Hannebury Hurts Sometimes.....

[Mr Magic]

I'd feel more comfortable writing Freeman off if we'd actually given him more of a chance to prove himself, but as is Richo's way, he loves to make a scapegoat of the young and inexperienced players whenever we are belted meanwhile backing his ordinary plodding GOPS.

BUT, 18 clubs (including us), had multiple opportunities to select him on either their Main list or Rookie list, and not one did.
So I think it is safe to assume that our Club's opinion of him seemingly was shared by the other 17 clubs - there were better options other than giving him a better chance to prove himself.

I'm talking about giving him a chance last year, 3 or 4 games that he deserved instead of a meagre 1.5 games... plenty of worse players in the side in the games he played.

I was commenting purely on the notion that he deserved to be on our list in 2019, not on the vagaries of team selection in 2018.
Most of the angst around his delisting seemed to be on the basis that he 'deserved' to be on our list - I merely noted that all 17 other clubs had an opportunity to select him and chose not to, thereby confirming our Club's decision to delist him.

[dragit]

Hard to gauge if a player deserves to stay on the list if you don't give them a decent opportunity.

Maybe he should wasn't worth another year, but dropping him after 1.5 games when there were 10 worse performing players stinks.

[dragit]

We had to sit through 30+ putrid games from Mav only to see him delisted, how did that help shape our list vs getting a look at a few more kids.

[Mr Magic]

Hard to gauge if a player deserves to stay on the list if you don't give them a decent opportunity.

Maybe he should wasn't worth another year, but dropping him after 1.5 games when there were 10 worse performing players stinks.

Or you could look at it this way :-
They knew (decided) his best was no longer good enough so they gifted him 2 AFL games in recognition of the efforts he put in?
I don't know if that's what happened but from the sidelines with very little real knowledge of what discussions took place it's relatively easy to come to a conclusion that may/may not be right/wrong.

As regards to other player selections I can only offer that I have no inside knowledge as to why any particular player was selected and neither do 99.9% of posters on here.
Therefore any comments made about team selections are pure supposition by all of us, and not fact.
Who knows why Mav was preferred? I don't know and was just as perplexed as others were at the time.
BUT I reckon it didn't have anything to do with him having 'compromising photographs' and more to do with 'real' performance issues. whatever they were.

Unlike some on here seem to believe, I don't think that every person in every position at our Club is a moron.
And I also don't think it is possible to staff an organization completely with incompetent people, from the top to the bottom.

[dragit]

Hard to gauge if a player deserves to stay on the list if you don't give them a decent opportunity.

Maybe he should wasn't worth another year, but dropping him after 1.5 games when there were 10 worse performing players stinks.

Or you could look at it this way :-
They knew (decided) his best was no longer good enough so they gifted him 2 AFL games in recognition of the efforts he put in?
I don't know if that's what happened but from the sidelines with very little real knowledge of what discussions took place it's relatively easy to come to a conclusion that may/may not be right/wrong.

As regards to other player selections I can only offer that I have no inside knowledge as to why any particular player was selected and neither do 99.9% of posters on here.
Therefore any comments made about team selections are pure supposition by all of us, and not fact.
Who knows why Mav was preferred? I don't know and was just as perplexed as others were at the time.
BUT I reckon it didn't have anything to do with him having 'compromising photographs' and more to do with 'real' performance issues. whatever they were.

Unlike some on here seem to believe, I don't think that every person in every position at our Club is a moron.
And I also don't think it is possible to staff an organization completely with incompetent people, from the top to the bottom.

I think you are probably right, I reckon Freeman had his papers stamped before playing and the decision was looking foolish when he was playing better than half the side that had been in all year... so they pulled him from the ground before he had a 20 disposal & 2 goal game.

I don't believe every person at thall club is a complete moron eithe, but I'm not even sure what you're doing on here if you don't want to discuss obvious issues at the club. We won 4 games after the coach declared us in the mix of a flag... we put 3 years, 1 million plus dollars and an early second round pick into freeman... the coach said he didn't want to rush him because "he's here for a career, not next week". Another massive blunder by the club, made worse by not actually giving him a decent opportunity to play after 5 years of rehab, when we had absolutely nothing left to play for.

"The club knows better" doesn't have any legs at this point in time.

Lets hope this Hannebery gamble pays out.

