Actually, the scenario with X Clarke is quite similar - we were only prepared to offer him a 1 year contract and I understand we told him to see if anybody was prepared to give him more and we would arrange a trade.

Seemingly X was appreciative to both the Club and the Saints fans as witnessed by his 'goodbye' to all.

My heart tells me that whilst X is now a Brisbane Lion his heart is still with us.

Sadly he ain't much of a Lion though...

Mr Magic · Post: # 1077962Post **Mr Magic** » Fri 20 May 2011 3:49pm

Thinline wrote:
Mr Magic wrote:
stinger wrote:snap ..mm
Actually, the scenario with X Clarke is quite similar - we were only prepared to offer him a 1 year contract and I understand we told him to see if anybody was prepared to give him more and we would arrange a trade.

Seemingly X was appreciative to both the Club and the Saints fans as witnessed by his 'goodbye' to all.

My heart tells me that whilst X is now a Brisbane Lion his heart is still with us.
Sadly he ain't much of a Lion though...

Maybe our medicos got this one right?

sunsaint · Post: # 1077963Post **sunsaint** » Fri 20 May 2011 3:51pm

GrumpyOne wrote:
Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose.

With the benefit of hindsight, this was a loss.

yep hawthorns win
I remember it being similar with Dean Rice as well
great players, who went on to having great careers

degruch · Post: # 1077964Post **degruch** » Fri 20 May 2011 3:51pm

Same with Dean Rice? He was one of my faves.

We should have retained all our crippled one legged players (Goose, Cripps, Watts, Smith, etc, etc), but there's never been enough room.

SaintWodonga · Fri 20 May 2011 3:52pm

It was also reported at the time that no one from St kilda visited him in hospital and he felt not wanted, not one official or team mate!

plugger66 · Post: # 1077970Post **plugger66** » Fri 20 May 2011 3:54pm

Yep and we got Hamill, Gehrig, Morris and many others as well who shouldnt have been let go by their clubs.

degruch · Post: # 1077971Post **degruch** » Fri 20 May 2011 3:54pm

SaintWodonga wrote:It was also reported at the time that no one from St kilda visited him in hospital and he felt not wanted, not one official or team mate!

Popular guy, eh?

borderbarry · Fri 20 May 2011 3:55pm

Thats how I remember it too.

BringBackMadDog · Fri 20 May 2011 4:02pm

We also let Shane Wakelin go because the medicos said he would struggle to play again. I think his Achilles was stuffed at the time

markp · Post: # 1077989Post **markp** » Fri 20 May 2011 4:11pm

SaintWodonga wrote:It was also reported at the time that no one from St kilda visited him in hospital and he felt not wanted, not one official or team mate!

Cant be true, last I heard he's still very good mates with Everitt and Lappin.

plugger66 · Post: # 1077992Post **plugger66** » Fri 20 May 2011 4:15pm

markp wrote:
SaintWodonga wrote:It was also reported at the time that no one from St kilda visited him in hospital and he felt not wanted, not one official or team mate!
Cant be true, last I heard he's still very good mates with Everitt and Lappin.

Of course it isnt true. At the time he was living with Max, Jones and Brown. Id be pretty sure they went and visited him.

degruch · Post: # 1077994Post **degruch** » Fri 20 May 2011 4:16pm

plugger66 wrote:
markp wrote:
SaintWodonga wrote:It was also reported at the time that no one from St kilda visited him in hospital and he felt not wanted, not one official or team mate!
Cant be true, last I heard he's still very good mates with Everitt and Lappin.
Of course it isnt true. At the time he was living with Max, Jones and Brown. Id be pretty sure they went and visited him.

I heard they left a massive stack of dishes for him the clean.

IluvHarvey · Fri 20 May 2011 4:19pm

This is a complete rumour - but I heard at the time that St Kilda also had concerns with his mental state. Hope this was not true for his and the clubs sake.

plugger66 · Post: # 1077996Post **plugger66** » Fri 20 May 2011 4:19pm

degruch wrote:
plugger66 wrote:
markp wrote:
SaintWodonga wrote:It was also reported at the time that no one from St kilda visited him in hospital and he felt not wanted, not one official or team mate!
Cant be true, last I heard he's still very good mates with Everitt and Lappin.
Of course it isnt true. At the time he was living with Max, Jones and Brown. Id be pretty sure they went and visited him.
I heard they left a massive stack of dishes for him the clean.

I actually went to their house once after a game in 1997 and the house was a disgrace so that could be true. Who will ever forget the interview Channel 7 did the morning of the GF game at their house. Could you imagine a club agreeing to that now.

degruch · Post: # 1078000Post **degruch** » Fri 20 May 2011 4:22pm

plugger66 wrote:
degruch wrote:
plugger66 wrote:
markp wrote:
SaintWodonga wrote:It was also reported at the time that no one from St kilda visited him in hospital and he felt not wanted, not one official or team mate!
Cant be true, last I heard he's still very good mates with Everitt and Lappin.
Of course it isnt true. At the time he was living with Max, Jones and Brown. Id be pretty sure they went and visited him.
I heard they left a massive stack of dishes for him the clean.
I actually went to their house once after a game in 1997 and the house was a disgrace so that could be true. Who will ever forget the interview Channel 7 did the morning of the GF game at their house. Could you imagine a club agreeing to that now.

Smithy wants his Superjesus tour t-shirt back too...he knows you borrowed it.

markp · Post: # 1078001Post **markp** » Fri 20 May 2011 4:22pm

degruch wrote:
plugger66 wrote:
markp wrote:
SaintWodonga wrote:It was also reported at the time that no one from St kilda visited him in hospital and he felt not wanted, not one official or team mate!
Cant be true, last I heard he's still very good mates with Everitt and Lappin.
Of course it isnt true. At the time he was living with Max, Jones and Brown. Id be pretty sure they went and visited him.
I heard they left a massive stack of dishes for him the clean.

Funny, I knew a chick who was pals with Cayden Beethem back in the day, and she said he and his housemates (a couple of players I cant recall) used to throw dirty dishes out and buy new ones rather than clean them.

markp · Post: # 1078004Post **markp** » Fri 20 May 2011 4:24pm

IluvHarvey wrote:This is a complete rumour - but I heard at the time that St Kilda also had concerns with his mental state. Hope this was not true for his and the clubs sake.

Again, could not be true... the guy is your typical country bloke, and solid as a rock.