BJ ...if we offered him one year just for leadership ..would if hurt us long term ?

[To the top]

Should not be entertained on as range of criteria including where do you play him?

[desertsaint]

Would never knock bj with all he gave us in the 09 and 10 finals. but we've all played with finger pointers and even when they're the best player in the team they piss you off at times and don't command the highest level of respect.

[chico2001]

Top player but there may be others in the wings as we get to the end of the year.

[Sanctorum]

So - the club half-went down this path in late 2016. I think I posted about it at the time.

Out of contract, BJ was pretty keen to explore the possibility come back. Asked his management to check it out. He missed the club; still loves the place and wanted to finish his career alongside his mates, especially Roo. He was also exhausted from the Essendon trauma. So they reached out.

The club looked into it and had some conversations but it was a pretty quick rejection. In the end, they felt we were tracking strongly (...no comment) and didn't want to disrupt the list management plan with players over 30. A thanks but no thanks; about a week or two later, Goddard re-signed.

In hindsight, we should have grabbed him then, on a free, when he still had three good years of footy left.

Could he play a Hodge-like role next year? Worth considering.

If it's leadership we are in need of then wouldn't that be the big question mark for most clubs looking to recruit him as a player and/or assistant coach?

I think there's a perception around him that he is going to struggle with. Buckley had to deal with it during his transition from player to coach so it's possible to transition but he probably needs to find a club and culture that can assist with the transition. Don't think our club is it just at the moment.

I'm definitely on the "BBJB" - Bring BJ Back bandwagon! Whilst a lot of supporters are sceptical about BJ "coming home", I have not the slightest doubt that he would be a major asset to the current team. He is an elite level player, has strong leadership credentials (a major deficiency in our present list) and would be a great mentor for the quality young talent at St Kilda. You need only look at what Luke Hodge's on field presence has done for the Lions this year, and that is precisely what BJ would bring to the Saints. There is not another out of contract elite player like BJ that could come over and the need for one at St Kilda is now paramount if the team is to progress up the ladder in 2019.

His on-field berating of team mates at the Bombers should not be regarded as a negative - to the contrary, this is what coaches expect from their leadership team, and I am sure that he is well aware of the need to do this judicially.

[parkeysainter]

I would much rather someone like Grundy or McVeigh from Sydney or Goldsack from Collingwood than Goddard. He's nearly finished.

[Cairnsman]

So - the club half-went down this path in late 2016. I think I posted about it at the time.

Out of contract, BJ was pretty keen to explore the possibility come back. Asked his management to check it out. He missed the club; still loves the place and wanted to finish his career alongside his mates, especially Roo. He was also exhausted from the Essendon trauma. So they reached out.

The club looked into it and had some conversations but it was a pretty quick rejection. In the end, they felt we were tracking strongly (...no comment) and didn't want to disrupt the list management plan with players over 30. A thanks but no thanks; about a week or two later, Goddard re-signed.

In hindsight, we should have grabbed him then, on a free, when he still had three good years of footy left.

Could he play a Hodge-like role next year? Worth considering.

If it's leadership we are in need of then wouldn't that be the big question mark for most clubs looking to recruit him as a player and/or assistant coach?

I think there's a perception around him that he is going to struggle with. Buckley had to deal with it during his transition from player to coach so it's possible to transition but he probably needs to find a club and culture that can assist with the transition. Don't think our club is it just at the moment.

I'm definitely on the "BBJB" - Bring BJ Back bandwagon! Whilst a lot of supporters are sceptical about BJ "coming home", I have not the slightest doubt that he would be a major asset to the current team. He is an elite level player, has strong leadership credentials (a major deficiency in our present list) and would be a great mentor for the quality young talent at St Kilda. You need only look at what Luke Hodge's on field presence has done for the Lions this year, and that is precisely what BJ would bring to the Saints. There is not another out of contract elite player like BJ that could come over and the need for one at St Kilda is now paramount if the team is to progress up the ladder in 2019.

His on-field berating of team mates at the Bombers should not be regarded as a negative - to the contrary, this is what coaches expect from their leadership team, and I am sure that he is well aware of the need to do this judicially.

I suppose the possible reward may outweigh the perceived risk/question mark. An interesting trade period looms.

[Linton Lodger]

Another half back flanker!

[SaintPav]

Pass

[vacuous space]

This whole Hodge role idea strikes me as a way for Richo to get even more older players into the team. Really rev us up for a spirited and positive assault on 12th place in 2019, at which point the board accidentally gives Richo a lengthy extension. By 2025 Nathan Freeman may have strung enough games together to have gained Richo's confidence.

[skeptic]

I think I’d be okay with it if it accompanied the clearing of some significant deadwood...

Goddard’s leadership and form would be a welcome addition both on and off the field.

He’d pbly be an ideal mentor for a guy like Coffield.

If we lose some players that are clearly not going to be a part of the next push... say a few (or all) of Gilbert, Weller, Lonie, Savage and Wright

Well yeah, what’s the harm of a guy like Goddard for a year

[evertonfc]

I think I’d be okay with it if it accompanied the clearing of some significant deadwood...

That's a given. We have a lot of culling to do. And we have a shocking absence of leadership - guys who expect and maintain standards.

I know he's been criticised for it, but BJ is obsessive with standards.