[Cairnsman]

Hard to gauge if a player deserves to stay on the list if you don't give them a decent opportunity.

Maybe he should wasn't worth another year, but dropping him after 1.5 games when there were 10 worse performing players stinks.

Or you could look at it this way :-
They knew (decided) his best was no longer good enough so they gifted him 2 AFL games in recognition of the efforts he put in?
I don't know if that's what happened but from the sidelines with very little real knowledge of what discussions took place it's relatively easy to come to a conclusion that may/may not be right/wrong.

As regards to other player selections I can only offer that I have no inside knowledge as to why any particular player was selected and neither do 99.9% of posters on here.
Therefore any comments made about team selections are pure supposition by all of us, and not fact.
Who knows why Mav was preferred? I don't know and was just as perplexed as others were at the time.
BUT I reckon it didn't have anything to do with him having 'compromising photographs' and more to do with 'real' performance issues. whatever they were.

Unlike some on here seem to believe, I don't think that every person in every position at our Club is a moron.
And I also don't think it is possible to staff an organization completely with incompetent people, from the top to the bottom.

I think you are probably right, I reckon Freeman had his papers stamped before playing and the decision was looking foolish when he was playing better than half the side that had been in all year... so they pulled him from the ground before he had a 20 disposal & 2 goal game.

I don't believe every person at thall club is a complete moron eithe, but I'm not even sure what you're doing on here if you don't want to discuss obvious issues at the club. We won 4 games after the coach declared us in the mix of a flag... we put 3 years, 1 million plus dollars and an early second round pick into freeman... the coach said he didn't want to rush him because "he's here for a career, not next week". Another massive blunder by the club, made worse by not actually giving him a decent opportunity to play after 5 years of rehab, when we had absolutely nothing left to play for.

"The club knows better" doesn't have any legs at this point in time.

Lets hope this Hannebery gamble pays out.

Ok you've sucked me in, so if we take your logic to it's conclusion, professionals shouldn't have an idea about where they think his players or team's performance-goals should be set, is this your expectation? You sound like you are making the argument Alan should have declared at the start of 2018 the year was going to be train wreck because it was soooooo bloody obvious. You are genius.

Nah, at the start of 2018 After a relatively successful 2016 and 2017 campaign was it not right to set the bar a little higher for 2018?

Captain Farking Hindsight. Sheez!

Got any free thoughts?

<warning for circumventing the swear filter>

[dragit]

Captain Farking Hindsight. Sheez!

Got any free thoughts?

Here you go captain <edited by mods>… is March considered hindsight?

Fourteenth.

http://saintsational.net/viewtopic.php? ... 7#p1714197

Alan has absolutely NFI, just like you.]

<warning for abuse>

[skeptic]

I wasn’t a huge Nathan Freeman fan by any stretch of the imagination... whilst numerous forumites here virtually guaranteed that he’d be an elite player for us, if you read the few VFLmatch reports/obs I did/shared I thought he was average at best.

That said, surely you can’t help but at least be a little bit miffed at the circumstances of his delisting.

Firstly the club persevere with him for 2 years where he pretty much does stuff all due to injury.

Then in his third year where he gets on the park and plays consistently for Sandy at least featuring in the best on a few occasions... with forumites screaming for him to play, he doesn’t get a look in for what 17-18 games whilst the Saints season is over by round 5.

In that same time guys like Weller, Newnes, Armitage, Lonie, Sinclair, Dunstan to name a few get multiple opportunities despite patches of fairly mediocre form.

Then finally he does play... actually has a pretty good game, then only gets to play a half and he’s banished from the team then list.

Yes there was something of a messiah complex with Freeman and it’s doubtful that he was going to be an elite player... but surely you can’t look at this scenario and go this is perfectly clear and logical. It feels like either his papers were stamped before they played him (in which case why bother) or something happened in 2018 that led him to fall out favour. And if its the latter, it at least appears not to be form related because he appeared at least at the same level as a lot of other players on the list albeit less experienced

Either way it at least feels a bit odd

[Cairnsman]

Captain Farking Hindsight. Sheez!

Got any free thoughts?

Here you go captain <edited by mods>… is March considered hindsight?

Fourteenth.

http://saintsational.net/viewtopic.php? ... 7#p1714197

Alan has absolutely NFI, just like you.]

<warning for abuse>

Ahhh ok now I get it, because you group thunk the prediction of failure before it happened you think that is free thinking.

