Hannebery unlikely to play AFL in first month of season

[DJ Higgins]

I think it was a mistake, a big one, but I will at least wait for half the season to be over before writing him off.

[Aussie Jonestown]

Let's see how he goes over the coming years, not weeks.

I'm tipping Hannebery will retire after two or three seasons and reach a negotiated settlement.

I hoped they would not follow through with recruiting him when word got out St.kilda were interested.
I hoped it was just talk and the club would not be that stupid to recruit him, given he had two very ordinary injury interrupted seasons and at 28 years of age his best football was well behind him.
Then they insanely give him a massive $800,000 a year contract for five years.
FOUR MILLION DOLLARS
I've read on here the fifth year is triggered if he plays a certain quota of games.
If true then this rules out the fifth year.
In what universe is an injury prone 28 year old coming off two very ordinary injury interrupted seasons worthy of $800,000 a year for FIVE YEARS?
This is insane.
I would have been against recruiting him even if the deal was $500,000 for three years.
St.kilda gave Sydney two second round draft picks... our first second round selection which might eventually be pick 19, 20 or 21 and 39 for pick 28.
You don't need to be Tesla to figure out this was a massive mistake from the get go.
Is this incompetence on steroids or does it have something to do with looking after a good mates son at the expense of the football club?
Nothing about this deal makes any sense at all.
Absolutely farcical and quite frankly am disgusted at the total stupidity of those responsible for this mind blowing incompetence.

[amusingname]

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.

Agreed. Also, its not like paying the cap is a choice, we have to do it and I believe we have been paying the minimum we can for a few years. Who else should we be paying that is currently underpaid on the list?

[freely]

I think they must've felt like they had to recruit somebody - anybody! - there'd been so much talk about the warchest.

[guitars4]

I think they must've felt like they had to recruit somebody - anybody! - there'd been so much talk about the warchest.

I think they could have spent their cash a little more wisely & he might come good & I am more than happy to eat humble pie if he does but I'm not holding my breath

[gringo]

Let's see how he goes over the coming years, not weeks.

I'm tipping Hannebery will retire after two or three seasons and reach a negotiated settlement.

I hoped they would not follow through with recruiting him when word got out St.kilda were interested.
I hoped it was just talk and the club would not be that stupid to recruit him, given he had two very ordinary injury interrupted seasons and at 28 years of age his best football was well behind him.
Then they insanely give him a massive $800,000 a year contract for five years.
FOUR MILLION DOLLARS
I've read on here the fifth year is triggered if he plays a certain quota of games.
If true then this rules out the fifth year.
In what universe is an injury prone 28 year old coming off two very ordinary injury interrupted seasons worthy of $800,000 a year for FIVE YEARS?
This is insane.
I would have been against recruiting him even if the deal was $500,000 for three years.
St.kilda gave Sydney two second round draft picks... our first second round selection which might eventually be pick 19, 20 or 21 and 39 for pick 28.
You don't need to be Tesla to figure out this was a massive mistake from the get go.
Is this incompetence on steroids or does it have something to do with looking after a good mates son at the expense of the football club?
Nothing about this deal makes any sense at all.
Absolutely farcical and quite frankly am disgusted at the total stupidity of those responsible for this mind blowing incompetence.

Someone on big footy who claims to be an insider said he has very few performance based stipulations on his contract. I assume he will get about $2 million this year, $1.5 next, $1 mill in year three and $500,000 in year 5 anyway. Otherwise we did some idiotic list management.

[SaintPav]

wtf!

[sunsaint]

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

Seriously start the season already

You're ready to go
I'm ready to go
Daniel is not

But I do like your Henny Penny reference
Maybe the club did act in a bit of a panic, not been able to attract a big fish over the years
Could we look back on this decision as the Hennypenbery saga

[CQ SAINT]

Let's see how he goes over the coming years, not weeks.

I'm tipping Hannebery will retire after two or three seasons and reach a negotiated settlement.

