Hannebery unlikely to play AFL in first month of season

[Bowey Boy]

In news that should surprise nobody, Tom Scully well may play before our star recruit.

[sunsaint]

Money for Jam

...and the bread is free

[WellardSaint]

If this year is not to be the total train wreck that it is currently heading towards, it will be because a bunch of our younger players step up and prove that they can be the players we all hope they can be...
Billings, Gresham, Pierce, Marshall, Lonie, Long, Clarke, Coffield, membrey, acres, Dunstan, Steele, Webster, Ross...i know i've missed a heap more...

These guys are ready, some have more games in them than others, but as a collective, we have enough games into guys that if good enough, we can still have a year of improvement...

surely we have to win more than 4.5 games this year.
GC, Lions, Carlton, Melbourne (if we're lucky) and get 2 upset wins against the odds...

Melbourne

Ahh you do realise they're one of the premiership favourites this year?

'If we're lucky' was what i wrote.
And...how about Maddie's Match in 2017?

[SAAD]

Our Daisy Thomas.

[guitars4]

Our Daisy Thomas.

IMO Daisy has way more upside than Dan.

[stonecold]

Our Daisy Thomas.

IMO Daisy has way more upside than Dan.

Fair enough, looking forward to seeing how your theory plays out!!!!!

[guitars4]

Our Daisy Thomas.

IMO Daisy has way more upside than Dan.

Fair enough, looking forward to seeing how your theory plays out!!!!!

Me too

[gringo]

The decision to recruit Hannebery borders on corruption.

It's a bit of a worry if true, that Lethlean pushed him on the football department. Libba and Trout aren't the most gifted recruiters judged on their lack of stars brought in under their watch and Gallagher was recruited this year despite coming from a professional services management role in banking. To me after the assistant coaching was cleaned up, recruiting represents an area of extreme weakness at the club. At least the Blues can pretty much bank about 4 or 5 players who look like stars, Gresham is our only draftee that looks top shelf so far.

[saintspremiers]

It was a gamble we had to take.

Pass on Hanners and then you just overpay others.

They then get comfortable and lazy and go downhill m.

Everyone loses in that scenario.

[saintkid]

Absolutely farcical.
I said the day he was recruited he would miss more games than he plays.
In what universe is an injury prone Hannebery coming off two very ordinary injury interrupted seasons at 28 years of age worthy of a five year contract at $800,000 a year?
Seriously, this is beyond ridiculous.
The incompetence and stupidity at this football club is off the charts.
This was always going to be a massive mistake.
This is clearly a damning inditement on the competence of those responsible for this insanity.

Hannebery won’t be available until Round 4 at the nearest that’s the latest from my sources.
He has a 800k contract with few if any performance based clauses ie. he gets paid regardless if he plays. His hamstrings are very dodgy I know that from a few sources so Lethlean has opened himself up to an inside job between 2 old Xavier boys.

I reported this on Saturday it’s very concerning.

You certainly did Vazelos and a decision like this, "a 800k contract with few if any performance based clauses" defies total logic. When you consider the debt ridden state of the club and a supposedly competent administration that is also very well paid, what on earth are these morons doing? Seriously, the recruitment of Hannebery had so many red flags, that it's hardly surprising he cannot get himself right after a 5 month off season period. A guaranteed $800K for a bloke with known body problems always spelt disaster for a club that has major cash flow problems. Well done Lethlean & co for driving another big nail into the club's coffin.

[lewdogs]

Um he's not out for the season. Let's just hold our horses. When he comes back in he will be very good for us, just need to be patient.

[DJ Higgins]

It was a gamble we had to take.

Pass on Hanners and then you just overpay others.

They then get comfortable and lazy and go downhill m.

Everyone loses in that scenario.

understand the sentiment but disagree completely. We didn't have to take this gamble at all, not for the money nor the length of the contract. We were not playing finals this year with or without Dan Hanneberry and there are free agents available at the end of every year and we could have waited another year easy. we coull have paid player contract forward as well.

At the end of this year we will actually know how good or bad it was but I am guessing out for two months at least. Old player with a broken body, we got taken for a ride

[saintkid]

It was a gamble we had to take.

Pass on Hanners and then you just overpay others.

They then get comfortable and lazy and go downhill m.

Everyone loses in that scenario.