Well Percy I'm here to tell you anyone can predict failure in the way you have when connected to social media and forums like this.

All you are is a groupthink decision maker. Google it.

Pffft

[Cairnsman]

I wasn’t a huge Nathan Freeman fan by any stretch of the imagination... whilst numerous forumites here virtually guaranteed that he’d be an elite player for us, if you read the few VFLmatch reports/obs I did/shared I thought he was average at best.

That said, surely you can’t help but at least be a little bit miffed at the circumstances of his delisting.

Firstly the club persevere with him for 2 years where he pretty much does stuff all due to injury.

Then in his third year where he gets on the park and plays consistently for Sandy at least featuring in the best on a few occasions... with forumites screaming for him to play, he doesn’t get a look in for what 17-18 games whilst the Saints season is over by round 5.

In that same time guys like Weller, Newnes, Armitage, Lonie, Sinclair, Dunstan to name a few get multiple opportunities despite patches of fairly mediocre form.

Then finally he does play... actually has a pretty good game, then only gets to play a half and he’s banished from the team then list.

Yes there was something of a messiah complex with Freeman and it’s doubtful that he was going to be an elite player... but surely you can’t look at this scenario and go this is perfectly clear and logical. It feels like either his papers were stamped before they played him (in which case why bother) or something happened in 2018 that led him to fall out favour. And if its the latter, it at least appears not to be form related because he appeared at least at the same level as a lot of other players on the list albeit less experienced

Either way it at least feels a bit odd

Simon Lethlean happened.

[skeptic]

I wasn’t a huge Nathan Freeman fan by any stretch of the imagination... whilst numerous forumites here virtually guaranteed that he’d be an elite player for us, if you read the few VFLmatch reports/obs I did/shared I thought he was average at best.

That said, surely you can’t help but at least be a little bit miffed at the circumstances of his delisting.

Firstly the club persevere with him for 2 years where he pretty much does stuff all due to injury.

Then in his third year where he gets on the park and plays consistently for Sandy at least featuring in the best on a few occasions... with forumites screaming for him to play, he doesn’t get a look in for what 17-18 games whilst the Saints season is over by round 5.

In that same time guys like Weller, Newnes, Armitage, Lonie, Sinclair, Dunstan to name a few get multiple opportunities despite patches of fairly mediocre form.

Then finally he does play... actually has a pretty good game, then only gets to play a half and he’s banished from the team then list.

Yes there was something of a messiah complex with Freeman and it’s doubtful that he was going to be an elite player... but surely you can’t look at this scenario and go this is perfectly clear and logical. It feels like either his papers were stamped before they played him (in which case why bother) or something happened in 2018 that led him to fall out favour. And if its the latter, it at least appears not to be form related because he appeared at least at the same level as a lot of other players on the list albeit less experienced

Either way it at least feels a bit odd

Simon Lethlean happened.

That’s not really a point

[Cairnsman]

I wasn’t a huge Nathan Freeman fan by any stretch of the imagination... whilst numerous forumites here virtually guaranteed that he’d be an elite player for us, if you read the few VFLmatch reports/obs I did/shared I thought he was average at best.

That said, surely you can’t help but at least be a little bit miffed at the circumstances of his delisting.

Firstly the club persevere with him for 2 years where he pretty much does stuff all due to injury.

Then in his third year where he gets on the park and plays consistently for Sandy at least featuring in the best on a few occasions... with forumites screaming for him to play, he doesn’t get a look in for what 17-18 games whilst the Saints season is over by round 5.

In that same time guys like Weller, Newnes, Armitage, Lonie, Sinclair, Dunstan to name a few get multiple opportunities despite patches of fairly mediocre form.

Then finally he does play... actually has a pretty good game, then only gets to play a half and he’s banished from the team then list.

Yes there was something of a messiah complex with Freeman and it’s doubtful that he was going to be an elite player... but surely you can’t look at this scenario and go this is perfectly clear and logical. It feels like either his papers were stamped before they played him (in which case why bother) or something happened in 2018 that led him to fall out favour. And if its the latter, it at least appears not to be form related because he appeared at least at the same level as a lot of other players on the list albeit less experienced

Either way it at least feels a bit odd

Simon Lethlean happened.

That’s not really a point

Yeah it is, it's in response to your various musings over a long time about decision making you seem heap blame for at the feet of Alan. You do realise Alan has a boss, in actual fact he has a few bosses and the modern footy club is not run by just one bloke.