I hoped they would not follow through with recruiting him when word got out St.kilda were interested.
I hoped it was just talk and the club would not be that stupid to recruit him, given he had two very ordinary injury interrupted seasons and at 28 years of age his best football was well behind him.
Then they insanely give him a massive $800,000 a year contract for five years.
FOUR MILLION DOLLARS
I've read on here the fifth year is triggered if he plays a certain quota of games.
If true then this rules out the fifth year.
In what universe is an injury prone 28 year old coming off two very ordinary injury interrupted seasons worthy of $800,000 a year for FIVE YEARS?
This is insane.
I would have been against recruiting him even if the deal was $500,000 for three years.
St.kilda gave Sydney two second round draft picks... our first second round selection which might eventually be pick 19, 20 or 21 and 39 for pick 28.
You don't need to be Tesla to figure out this was a massive mistake from the get go.
Is this incompetence on steroids or does it have something to do with looking after a good mates son at the expense of the football club?
Nothing about this deal makes any sense at all.
Absolutely farcical and quite frankly am disgusted at the total stupidity of those responsible for this mind blowing incompetence.

Someone on big footy who claims to be an insider said he has very few performance based stipulations on his contract. I assume he will get about $2 million this year, $1.5 next, $1 mill in year three and $500,000 in year 5 anyway. Otherwise we did some idiotic list management.

So it is 5 million over 5 years now? I just cant believe how people get so lost in speculation. I know you are gonna tell me you added it up wrong but that just adds weight to the fact you are making it up.

[Myron Gaines]

3.2 over 4 plus 800 over 1 if he plays a quota of games. I doubt he reaches that quota.

[Ghost Like]

I should have invested in hamstrings. They were worth $300K a few years ago & now they $800K. Damn the real estate & stock markets!

[gringo]

Let's see how he goes over the coming years, not weeks.

I'm tipping Hannebery will retire after two or three seasons and reach a negotiated settlement.

I hoped they would not follow through with recruiting him when word got out St.kilda were interested.
I hoped it was just talk and the club would not be that stupid to recruit him, given he had two very ordinary injury interrupted seasons and at 28 years of age his best football was well behind him.
Then they insanely give him a massive $800,000 a year contract for five years.
FOUR MILLION DOLLARS
I've read on here the fifth year is triggered if he plays a certain quota of games.
If true then this rules out the fifth year.
In what universe is an injury prone 28 year old coming off two very ordinary injury interrupted seasons worthy of $800,000 a year for FIVE YEARS?
This is insane.
I would have been against recruiting him even if the deal was $500,000 for three years.
St.kilda gave Sydney two second round draft picks... our first second round selection which might eventually be pick 19, 20 or 21 and 39 for pick 28.
You don't need to be Tesla to figure out this was a massive mistake from the get go.
Is this incompetence on steroids or does it have something to do with looking after a good mates son at the expense of the football club?
Nothing about this deal makes any sense at all.
Absolutely farcical and quite frankly am disgusted at the total stupidity of those responsible for this mind blowing incompetence.

Someone on big footy who claims to be an insider said he has very few performance based stipulations on his contract. I assume he will get about $2 million this year, $1.5 next, $1 mill in year three and $500,000 in year 5 anyway. Otherwise we did some idiotic list management.

So it is 5 million over 5 years now? I just cant believe how people get so lost in speculation. I know you are gonna tell me you added it up wrong but that just adds weight to the fact you are making it up.

You're just getting worked up. My point was that he will be heavily front loaded as he should be. He will get a bulk of his money in the first two years because we want space later and no-one else is taking the money. The point still stands despite the poor maths. If he plays in year 5 or not he won't be on much then regardless.

[CQ SAINT]

Let's see how he goes over the coming years, not weeks.

I'm tipping Hannebery will retire after two or three seasons and reach a negotiated settlement.

I hoped they would not follow through with recruiting him when word got out St.kilda were interested.
I hoped it was just talk and the club would not be that stupid to recruit him, given he had two very ordinary injury interrupted seasons and at 28 years of age his best football was well behind him.
Then they insanely give him a massive $800,000 a year contract for five years.
FOUR MILLION DOLLARS
I've read on here the fifth year is triggered if he plays a certain quota of games.
If true then this rules out the fifth year.
In what universe is an injury prone 28 year old coming off two very ordinary injury interrupted seasons worthy of $800,000 a year for FIVE YEARS?
This is insane.
I would have been against recruiting him even if the deal was $500,000 for three years.
St.kilda gave Sydney two second round draft picks... our first second round selection which might eventually be pick 19, 20 or 21 and 39 for pick 28.
You don't need to be Tesla to figure out this was a massive mistake from the get go.
Is this incompetence on steroids or does it have something to do with looking after a good mates son at the expense of the football club?
Nothing about this deal makes any sense at all.
Absolutely farcical and quite frankly am disgusted at the total stupidity of those responsible for this mind blowing incompetence.

