Past players - what are they up to?

[KSAS]

Luke Parker has been a revelation for North this season, playing across half back and taking plenty of intercept marks. He had another outstanding game against Brisbane, with some suggesting he's in AA contention at this early stage.

Good on him.

[Nico]

Congrats to winning the B&F, or being dropped? If I was a Carlton seniors player, I'd wanna be dropped too.

There was some analysis I saw of Hayward and Ainsworth's heat maps. Both are essentially spending their time darting up and down the wing trying to mop up mistakes and cover for Carlton's inability to move the ball and barely any time inside f50, despite being goal scorers. It's a debacle of a system they've got going down there.

Will's stats so far this year are even below his career averages. As I've said for years....he goes where the ball 'aint.

[Velour&Ruffles]

Angus Anderson debuting for the Pies. Good luck to the young man

[imuninformedtwo]

Hewitt dropped for Carlton v Adelaide.....but from the same AFL article, I read that George won Carlton's best and fairest award last season. I did not know that. Congrats to him.

Congrats to winning the B&F, or being dropped? If I was a Carlton seniors player, I'd wanna be dropped too.

There was some analysis I saw of Hayward and Ainsworth's heat maps. Both are essentially spending their time darting up and down the wing trying to mop up mistakes and cover for Carlton's inability to move the ball and barely any time inside f50, despite being goal scorers. It's a debacle of a system they've got going down there.

[KSAS]

Hewitt dropped for Carlton v Adelaide.....but from the same AFL article, I read that George won Carlton's best and fairest award last season. I did not know that. Congrats to him.

What i found amusing is Mitch Cleary mentioned during a live cross on Agenda Setters last night hosted by Kane Cornes, that he doesn't think a B&F winner has ever been dropped the following year after just 4 rounds.

It has been revealed this morning Kane Cornes himself was dropped after R4 in 2010 after winning the B&F!

[dejavoodoo44]

A brief interview with Darryn Cresswell about the famous knee incident. There's a bit of doctor's advice near the end, which I find quite amusing.

https://youtube.com/shorts/DIoCdkqmHac?si=wuKwcC40REifpxsj

[stevoswan]

Hewitt dropped for Carlton v Adelaide.....but from the same AFL article, I read that George won Carlton's best and fairest award last season. I did not know that. Congrats to him.

[Velour&Ruffles]

He worked in finance with Merrill Lynch and moved to California. The dreadlocks were shaved to a completely bald head. He did well for himself before his premature passing.

Thanks Go. From dreadlocks and skateboarding to finance at Merrill Lynch - that's quite a journey.

[goswannies]

I remember him well. In fact, I believe I was at his very first game, down at the Aints home ground of Moorabbin. I was very excited that someone from another land was playing our game, and on our team - it seemed more of a novelty in those days. I don't think we'd had a foreign recruit before him, and I think he was literally the first Yank to play VFL/AFL at the highest level. I also don't think he did much that day, but eventually he became a quite serviceable half back flanker who was notable for his hair, as well as having some dash and dare (despite modest skills - he was not blessed with the elite kicking skills that so many of the Irish recruits have).

I think back at the start he was Matthew Wheeler - he reverted to Sanford (I believe his actual first name) a bit later when he was more entrenched. Throughout, the commentators mostly seemed obsessed with mentioning that he apparently made his way to Swans training on his skateboard rather than by more conventional modes of transport. In comparison, Scott Pendlebury's basketball past is an obscure, overlooked factoid.

I wasn't actually aware he had died - sorry to hear it. I have fond memories of him.

He worked in finance with Merrill Lynch and moved to California. The dreadlocks were shaved to a completely bald head. He did well for himself before his premature passing.

[Velour&Ruffles]

Recieved a Facebook post, reminding today is sadly the 6th Anniversary of Sanford Wheeler's passing, for those who remember him playing in the early 90's.

I remember him well. In fact, I believe I was at his very first game, down at the Aints home ground of Moorabbin. I was very excited that someone from another land was playing our game, and on our team - it seemed more of a novelty in those days. I don't think we'd had a foreign recruit before him, and I think he was literally the first Yank to play VFL/AFL at the highest level. I also don't think he did much that day, but eventually he became a quite serviceable half back flanker who was notable for his hair, as well as having some dash and dare (despite modest skills - he was not blessed with the elite kicking skills that so many of the Irish recruits have).

I think back at the start he was Matthew Wheeler - he reverted to Sanford (I believe his actual first name) a bit later when he was more entrenched. Throughout, the commentators mostly seemed obsessed with mentioning that he apparently made his way to Swans training on his skateboard rather than by more conventional modes of transport. In comparison, Scott Pendlebury's basketball past is an obscure, overlooked factoid.

I wasn't actually aware he had died - sorry to hear it. I have fond memories of him.

[KSAS]

Buddy is making a comeback this year to play for his junior football club in WA, Dowerin Football Club, where it all started for him.

[KSAS]

Recieved a Facebook post, reminding today is sadly the 6th Anniversary of Sanford Wheeler's passing, for those who remember him playing in the early 90's.

[imuninformedtwo]

Looks like Lachlan McAndrew is now considered the number one ruck at the Crows, as he played both practice games and the AFL site has him starting in round one. Well done to him. I thought he was a bit unlucky to be delisted, although his forward craft was very much a work in progress.

After being delisted, he signed with the Adelaide SANFL side, and luckily for him, a long-term injury for one of the Crows ruckmen, meant that an AFL list spot opened up for him. For much of the last SANFL season, he got between forty and sixty hitouts per game. Plus he usually laid around ten tackles a game. Not sure if he's improved his effectiveness as a forward, though?

Anyway, I wish him well, and who knows, perhaps when Grundy eventually retires, he could be tempted back to Sydney through the go home factor?

Same, re his delisting - even allowing for the improvement he had to make around the ground in general play. But saw an interview with Nicks recently where he said the new rules clearly favoured the bean poles, and McAndrew's ruck work was never his issue. Good on him for kicking on.

[dejavoodoo44]

Looks like Lachlan McAndrew is now considered the number one ruck at the Crows, as he played both practice games and the AFL site has him starting in round one. Well done to him. I thought he was a bit unlucky to be delisted, although his forward craft was very much a work in progress.

After being delisted, he signed with the Adelaide SANFL side, and luckily for him, a long-term injury for one of the Crows ruckmen, meant that an AFL list spot opened up for him. For much of the last SANFL season, he got between forty and sixty hitouts per game. Plus he usually laid around ten tackles a game. Not sure if he's improved his effectiveness as a forward, though?

Anyway, I wish him well, and who knows, perhaps when Grundy eventually retires, he could be tempted back to Sydney through the go home factor?

[dejavoodoo44]

Beat me to it.....yes good on him....and for his $US4million per year contract......earning way more than any AFL footballer.

He punted the ball 67 times this season, so that works out at around US$59,700 per kick. Although that basic sum doesn't assign any value to him catching and holding the ball for the kicker, and the occasional tackle that he might make.