[skeptic]

I wasn’t a huge Nathan Freeman fan by any stretch of the imagination... whilst numerous forumites here virtually guaranteed that he’d be an elite player for us, if you read the few VFLmatch reports/obs I did/shared I thought he was average at best.

That said, surely you can’t help but at least be a little bit miffed at the circumstances of his delisting.

Firstly the club persevere with him for 2 years where he pretty much does stuff all due to injury.

Then in his third year where he gets on the park and plays consistently for Sandy at least featuring in the best on a few occasions... with forumites screaming for him to play, he doesn’t get a look in for what 17-18 games whilst the Saints season is over by round 5.

In that same time guys like Weller, Newnes, Armitage, Lonie, Sinclair, Dunstan to name a few get multiple opportunities despite patches of fairly mediocre form.

Then finally he does play... actually has a pretty good game, then only gets to play a half and he’s banished from the team then list.

Yes there was something of a messiah complex with Freeman and it’s doubtful that he was going to be an elite player... but surely you can’t look at this scenario and go this is perfectly clear and logical. It feels like either his papers were stamped before they played him (in which case why bother) or something happened in 2018 that led him to fall out favour. And if its the latter, it at least appears not to be form related because he appeared at least at the same level as a lot of other players on the list albeit less experienced

Either way it at least feels a bit odd

Simon Lethlean happened.

That’s not really a point

Yeah it is, it's in response to your various musings over a long time about decision making you seem heap blame for at the feet of Alan. You do realise Alan has a boss, in actual fact he has a few bosses and the modern footy club is not run by just one bloke.

So you don’t think Alan is the most responsible or should be the most accountable for team selection and list management issues.

His bosses, who aren’t on the coaching panel, should take some heat here?
Here bring the topic of Nathan Freeman

[skeptic]

And to add...
I didn’t bring Richo into the conversation here. I just summarised how Freeman was used in his time with us.

Some ppl thought his delisting made perfect sense... I don’t.

What do you think?

[Mr Magic]

I don't believe every person at thall club is a complete moron eithe, but I'm not even sure what you're doing on here if you don't want to discuss obvious issues at the club.

I'm here because I like to discuss/debate issues rationally.
I'm not interested in discussing/debating emotional claptrap which is what often happens here.
But I'm just one poster and I have no influence (nor should I) on what gets posted on here.

Although I must confess I get 'riled up' by obvious nonsense like 'he got selected because he's the Coach's pet'
On this topic I'm one who believes that every selection is made with reasoning.
I may not agree with the reasoning and I may think that reasoning is flawed, but I don't believe our Club is reverting to schoolyard lunchtime footy and selecting players based on 'friendships' rather than merit.

And I'll go one step further and make the following observation that may not be received popularly on here.
I think every decision made at the Club is made after consideration.
None are 'knee-jerk reactionary decisions.
List Management
Coaching Appointments
Team Selections
Support Staff
Head Office Staff
etc

That's not to say I agree with all the decisions made.
I just believe that no AFL Club, including us. is run in the amateurish way some on here portray ours as.

[Mr Magic]

And to add...
I didn’t bring Richo into the conversation here. I just summarised how Freeman was used in his time with us.

Some ppl thought his delisting made perfect sense... I don’t.

What do you think?

Other delisted players were taken by other Clubs, so it would seem that Clubs do due diligence and if they believe a delisted player is worth a spot on their list then they take him.
None of the other 17 Clubs chose to take him on any list.
Surely that is affirmation of our decision to delist him?

[dragit]

Captain Farking Hindsight. Sheez!

Got any free thoughts?

Here you go captain <edited by mods>… is March considered hindsight?

Fourteenth.

http://saintsational.net/viewtopic.php? ... 7#p1714197

Alan has absolutely NFI, just like you.]

<warning for abuse>

Ahhh ok now I get it, because you group thunk the prediction of failure before it happened you think that is free thinking.

Well Percy I'm here to tell you anyone can predict failure in the way you have when connected to social media and forums like this.

All you are is a groupthink decision maker. Google it.

Pffft

Ironic that you suggest others 'google' groupthink when you clearly don't understand the concept, have you tried googling it yourself?