Someone on big footy who claims to be an insider said he has very few performance based stipulations on his contract. I assume he will get about $2 million this year, $1.5 next, $1 mill in year three and $500,000 in year 5 anyway. Otherwise we did some idiotic list management.

So it is 5 million over 5 years now? I just cant believe how people get so lost in speculation. I know you are gonna tell me you added it up wrong but that just adds weight to the fact you are making it up.

You're just getting worked up. My point was that he will be heavily front loaded as he should be. He will get a bulk of his money in the first two years because we want space later and no-one else is taking the money. The point still stands despite the poor maths. If he plays in year 5 or not he won't be on much then regardless.

I dont think he will be that heavily front loaded. Well nowhere near 2 million this year. Lol.

We traded 1 and delisted 3 senior players who would have been on decent coin and traded in Hanners and Kent and 7 first year players.

Im pretty sure we wouldn't even have opened up the war chest. In fact we may have just topped it up a little.

Our list is better than it was and our financial position, TPP wise, probably hasnt changed. The Hannerbery risk works for me at this point.

Roberton and Paddy will hurt but they were great value when they signed and if Paddy comes good he will play for peanuts just to pay us back.

Carlisle's stocks just dropped.

Our contract management is actually in good shape.
Im not getting worked up, Im getting excited about the next 3 years, including this year. I'm also not blinded by a false sense of doom before round one.

There is probably only 5 players on their last years contract this year that we cant replace easily and cheaper and we will pick up a decent draft pick.

We found Membrey, Savage, Austin, Steele and Roberton lingering on other lists

Long, Paton and Marshall were 2nd time draftees and Battle, Clark and Coffield are developing beautifully.

Im actually expecting improvement from Newnes, Savage, Sinclair and Dunstan this year and who knows what Hind, Wilkie, Young and Parker will do.

We can afford to flash cash at Billings and Gresham abd Geary wont go anywhere.

Bring on 2 big fish. Sydmey are farked TTP wise and we dont look like a threat to them as a trading partner.

I just like to look deeper than BF and SSFF diatribe when trying to rationalise the pisition my footy club is in.

If our 40,000+ Melbourne based supporters/members would get off there social media and fill up the seats at Marvel things would turn a lot friggin quicker.

Its not easy supporting this club, I know. But I refuse to bag it or anyone who plays for it. If I did, I would try to at least get my argument and facts straight. Reality is never as bad as it feels when you are depressed. You just gotta work qith the positives.

Edit: If we start with 2 wins and finish with 6 - 10 I will be farkin stoked. I dont think either of these are out of the question.

[gringo]

Let's see how he goes over the coming years, not weeks.

I'm tipping Hannebery will retire after two or three seasons and reach a negotiated settlement.

I hoped they would not follow through with recruiting him when word got out St.kilda were interested.
I hoped it was just talk and the club would not be that stupid to recruit him, given he had two very ordinary injury interrupted seasons and at 28 years of age his best football was well behind him.
Then they insanely give him a massive $800,000 a year contract for five years.
FOUR MILLION DOLLARS
I've read on here the fifth year is triggered if he plays a certain quota of games.
If true then this rules out the fifth year.
In what universe is an injury prone 28 year old coming off two very ordinary injury interrupted seasons worthy of $800,000 a year for FIVE YEARS?
This is insane.
I would have been against recruiting him even if the deal was $500,000 for three years.
St.kilda gave Sydney two second round draft picks... our first second round selection which might eventually be pick 19, 20 or 21 and 39 for pick 28.
You don't need to be Tesla to figure out this was a massive mistake from the get go.
Is this incompetence on steroids or does it have something to do with looking after a good mates son at the expense of the football club?
Nothing about this deal makes any sense at all.
Absolutely farcical and quite frankly am disgusted at the total stupidity of those responsible for this mind blowing incompetence.

