The prevailing trend in footy clubs, driven by leadership groups (aka institutionalised peer pressure), is to hold everyone to the same standards, and to come down hard on players who can’t meet those ‘minimum standards’. There is a certain logic to everyone being treated equally. However, people aren’t all the same: they have different backgrounds, different priorities, and they possess different talents and abilities.
There are clear benefits to clubs like the Dockers and East Freo having a more nuanced approach to help keep talented players like Simpson on the park. But, there are detriments too. I’m not sure what making exceptions for some players does for the motivation of the other 40-odd blokes on the list. I’d hope they could see the benefits for the team in keeping talented blokes on the park, and just do the best they could to improve their own game (not worrying what the bloke next to them is doing). But that’s probably wishful thinking. Human beings are seemingly hard-wired to compare their lot in life to others.
It’s just a shame, because Fyfe, Neale, Bennell, Simpson and Hill had the potential to be one of the great midfields over the next five years.