Groupthink is a psychological phenomenon that occurs within a group of people in which the desire for harmony or conformity in the group results in an irrational or dysfunctional decision-making outcome. Group members try to minimize conflict and reach a consensus decision without critical evaluation of alternative viewpoints by actively suppressing dissenting viewpoints , and by isolating themselves from outside influences.

Groupthink requires individuals to avoid raising controversial issues or alternative solutions, and there is loss of individual creativity, uniqueness and independent thinking.

Sounds a lot more like you than me bud?

Me thinks someone needs a new psychology buzz-phrase that he actually understands.

If you look through the predictions thread, more people had us in the top 8 than bottom 4-5, so "the groupthink " is clearly team blue sky.

At any rate, we were far worse than I was predicting, 4 wins will get you a wooden spoon in plenty of seasons, 15th was flattering in the end.

[dragit]

I don't believe every person at thall club is a complete moron eithe, but I'm not even sure what you're doing on here if you don't want to discuss obvious issues at the club.

I'm here because I like to discuss/debate issues rationally.
I'm not interested in discussing/debating emotional claptrap which is what often happens here.
But I'm just one poster and I have no influence (nor should I) on what gets posted on here.

Although I must confess I get 'riled up' by obvious nonsense like 'he got selected because he's the Coach's pet'
On this topic I'm one who believes that every selection is made with reasoning.
I may not agree with the reasoning and I may think that reasoning is flawed, but I don't believe our Club is reverting to schoolyard lunchtime footy and selecting players based on 'friendships' rather than merit.

And I'll go one step further and make the following observation that may not be received popularly on here.
I think every decision made at the Club is made after consideration.
None are 'knee-jerk reactionary decisions.
List Management
Coaching Appointments
Team Selections
Support Staff
Head Office Staff
etc

That's not to say I agree with all the decisions made.
I just believe that no AFL Club, including us. is run in the amateurish way some on here portray ours as.

Clearly there is "some consideration" behind every decision, but if the outcome is poor then people will raise the issues, I don't see any problem with that. The fact that we have replaced essentially every person in the football and recruiting department suggests that the decisions we were making weren't considered helpful to our future success.

I disagree on the "mates" selection theory though, I think there is definitely still a favuorites/mates culture even at AFL level - at all clubs. I think that's okay to a degree, but coaches careers live and die by these choices. Using Weller as an example, he's played 89 games in 5 years, essentially selected every time he was available… then delisted just as he enters his prime 26/27. Richo backed him in and that decision has ultimately failed, meanwhile Ben Long only played 4 games in 2017 and is still 2 seasons off 50 games.

Older players have definitely been given more leeway for poor performances compared to younger guys. I don't even need to go into the names as we've thrashed it out many times. It's fine to suggest that there was thought behind each and every selection, but I think it's also fine to question them.

[ListManager]

I'd feel more comfortable writing Freeman off if we'd actually given him more of a chance to prove himself, but as is Richo's way, he loves to make a scapegoat of the young and inexperienced players whenever we are belted meanwhile backing his ordinary plodding GOPS.

Freemans first game from 80% game time:
19 touches, 84 % DE, 3 tackles - not a bad debut, nothing extraordinary.

(sinclair 15, Coffield 10, Newnes 9,

Game two
with only 55% game time
14 disposals, 9 kicks, 78% DE, 5 marks, 2 tackles, 1.1 goal, 1 goal assist,
Our 8th rated player on the ground, would have comfortably been in our top 5 players with more game time yet is benched and his career deemed over. Looking at a 20+, 8 mark, 2 goal, 3-4 tackle game…

After working through rehab for 5 years the guy deserved a better opportunity than 1.5 games, instead we saw more of the same insipid crap from a handful of guys on a golden ticket.

How on earth he is the only player omitted after such a poor team performance is hard to justify…
meanwhile - Webster, McKenzie, Gresham, Newnes, Long, Paton, Carlisle, Rice, Acres, Sinclair, Geary, Membrey were all very ordinary.

Top post dragit. Meanwhile saintspremiers bags my post and calls me a troll for having the same opinion. I have reported his post and it will be interesting to see if he gets a warning or ban.

[Cairnsman]

And to add...
I didn’t bring Richo into the conversation here. I just summarised how Freeman was used in his time with us.

Some ppl thought his delisting made perfect sense... I don’t.

What do you think?

See the post from MM for what I think. You have a serious mindset towards an individual however the modern club is not run the way you critique it.

