Robert Harvey

[Teflon]

I listened to SEN on the way home from the game and the biggest twit (Brereton) made some comments about Harvs game - described it as "sad to watch a player who is a champion play like that blah blah blah"

Grant Thomas agreed but was more diplomatic and suggested there were signs last year Harveys "shimmy, turn of speed etc" were going...

I do think at times tonight he looked slow and perhaps awareness wise got caught more than Ive seen from him BUT I also think calling this in a Nab Cup Game indicates these 2 commentators (and they get along very well) are perhaps 2 of the biggest "budget" flogs in the land. IMO Harvs had an ordinary night but to suggest it was "sad" etc etc I actually found it a little insulting after I PRE SEASON GAME and found myself wondering whether...say a Shane Crawford would get that same treatment from a gutter crawling snipe?

What was others thoughts on Harvey tonight?
What would you do IF by mid season it became obvious he was struggling?

I ask this only because I have far tomuch respect for the legend to see others relegate him to the "GOP basket who stayed 1 to long" queue.

[SaintBot]

they obviously missed his double dummy on the forward flank to gift birss with a goal which he shanked for a behind

he was terrific in traffic tonight i thought

[Batnoe]

wasnt up to his best but wasnt bad!!!

wasnt as good as he can be, but only got caught once as far as i am aware. Rob will have a different role this year. expect him to only go into the middle the last 10 mins of every quarter

[Dal_Santos_Gal]

To be honest, its only still the pre season and harvey being at the age he is, does not need to bust his balls in February.

He does not need to go "all out" this time of the year and run out of steam later in the season.

Really not concerned at all, Banger is a legend and will prove to still have what it takes once we kick into the season proper

IMO

[saint66au]

Was caught red-handed after a being on the recieving end of a shocking handpass..with o teamates around him to tell him he was hot

Thought he was serviceable apart from that...do we want him getting 38 touches in a NAB game anyway??? Id much rather Armo/X/Geary etc etc racking up the big numbers

[bigcarl]

What would you do IF by mid season it became obvious he was struggling?

happily that is a decision that none of us will have to make.

hopefully if it is going that way harvs will see the writing on the wall

[Oh When the Saints]

8 months ago he had 30 disposals in his 350th game as one of the best players on the biggest ground in the AFL.

Admittedly he struggled in the last couple of games last year.

But he was very good last week when he came on, and even off the bench in the form he was in tonight he is still ahead of a few others in the 22.

What would you do IF by mid season it became obvious he was struggling?

A question I don't want to think about ...

I reckon Harvs would know it and retire, even if we were top of the ladder and undefeated.

It would be awful. But he's on our list for the whole year ... and if we do sneak into that game late in September, then I'm sure RL would let him stretch the old hammys out one more time ...

[joffaboy]

Heard that as well and thought it was incredibly tough.

What does Brereton think Harvs will do? Play like in 1997? Harvey is not the player of ten years ago but can still play good football in the first 22.

I agree with your Teflon, to write him off after 1 preseason match, considering his intra club and other pre season match was pretty good is just ratings chasing.

But having said that, if Bangers form drops and his is not good enough to play seniors, well sorry, no room for sentiment, he gets dropped. And make no mistake Harvey knows that and would have it no other way.

He is a club and football legend but he is only one player and the team comes first.

[ark]

Didn't have a great night but also wasn't too bad either. Brereton needs to put brain into gear before speaking sometimes.
Once was holding the ball after a kick backwards (one of those NAB cup rules). For what it's worth I don't see the saints paying too much attention to the NAB cup rules. It's as if the team geared to Rd 1 and te "real rules" (a good thing).

[Hawkesbury Saint]

Agree 100% Teflon.

Stupid comments.

Harvey is the oldest AFL player isn't he? His skills will not be improving at this stage of his career. Who would want him peaking now in the NAB Cup?

RL knows what he is doing and even more importantly so does Harves. He was servoceable and is easing himself into his final season. If you can't see that you are not worthy of the title 'commentator'. Perhaps 'short-sighted stater of the obvious with no analysis' may be more appropriate.

[maverick]

What tossers, both of them.

Harvs has not had a good pre season, but he wouldn't, the NAB cup is for youngsters and march champions up to this point.

Watch him come out and star next week at AAMI stadium, the ground he loves.....

[Richter]

At times he seemed a little slow with some handpasses to teammates, and had some non-directed kicks from clearances (incidentally though X had a few of these too and he's much younger and quicker) - BUT the fitness is still there, the cool head in traffic is still there and yes, the body swerve is still there.

He may be reduced to more cameo roles from the pine as long as other mids can stay fit, but what a reliably great guy to come on to relieve the younger stars. Loved it in the final quarter when he had a fair run of play in the middle alongside Armo - the kid can only but learn from the great man.

[cowboy18]

What was others thoughts on Harvey tonight?
What would you do IF by mid season it became obvious he was struggling?

I honestly doubt we would ever have to make a decision here.

If he wasn't up to it he would walk.

Twenty plus years of credits and selfless acts support that.

But, for the love of the game and the love of sport generally, seeing #35 with a premiership medallion would mean more than I can articulate at the moment.

[The Saintsational Man]

I gotta admit i love Dermott.....but if thats what he said he can go blow a donkey!!!

That DONUT hung around long after his time and all he became was an injury beaten up thug.....

Bloke should just shut his mouth and bring back the perm.....

It'll make alot of people happy!!!