Someone on big footy who claims to be an insider said he has very few performance based stipulations on his contract. I assume he will get about $2 million this year, $1.5 next, $1 mill in year three and $500,000 in year 5 anyway. Otherwise we did some idiotic list management.

So it is 5 million over 5 years now? I just cant believe how people get so lost in speculation. I know you are gonna tell me you added it up wrong but that just adds weight to the fact you are making it up.

You're just getting worked up. My point was that he will be heavily front loaded as he should be. He will get a bulk of his money in the first two years because we want space later and no-one else is taking the money. The point still stands despite the poor maths. If he plays in year 5 or not he won't be on much then regardless.

I dont think he will be that heavily front loaded. Well nowhere near 2 million this year. Lol.

We traded 1 and delisted 3 senior players who would have been on decent coin and traded in Hanners and Kent and 7 first year players.

Im pretty sure we wouldn't even have opened up the war chest. In fact we may have just topped it up a little.

Our list is better than it was and our financial position, TPP wise, probably hasnt changed. The Hannerbery risk works for me at this point.

Roberton and Paddy will hurt but they were great value when they signed and if Paddy comes good he will play for peanuts just to pay us back.

Carlisle's stocks just dropped.

Our contract management is actually in good shape.
Im not getting worked up, Im getting excited about the next 3 years, including this year. I'm also not blinded by a false sense of doom before round one.

There is probably only 5 players on their last years contract this year that we cant replace easily and cheaper and we will pick up a decent draft pick.

We found Membrey, Savage, Austin, Steele and Roberton lingering on other lists

Long, Paton and Marshall were 2nd time draftees and Battle, Clark and Coffield are developing beautifully.

Im actually expecting improvement from Newnes, Savage, Sinclair and Dunstan this year and who knows what Hind, Wilkie, Young and Parker will do.

We can afford to flash cash at Billings and Gresham abd Geary wont go anywhere.

Bring on 2 big fish. Sydmey are farked TTP wise and we dont look like a threat to them as a trading partner.

I just like to look deeper than BF and SSFF diatribe when trying to rationalise the pisition my footy club is in.

If our 40,000+ Melbourne based supporters/members would get off there social media and fill up the seats at Marvel things would turn a lot friggin quicker.

Its not easy supporting this club, I know. But I refuse to bag it or anyone who plays for it. If I did, I would try to at least get my argument and facts straight. Reality is never as bad as it feels when you are depressed. You just gotta work qith the positives.

Edit: If we start with 2 wins and finish with 6 - 10 I will be farkin stoked. I dont think either of these are out of the question.

It would be irresponsible not to heavily front load the contracts of the high priced players. you use it or lose it. Hickey was on huge money so would have left a big hole. Other s*** clubs get good players. We should have gone after Lauchie Neale instead, at least he was still top of his game. I can't see what their actual list strategy looks like, at least other lower placed clubs look like they are future planning. We shop in the bargain bin hoping one of our high risk pick ups turns into something special, so far we have a zero percent hit rate with that method.

People don't go to games because we play boring ugly footy and we have no stars to get excited about. We used to go to watch Lockett or Harves. As good as Steven is he's not got the pulling power of our past heroes. He's probably around the 15th best mid in the comp and our best player. Gresham is a developing small forward who looks a match winner but again he's not a guy that punters come to watch yet.

[CQ SAINT]

It would be irresponsible not to heavily front load the contracts of the high priced players. you use it or lose it. Hickey was on huge money so would have left a big hole. Other s*** clubs get good players. We should have gone after Lauchie Neale instead, at least he was still top of his game. I can't see what their actual list strategy looks like, at least other lower placed clubs look like they are future planning. We shop in the bargain bin hoping one of our high risk pick ups turns into something special, so far we have a zero percent hit rate with that method.

People don't go to games because we play boring ugly footy and we have no stars to get excited about. We used to go to watch Lockett or Harves. As good as Steven is he's not got the pulling power of our past heroes. He's probably around the 15th best mid in the comp and our best player. Gresham is a developing small forward who looks a match winner but again he's not a guy that punters come to watch yet.
[/quote]

Not sure if you realise that we can bank 5% of the cap. It has been suggested by those in the know, that St.kilda went into the 2018 season with $1.5 mil banked and were struggling to pay the full 95%. This has been the case since 2015.
Which do you think is the bigger waste?