[skeptic]

And to add...
I didn’t bring Richo into the conversation here. I just summarised how Freeman was used in his time with us.

Some ppl thought his delisting made perfect sense... I don’t.

What do you think?

See the post from MM for what I think. You have a serious mindset towards an individual however the modern club is not run the way you critique it.

I would suggest you’re more preoccupied about particular mindsets.
We were talking about Freeman here. I gave an opinion on the topic at hand... your morphing it into something else. I didn’t attribute anything to Richo but merely summed up his time.

Apparently you think that the way that went down was hunky dory. Fair enough. It’s an odd view to me but so be it

[Cairnsman]

And to add...
I didn’t bring Richo into the conversation here. I just summarised how Freeman was used in his time with us.

Some ppl thought his delisting made perfect sense... I don’t.

What do you think?

See the post from MM for what I think. You have a serious mindset towards an individual however the modern club is not run the way you critique it.

I would suggest you’re more preoccupied about particular mindsets.
We were talking about Freeman here. I gave an opinion on the topic at hand... your morphing it into something else. I didn’t attribute anything to Richo but merely summed up his time.

Apparently you think that the way that went down was hunky dory. Fair enough. It’s an odd view to me but so be it

Nathan didn't get picked up by another club, that alone makes me think the club made the right decision, the fact that you think you know better is intriguing. And are you suggesting you aren't drawing Alan into your reasoning?

Also will be interesting to see how Mav Weller goes this year, who will be to blame at our club if he makes it into the best 22 of a premiership contending side.

[skeptic]

And to add...
I didn’t bring Richo into the conversation here. I just summarised how Freeman was used in his time with us.

Some ppl thought his delisting made perfect sense... I don’t.

What do you think?

See the post from MM for what I think. You have a serious mindset towards an individual however the modern club is not run the way you critique it.

I would suggest you’re more preoccupied about particular mindsets.
We were talking about Freeman here. I gave an opinion on the topic at hand... your morphing it into something else. I didn’t attribute anything to Richo but merely summed up his time.

Apparently you think that the way that went down was hunky dory. Fair enough. It’s an odd view to me but so be it

Nathan didn't get picked up by another club, that alone makes me think the club made the right decision, the fact that you think you know better is intriguing. And are you suggesting you aren't drawing Alan into your reasoning?

Also will be interesting to see how Mav Weller goes this year, who will be to blame at our club if he makes it into the best 22 of a premiership contending side.

I didn’t say I know better... just that the way we used him was odd.
And to be honest it’s hard to see where the argument is... why play him then not to play him? End of the day my argument is that they could have played him more to make a more informed decision

I would say that your view that a decision is right because the club always knows better is much more concrete.

[skeptic]

And on Alan... again we were talking about Freeman. I said how it happened was odd.

First you said it was Lethlan influencing the decision making and now you’re frequently bringing it back to the coach.
Am really struggling with your thought form here

[Cairnsman]

And to add...
I didn’t bring Richo into the conversation here. I just summarised how Freeman was used in his time with us.

Some ppl thought his delisting made perfect sense... I don’t.

What do you think?

See the post from MM for what I think. You have a serious mindset towards an individual however the modern club is not run the way you critique it.

I would suggest you’re more preoccupied about particular mindsets.
We were talking about Freeman here. I gave an opinion on the topic at hand... your morphing it into something else. I didn’t attribute anything to Richo but merely summed up his time.

Apparently you think that the way that went down was hunky dory. Fair enough. It’s an odd view to me but so be it

Nathan didn't get picked up by another club, that alone makes me think the club made the right decision, the fact that you think you know better is intriguing. And are you suggesting you aren't drawing Alan into your reasoning?

Also will be interesting to see how Mav Weller goes this year, who will be to blame at our club if he makes it into the best 22 of a premiership contending side.

I didn’t say I know better... just that the way we used him was odd.
And to be honest it’s hard to see where the argument is... why play him then not to play him? End of the day my argument is that they could have played him more to make a more informed decision

I would say that your view that a decision is right because the club always knows better is much more concrete.

Clearly they didn't need to play him more to know he wasn't going to make it. Clearly. What's odd about that? No other club picked him up, why didn't another club pick him up to play him at AFL level to make a more informed decision?

It would have been odd to keep playing him if you already knew he wasn't going to make it. So who's fault was this odd behaviour?