[JeffDunne]

I have far more confidence in Harv's ability than I do the opinions of anyone in the media.

[joffaboy]

Loved it in the final quarter when he had a fair run of play in the middle alongside Armo - the kid can only but learn from the great man.

Amen to that Richter. Fancy getting to play in a pressured lst qtr with someone of the experience of Harvey next to you in the centre?

Cannot be underestimated.

[Solar]

This time of the year is made for the fast youngster, not the battle werried warhorse.

Wait till round 16 when the young bodies are bruised and the speed decreases, then we can see how harvs goes.

[Iceman234]

I have far more confidence in Harv's ability than I do the opinions of anyone in the media.

Ditto.

Double ditto coming from Dermott. Laughable he thinks it was sad FFS when you look at how he finished/washed up.

The Great Man will be used to great effect this year. Wait and see.

[ttufc7]

Basically Harves is just a victim of his own lofty standards. Of course some of that magic is going to dissapear as the years pass by but a Robert Harvey at only a percentage of his past ability is still a better first 22 option than a lot of other pretenders running around in the afl IMO.

Even if his ability has diminished I know who I will be looking to for an inspirational display of determination come finals time!

[Teflon]

This time of the year is made for the fast youngster, not the battle werried warhorse.

Great point Solar - youd think a so called "tough genius" of yester year and the Dalai Lama of coaching/man management could work that out before shooting off at the mouth? (for the record Thomas went along cause he needs a job - corporate world hardly smashing his door down for some of hip corporate feng shui).

I guess at the heart of it all what p!sses me off most is you just know this wouldnt be uttered about Hird, Voss or even Archer (who lets face it didnt set the world on fire in his last season) but its Ok to cr@p on a guy you know doesnt seek out media attention hourly to tell us all how good he is/was. I'll be reminding these parasites (one who earned so good money off the back of Harvey performances in the not to distant past) later in season when he turns it on....and he will.

[plugger66]

This time of the year is made for the fast youngster, not the battle werried warhorse.

Great point Solar - youd think a so called "tough genius" of yester year and the Dalai Lama of coaching/man management could work that out before shooting off at the mouth? (for the record Thomas went along cause he needs a job - corporate world hardly smashing his door down for some of hip corporate feng shui).

I guess at the heart of it all what p!sses me off most is you just know this wouldnt be uttered about Hird, Voss or even Archer (who lets face it didnt set the world on fire in his last season) but its Ok to cr@p on a guy you know doesnt seek out media attention hourly to tell us all how good he is/was. I'll be reminding these parasites (one who earned so good money off the back of Harvey performances in the not to distant past) later in season when he turns it on....and he will.

I heard what Gt said and he didnt have a go at Harvs at all. He just said that he wasnt at his best tonight. Surely he can say that or should he lie because he coached him.

[HarveysDeciple]

Call me biased but I thought Harvey's last quarter helped us win the game.

Got some handy touches along with Armo who played a ripping last term, Ball, Birss and X.

[Teflon]

This time of the year is made for the fast youngster, not the battle werried warhorse.

Great point Solar - youd think a so called "tough genius" of yester year and the Dalai Lama of coaching/man management could work that out before shooting off at the mouth? (for the record Thomas went along cause he needs a job - corporate world hardly smashing his door down for some of hip corporate feng shui).

I guess at the heart of it all what p!sses me off most is you just know this wouldnt be uttered about Hird, Voss or even Archer (who lets face it didnt set the world on fire in his last season) but its Ok to cr@p on a guy you know doesnt seek out media attention hourly to tell us all how good he is/was. I'll be reminding these parasites (one who earned so good money off the back of Harvey performances in the not to distant past) later in season when he turns it on....and he will.

I heard what Gt said and he didnt have a go at Harvs at all. He just said that he wasnt at his best tonight. Surely he can say that or should he lie because he coached him.

He said more than "he didnt have a good game tonight" - perhaps you didnt hear the lot - I did.

He also went along with Brereton and even said the "signs" were there late last year...not sure how you can interpret that as NOT tacit supportr for Dumot was saying but I look forward to your attempt.

[JeffDunne]

Grant & Dermie thank you for listening.

[plugger66]

This time of the year is made for the fast youngster, not the battle werried warhorse.

Great point Solar - youd think a so called "tough genius" of yester year and the Dalai Lama of coaching/man management could work that out before shooting off at the mouth? (for the record Thomas went along cause he needs a job - corporate world hardly smashing his door down for some of hip corporate feng shui).

I guess at the heart of it all what p!sses me off most is you just know this wouldnt be uttered about Hird, Voss or even Archer (who lets face it didnt set the world on fire in his last season) but its Ok to cr@p on a guy you know doesnt seek out media attention hourly to tell us all how good he is/was. I'll be reminding these parasites (one who earned so good money off the back of Harvey performances in the not to distant past) later in season when he turns it on....and he will.

I heard what Gt said and he didnt have a go at Harvs at all. He just said that he wasnt at his best tonight. Surely he can say that or should he lie because he coached him.

He said more than "he didnt have a good game tonight" - perhaps you didnt hear the lot - I did.

He also went along with Brereton and even said the "signs" were there late last year...not sure how you can interpret that as NOT tacit supportr for Dumot was saying but I look forward to your attempt.

Isnt this a case of you cannot stand him and I thought he was good for the club and we hear completely different things. Let him say what he likes he is a commentator not a saints coach.