1. Not using 95% because the talent isnt available.
2. Over paying average footballers.
3. Having longer term risks like Hanners, King and Bytel secured in the 95%.

At 800k a year, the rationale to get Hannerbery at the expense of losing Hickey, Weller.and Gilbert wasnt that big a risk considering what was on offer alternatively and also considering the cash we have in reserve.

My point is that the nanagement of the list is in good shape. Im not sure Hanners will come good but if he does it will be a master stroke. If he doesn't it isnt as big a tradgedy as some would have us believe. It is really that simple.

[Aussie Jonestown]

https://www.theage.com.au/sport/afl/ric ... 515d5.html

The return timeline for Hannebery has been pushed back, with the former Swan now unlikely to return to football until after round two.

Hannebery has been struggling with soreness in his hamstring and his calf.

Richardson confirmed that club medicos haven’t been able to get Hannebery training at full steam and would tread carefully with him.

“Hanners won’t train with the group,” Richardson confirmed.

“Whenever we up the load and the intensity he’s not quite getting there, he’s just been getting a little bit sore so that could take a while,'' he said.

“We were hopeful he would be ready to play AFL or VFL round two, I reckon that’s probably a bit unlikely now.”

Richardson also confirmed that Hannebery was likely to spend at least one or two weeks in the VFL before making his senior debut for the club.

Hannebery spent the morning at Moorabbin running laps by himself, with a compression bandage on his right calf.

[gringo]

It would be irresponsible not to heavily front load the contracts of the high priced players. you use it or lose it. Hickey was on huge money so would have left a big hole. Other s*** clubs get good players. We should have gone after Lauchie Neale instead, at least he was still top of his game. I can't see what their actual list strategy looks like, at least other lower placed clubs look like they are future planning. We shop in the bargain bin hoping one of our high risk pick ups turns into something special, so far we have a zero percent hit rate with that method.

People don't go to games because we play boring ugly footy and we have no stars to get excited about. We used to go to watch Lockett or Harves. As good as Steven is he's not got the pulling power of our past heroes. He's probably around the 15th best mid in the comp and our best player. Gresham is a developing small forward who looks a match winner but again he's not a guy that punters come to watch yet.

Not sure if you realise that we can bank 5% of the cap. It has been suggested by those in the know, that St.kilda went into the 2018 season with $1.5 mil banked and were struggling to pay the full 95%. This has been the case since 2015.
Which do you think is the bigger waste?

1. Not using 95% because the talent isnt available.
2. Over paying average footballers.
3. Having longer term risks like Hanners, King and Bytel secured in the 95%.

At 800k a year, the rationale to get Hannerbery at the expense of losing Hickey, Weller.and Gilbert wasnt that big a risk considering what was on offer alternatively and also considering the cash we have in reserve.

My point is that the nanagement of the list is in good shape. Im not sure Hanners will come good but if he does it will be a master stroke. If he doesn't it isnt as big a tradgedy as some would have us believe. It is really that simple.
[/quote]


I saw something saying we had to spend the money this year because you lose it after a certain period. That banked space just disappears if you don't use it. Hanners was a bit of an act of desperation. Not who I would have blown money on. Should have gone hard at Neale once he looked available. Getting guys like King and Bytel even seems mysterious when the club must be realising that the fans are losing patience with the. There doesn't seem to be much method in our recruiting except getting guys that would have been highly prized except for injury.

We seem at the same time despite yet in no rush to improve the list, and we seem to never go after mids in an era ruled by mids. We always hear we go best available instead of needs but never get guns. It really seems to be a mess. I hope Gubby can work to overhaul the direction of the recruiting. It's terrible. Losing Trout was the best thing we have done in 15 years.

[skeptic]

https://www.afl.com.au/news/2019-03-22/ ... ormer-swan

ST KILDA concedes it didn't know the full extent of prized recruit Dan Hannebery's struggles with his body when it traded for him.

Saints coach Alan Richardson told Melbourne radio station SEN on Friday morning the 28-year-old's calves and hamstrings had been giving him grief when he hit top speed, forcing the club's fitness staff to "rebuild" the former Swan to some extent.

