AJ Watch

**Ludwig** · 14 August 2018, 04:58 PM

Originally posted by S.S. Bleeder

People look for any opportunity to be offended.

I agree. Postmodernism never sat well with the wider community and it's been put to the sword in recent times. Elites don't like it either. They prefer to dictate what we all should be thinking and permitted to say. We have certainly entered an era where freedom of expression is being suppressed. I'm not in favour of any sort of vilification, but we should be careful about surrendering our freedoms in exchange for not being offended from time to time. It's just playing into the hands of he rich and powerful.

**royboy42** · 14 August 2018, 05:47 PM

Actually, Annie, your comment disappointed me.
I've waited a while before commenting , not wishing to make a hasty judgement.
But I'm disappointed.
It wasn't just 'hard hearted Hannah', 'it's only a game 'stuff. It was hurtful and derisive of Newman.

**chalbilto** · 14 August 2018, 05:47 PM

Hey to change the current tone of the posts if and regrettably, I don't think he will make it back, the club should name the best "clubman" award in honour of him viz; "The Alex Johnson Clubman Award" or a title to that effect. Comments?

**liz** · 14 August 2018, 05:54 PM

Originally posted by chalbilto

Hey to change the current tone of the posts if and regrettably, I don't think he will make it back, the club should name the best "clubman" award in honour of him viz; "The Alex Johnson Clubman Award" or a title to that effect. Comments?

Isn’t it already named after Barry Round?

**goswannies** · 14 August 2018, 06:46 PM

Originally posted by liz

Isn’t it already named after Barry Round?

The poor guy isn’t even given a free ticket to the B&F, don’t take his name off that award!

**Danzar** · 14 August 2018, 10:20 PM

Personally, if I were Nic, and AJ was my mate, I'd be very upset seeing that, but I wouldn't fault anyone for not seeing it the same way. We're human, and we all see things through lenses of varying shapes and colour.

Interestingly, from this 'bloke's' perspective and experience, you can get any number of blokes who feel exactly the same level of upset about something, and you'll get any number of differing outward expressions of it. Nic crying sets him apart only from how he as a person deals with this at the time he was dealt it.

**Doctor** · 14 August 2018, 10:38 PM

Everyone has the right to their opinion but they also have to accept that there may be consequences for expressing it. People also need to understand that there is a difference between disagreeing with, or not liking something, and being offended by it. I disagree with Annie but what she said wasn't offensive. what has been express

This is a much larger topic than what I have expressed and I have no wish to derail a thread about AJ so I'll leave it there.

In terms of AJ, I will support whatever he and the club decide from here 100%. I hope they don't rush it either. The fact that he has spent all these years with his right knee being perfectly fine only for it to go now is, hopefully, just a horrible coincidence. He has been back in the reserves for some time without any issues with it at all. Had it been his left knee again I'd have leaned towards thinking he should, regretfully, give it away. With it being the right knee I kind of hope he has another crack at it. As long as the infection issues stay away there's no reason why it shouldn't be a success. If he decides that it's too much to do again though, then fair enough.

**YvonneH** · 14 August 2018, 10:57 PM

I would give it another go with doctor Julian Fellows seemingly being the 'go to' surgeon, but not being Alex I would understand if he decided enough is enough.
Was Julian Fellows the surgeon that did the last reco?

**Meg** · 14 August 2018, 11:12 PM

Originally posted by Doctor

In terms of AJ, I will support whatever he and the club decide from here 100%. I hope they don't rush it either. The fact that he has spent all these years with his right knee being perfectly fine only for it to go now is, hopefully, just a horrible coincidence.

I too wondered about that. When you watch the replay of when the injury happened you can see exactly why it occurred (with clipping the other player’s heel causing Alex to twist awkwardly on his knee).

The same incident might have caused the same injury to any other player. It is unlike some ACL injuries which seem to be the outcome of totally innocuous incidents.

**Doctor** · 14 August 2018, 11:15 PM

Originally posted by Meg

I too wondered about that. When you watch the replay of when the injury happened you can see exactly why it occurred (with clipping the other player’s heel causing Alex to twist awkwardly on his knee).