Honestly, seeing how ours have slipped, I see this being his role, much more than what he delivers as a player.

[bigred]

Can you imagine how bad he would crack the s***s in this team.

[evertonfc]

Can you imagine how bad he would crack the s***s in this team.

Better than the friendly claps as we get flogged by 10+ goals each week.

I'm all for softly-softly, but you have to combine it with serious standards.

[Sainternist]

Do really want a traffic cop on our team?

[ace]

So - the club half-went down this path in late 2016. I think I posted about it at the time.

Out of contract, BJ was pretty keen to explore the possibility come back. Asked his management to check it out. He missed the club; still loves the place and wanted to finish his career alongside his mates, especially Roo. He was also exhausted from the Essendon trauma. So they reached out.

The club looked into it and had some conversations but it was a pretty quick rejection. In the end, they felt we were tracking strongly (...no comment) and didn't want to disrupt the list management plan with players over 30. A thanks but no thanks; about a week or two later, Goddard re-signed.

In hindsight, we should have grabbed him then, on a free, when he still had three good years of footy left.

Could he play a Hodge-like role next year? Worth considering.

If it's leadership we are in need of then wouldn't that be the big question mark for most clubs looking to recruit him as a player and/or assistant coach?

I think there's a perception around him that he is going to struggle with. Buckley had to deal with it during his transition from player to coach so it's possible to transition but he probably needs to find a club and culture that can assist with the transition. Don't think our club is it just at the moment.

I'm definitely on the "BBJB" - Bring BJ Back bandwagon! Whilst a lot of supporters are sceptical about BJ "coming home", I have not the slightest doubt that he would be a major asset to the current team. He is an elite level player, has strong leadership credentials (a major deficiency in our present list) and would be a great mentor for the quality young talent at St Kilda. You need only look at what Luke Hodge's on field presence has done for the Lions this year, and that is precisely what BJ would bring to the Saints. There is not another out of contract elite player like BJ that could come over and the need for one at St Kilda is now paramount if the team is to progress up the ladder in 2019.

His on-field berating of team mates at the Bombers should not be regarded as a negative - to the contrary, this is what coaches expect from their leadership team, and I am sure that he is well aware of the need to do this judicially.

I have heard Essendon players speak glowingly of Goddard's understanding of the game.
His intensity for success is what we need among our coaching staff.
Maybe we can do a Mitchell deal with Goddard.
Play on until you then become an assistant coach with us.
Our team is full of players who need a Goddard rocket up them.
Including his cousin.

[resaintlee]

Surely someone at the Club has racked though the leadership groups at other clubs to find possible in form players that we could hit on like GWS, Melbourne, Brisbane and even the Eagles with Mitchell last year. These all appear to have had positive results. But not a scowling finger pointer.

[older saint]

Or we could have kept Roo or Joey around another year?????????????????????????

[wally]

Gilbert, Savage or BJ coming out of half back with football in hand,I'd prob go with old bj.
Like the idea to transition to coaching.
Having said that, we do need to recruit some mature B graders into the squad.

[saynta]

BJ had a goods game last night.

[desertsaint]

he's a shocking commentator though.

[Wayne42]

he's a shocking commentator though.

No future there for the traffic cop after his playing days are over.

[saynta]

he's a shocking commentator though.

Why?

[groupie1]

Hmmm...tempting, but he sooks alot. He seems a tad emotionally unstable.

I don't miss his finger-pointing and potting his team-mates...he would have freakin' exploded during some of our performances this year. I get the feeling he's home at Essendon these days, I reckon they'll re-sign him anyway.

FWIW, I wouldn't have minded offering NDS a 2 year contract post North, would have been handy with his delivery out of defense this year.

f***, yeah... I hadn't thought of that. Great idea on NDS - I agree with you (though I think we never should have let him go... he'd have been a worthy 300 gamer). I am rethinking the veteran stance since listening to N Reiwoldt on 360. He said, unlike in America where the talk is on veterans 'can they go on another season?', we are too quick to send people into retirement. The lines aren't too fine to read between that Roo wanted to go on. And sure, he wasn't the player he had been, but he still would have been bloody handy given Paddy wasn't, at the end of last year, going to run in and demand a spot and be the 'man' as Richo says. I think moving on Joey was the right move, but not sure about Reiwoldt, now. I think he would have been a handy flanker.

So I'm not against this bring Goddard back movement.

In fact, I think a whole new way of thinking is required: at the end of the year, don't look at birth certificates, look at performance. The question: Will that guy be part of our next premiership can have two negative answers: a/ no, he'll be too old by the time we get there; b/ he's not good enough to play in a team that wins a flag (which isn't popular post Bulldogs and Richmond, but that will change in a heartbeat when BGW beat WC in this year's GF). Then we'd have gotten rid of Gilbert and Weller and Geary instead of Joey, Roo and Dempster.

We need to get post-Ross and think of pure talent.
And it would be great if BL show the way this year that getting veterans in, or keeping them around, is a good thing even if you don't imagine them being around for your next flag tilt.

[SaintPav]

Only robbers and gypsies say that one must never return where one has been (Kierkegaard).

[Con Gorozidis]

I read the topic title as:

'If Mav lead AR to a long BJ would we offer him one year.'