[The_Dud]

https://www.afl.com.au/news/2019-03-22/ ... ormer-swan

ST KILDA concedes it didn't know the full extent of prized recruit Dan Hannebery's struggles with his body when it traded for him.

Saints coach Alan Richardson told Melbourne radio station SEN on Friday morning the 28-year-old's calves and hamstrings had been giving him grief when he hit top speed, forcing the club's fitness staff to "rebuild" the former Swan to some extent.

Another master stroke!

[samoht]

The main difference between us and the successful teams is our hit and miss recruiting - a lot of it is unnecessarily speculative and outside our needs.

If Freeman was not enough, now it appears we have "Expensiveman".

Even if Hannebery comes good, it's good that we're squirming at this stage.

Hopefully we will stop all the speculating (or limit it to one every 5 years) and go after the healthy, big fish from now on.

[Scollop]

But we were assured by the club that they'd done their homework

We had an itk on the forum...some guy called parkeysainter who told us we had the best medicos in the business

Revelation - they lied!

[DJ Higgins]

https://www.afl.com.au/news/2019-03-22/ ... ormer-swan

ST KILDA concedes it didn't know the full extent of prized recruit Dan Hannebery's struggles with his body when it traded for him.

Saints coach Alan Richardson told Melbourne radio station SEN on Friday morning the 28-year-old's calves and hamstrings had been giving him grief when he hit top speed, forcing the club's fitness staff to "rebuild" the former Swan to some extent.

Oh for f@$k sake. You have got to be kidding me. How the hell was this not known. Sacked everybody actively involved in getting him at year end. Sick of this a garbage I really am. Every year it's stupid calls ruining our club. No more injured old players period. Young guys with huge upside or that are cheap fine but our most expensive recruit, just stupid

[skeptic]

The main difference between us and the successful teams is our hit and miss recruiting - a lot of it is unnecessarily speculative and outside our needs.

If Freeman was not enough, now it appears we have "Expensiveman".

Even if Hannebery comes good, it's good that we're squirming at this stage.

Hopefully we will stop all the speculating (or limit it to one every 5 years) and go after the healthy, big fish from now on.

I have to say Samoht... have argued with you on this point a bit over 3 months and I still think our development is a major concern that impacts how we view recruiting, but geeeeeeeeeeez its very much becoming a deafening sound

[Scollop]

The decision to recruit Hannebery borders on corruption.

Thought I'd revisit your post in light of the events this moring with Richo on SEN. Did you know what Richo knew?

[Aussie Jonestown]

ST KILDA concedes it didn't know the full extent of prized recruit Dan Hannebery's struggles with his body when it traded for him.

Saints coach Alan Richardson told Melbourne radio station SEN on Friday morning the 28-year-old's calves and hamstrings had been giving him grief when he hit top speed, forcing the club's fitness staff to "rebuild" the former Swan to some extent.

"We knew that he had stints where he hadn't played, we knew about his training history, or lack thereof, that he'd really struggle to be able to get the (training) time in," Richardson said.

"Did we think it was going to be as significant as this? No, we didn't.

"We did know we were getting a bloke that we needed, to some extent, rebuild, but probably not to this extent.

"But that's OK. He's here for a long time. He's not here for a short time. If it means he's not here for a month longer than we thought, that's fine."

The triple All Australian will likely return through the VFL when he is declared fit, but Richardson forecast that could be some time away.

"To some extent, he needs to be rebuilt … I wouldn't be surprised if it's longer than round four," Richardson said.

"It'll take a while I reckon. I'm hoping it'll be sooner.

"It'll depend a little bit on how he responds but right now, the response has been slow and the response has been consistent. When we get him up to 30-32km/h, he's starting to get wonky. That's going to take a little bit of time."

Richardson explained why Hannebery was experiencing these problems.

"He's been getting sore, basically anywhere to do with his legs but particularly his calves and his hamstrings. As we've upped the load in terms of the intensity, his body has just struggled," Richardson said.

"He's had two years where he just hasn't been able to put in the work. He's gone out and played without great prep because he's been able to do that for a fair while.

"He's a little warrior, he's obviously been a champion player. I reckon it's caught up with him."

Hannebery averaged 19 disposals last season, his lowest tally since his debut campaign in 2008.