The same incident might have caused the same injury to any other player. It is unlike some ACL injuries which seem to be the outcome of totally innocuous incidents.

Exactly. It may well have been just a horrible, horrible coincidence that it was him and not anyone else. Having said that, you have to make learning how to safely fall or react to clips or bumps an instinctive thing in footy and with him being out for as long as he was, his muscle memory may have unlearned some of that.

- - - Updated - - -

Originally posted by YvonneH

I would give it another go with doctor Julian Fellows seemingly being the 'go to' surgeon, but not being Alex I would understand if he decided enough is enough.
Was Julian Fellows the surgeon that did the last reco?

I thought Julian Fellows was the guy who wrote Downton Abbey.

Julian Fellowes - Wikipedia

**S.S. Bleeder** · 15 August 2018, 08:04 AM

The jumper that AJ wore in the centenary match is only at $550 at the moment. Given that AJ only got to play one full game after having so many years on the sidelines and now IMO it is probable that his career over I thought that it would be going for $1000+ given that people would look back on that individual effort in that game for some time, should this jumper be considered as an important piece of memorabilia?

**AnnieH** · 15 August 2018, 09:23 AM

Stop putting words in my mouth.

Yes, it's only footy. After they've finished playing footy, the universe willing, they have another 60 years ahead of them.

The poor bloke damaged his good knee. I'm no expert, or sports doctor, or anything like that, but when I seriously damaged my left ankle 20 years ago, since then, I have ALWAYS preferred my right ankle in situations where I was a little uncertain on my feet, or I had to jump down a distance, and the like. This is what I am assuming AJ is doing when he plays. He felt himself going down and rather than the left knee take the brunt of the fall, he fell on the right.

As to Nic crying... yes, he's his mate... yes, it IS very sad, but again... it's only a knee. Yes, it's sad that he's got to go through this @@@@ all over again... but he's not a paraplegic. He didn't lose a limb in war. He didn't break his neck (although I reckon McHack came very close to it)... it's footy. They are insured specifically for injury.
There's another 70 years of life ahead of both of them. They're kids, they can't see that.

At no point did I say, nor infer, that Nic was any less of a man because he was crying, that Nic was a "poof" because he was crying. At no point did I deride him. You all did that for me.
This is the new-age man we all talk about. Someone who is not afraid to show his emotions in public, etc., blah, blah, blah. Get off my back.

Maybe this is a blessing in disguise for AJ. Maybe he'll go onto much better, brighter and bigger things. Maybe he'll be governor general one day.
It is devastating for him, and I wish him only the best.

**CureTheSane** · 15 August 2018, 09:50 AM

Originally posted by AnnieH

There's another 70 years of life ahead of both of them. They're kids, they can't see that.

.....and you just destroyed your point in saying that as far as they are concerned the are entitled to be over emotional as they don't know any better because of their age

not that it really matters anyway.

Amazing this got to where it did....

**AnnieH** · 15 August 2018, 10:17 AM

Originally posted by CureTheSane

.....and you just destroyed your point in saying that as far as they are concerned the are entitled to be over emotional as they don't know any better because of their age

not that it really matters anyway.

Amazing this got to where it did....

No, I didn't say that they are entitled to be over emotional as they don't know any better because of their age... you just said that.
You're just twisting my words. Get off my back.

**aardvark** · 15 August 2018, 10:41 AM

Originally posted by AnnieH

The poor bloke damaged his good knee. I'm no expert, or sports doctor, or anything like that, but when I seriously damaged my left ankle 20 years ago, since then, I have ALWAYS preferred my right ankle in situations where I was a little uncertain on my feet, or I had to jump down a distance, and the like. This is what I am assuming AJ is doing when he plays. He felt himself going down and rather than the left knee take the brunt of the fall, he fell on the right.

Like Annie I have the same issue. This is why I think he should give it away. It's just going to keep happening. Also waiting until you are 60-65 before they will do a knee replacement is a very long time to wait when you are only 30.