I love my Pies, obviously, but it' not hard to see great players. It's just that sometimes supporters refuse to acknowledge them when they are wearing opposition colours.
We all at some point bag the battlers. The guys with an obvious lack of talent who still have the dedication to training and the discipline to somehow make it to the elite level of their chosen Sport but we seem to think they are no good. I've done it many times myself. I used to despise Toovey, now he is just about my favourite player. How we all get our nose out of joint about players being played when WE think they shouldn't is pretty funny really. I'd like to think even the worst coach in the AFL would know 100 times more than most of us who is capable of filling a role for the team. Simon Buckley is a bloke I think is no good, but good luck to him he has played more than 20 games and that's 20 games more than I'll ever play. And I'm going to back Malthouse in that he knows better than me and Buckley will be ok for us.
Nick Maxwell is another example of a player who opposition supporters DO NOT rate. He is the FIRST one to say that he is not a great player and doesn't have the talent of 95% of players going around. But he has got the most out of himself, he is hard at it and NEVER stops or shirks a contest and he is now going to be a very wealthy man and a hero to many. Those who bag Maxwell and say he is a hack etc are the same blokes who would LOVE to be in his shoes. I know I would.
Every player who walks onto the field has fulfilled their childhood dream and we should all be so lucky.