At the end of this year we will actually know how good or bad it was but I am guessing out for two months at least. Old player with a broken body, we got taken for a ride

How can you not see it as being taken for a ride? Hannebery had September 2018 till March 2019 to get himself right already. The odds are that he will continue to struggle with his broken body.

[Waltzing St Kilda]

The club has been very good at making "eyebrow raising" decisions in recent years.
That's all they're good at.

Remember that Mick Malthouse was scathing about the Hannerbury recruitment before it happened.
Many others were openly sceptical.
The club went ahead and did it anyway.

Memo to club. How about making a few decisions that are unequivocally right?

[SaintPav]

I was completely against the decision to recruit him and was prepared to even not renew my membership but did so for personal reasons.

I was hopeful it would all work out but it now looks like I was deluding myself.

[guitars4]

I was completely against the decision to recruit him and was prepared to even not renew my membership but did so for personal reasons.

I was hopeful it would all work out but it now looks like I was deluding myself.

Blind Freddy could see that this was a poor decision & like you I have been very vocal since day 1. I hope he proves me wrong but I strongly doubt it .

[Yorkeys]

As mentioned above if Hannebery is not ready by now and not doing full training he is gone for good and sigh, more wasted money/opportunities. I suppose that's hindsight but I wonder what Lethlean thought was the payoff if DH actually could overcome his battered body, $800k a year means a mighty return on the field - what would he have thought was a relatively risk free break even point. So what might be the opportunity cost? Billings leaving (we could have given him an offer he can't refuse), other player agents will now play hard ball because they know a) we are dumb and b) there is a precedent. Lethlean has two serious industry strikes so he won't be poached or get the CEO job, just a time server now. So many long term injuries, you know the list, Jack Steven angry at the 2018 post season interview and now depressed (although possible not predominately about AR and our style) is it all just bad luck or poor player management. The stage is set for the fit players to take control and the group show leadership where the execs and coach can't. Freed of having to worry about the tripe they have been fed for a few years just play your natural games, enjoy and who knows what you can achieve. Club management/Senior coach credibility is rock bottom. New President, be presidential. Ratten and Lade, all power to your arms.

[saynta]

Calls are being made way way to early ffs.

[stonecold]

Calls are being made way way to early ffs.

Way too early, but nothing unusual, too many shadow jumpers on this forum!!!!!

[guitars4]

Calls are being made way way to early ffs.

Fair enough but what makes you think it was a good move to give him a 5 year deal on 800k ? I'm not condemning you I just like to know why you think this was a good move, everyone is entitled to their opinion & I respect that even if I don't agree with it

[takeaway]

Calls are being made way way to early ffs.

Fair enough but what makes you think it was a good move to give him a 5 year deal on 800k ? I'm not condemning you I just like to know why you think this was a good move, everyone is entitled to their opinion & I respect that even if I don't agree with it

We should have a definitive answer in 5 years.

[Enrico_Misso]

Calls are being made way way to early ffs.

Fair enough but what makes you think it was a good move to give him a 5 year deal on 800k ? I'm not condemning you I just like to know why you think this was a good move, everyone is entitled to their opinion & I respect that even if I don't agree with it

We should have a definitive answer in 5 years.

Given we have $12m in debt wasting $4m on a highly speculative recruit is irresponsible.
Worry is that Lethlean stepped in to endorse the deal largely on their mutual Xavier connection.

The recruitment should have been based on medical reports and balanced logic rather than a mutual interest in quirky handshakes and hedge burning.

[sunsaint]

I don't know about anyone else
but I'm getting a little tired of these five year plans

[Devilhead]

2 days out and the Henny Penny brigade are working themselves themselves into a hot sweaty moist lather

Seriously start the season already

[takeaway]

Calls are being made way way to early ffs.

Fair enough but what makes you think it was a good move to give him a 5 year deal on 800k ? I'm not condemning you I just like to know why you think this was a good move, everyone is entitled to their opinion & I respect that even if I don't agree with it

We should have a definitive answer in 5 years.

Given we have $12m in debt wasting $4m on a highly speculative recruit is irresponsible.
Worry is that Lethlean stepped in to endorse the deal largely on their mutual Xavier connection.

The recruitment should have been based on medical reports and balanced logic rather than a mutual interest in quirky handshakes and hedge burning.

Not $4m, we would have another player on the list if we didn't get Hannebury. So more like $1.5m. Let's see how he goes over the coming years, not weeks.