With all due respect to Micky B, if Pearce, Matera, or McCarthy were picking up those stats in the NEAFL, I don't think too many D/Landers would be screaming the house down calling for their re-instatement into the team. I think it would be a couple of levels down from WAFL or VFL. While I would swap Micky for any of Sutcliffe, Sheridan, Matera or McCarthy, I don't think it would advance our cause at all.
And with even more respect to Micky, you never see Nick Rynne and co doing big write-ups on how well ex eagles players are going at other clubs, which makes me very suspicious of the motives of the article.
(yeah I know, I am a conspiracy theorist.)