Jarryd Lyons was one of the great steals
It would have been said hundreds of times amongst many different footballing circles throughout the duration of this season, but it is going to be said again, what on earth were the Gold Coast Suns thinking when they delisted Jarryd Lyons?
Lyons averaged 25 disposals for the Suns last season and remarkably finished third in clearances for the whole competition, yet somehow found himself on the outer at season’s end.
Lyons was a gift that cross-town rivals Brisbane Lions were only too willing to accept as a delisted free agent in the off-season of 2018, and he has paid them back nicely so far in 2019.
Coming off of a dominant showing against Port Adelaide where he had 36 disposals and kicked a goal, Lyons backed up that performance with a 30 disposal and two goal game in the Lions nail biting win over North Melbourne on Saturday night; he’s stamped himself as a key cog in a talented Lions midfield that will look to make a statement in September.
It is known that the Suns are having a tough season, but letting go of someone like Lyons is simply just a bad move, let alone frustrating for Suns fans and difficult to understand.
We should encourage players to show off their personality, not tear them down
It is a daring move to show youthful exuberance or flair in today’s day and age.
We’ve become a society that believes in players earning their stripes before flaunting their personality, a ‘runs on the board’ stance that determines whether or not it is appropriate for someone to express themselves on the footy field.
Yet at the same time, there is so much criticism nowadays as to how boring players are, and how so many of the answers we receive in press conferences and interviews are so sub-standard that it really becomes repetitive.
Xavier Duursma made the ultra provocative gesture on the weekend when he fired an imaginary arrow into the stands of the MCG during Port Adelaide’s clash against Richmond.
The Power needed a lift, and Duursma’s goal provided them with that, it was a moment in the game that kept the Power in the contest and would keep the football public talking for the days to follow.
The Tigers went on to dismantle the Power by 38 points, yet the main takeaway from Saturday’s game was the Duursma celebration, and whether it was acceptable or not.
It’s quite bemusing that a young player should be criticised for exhibiting some flair, when we so often cry out for player’s to show their personality.
If a proven star had done it such as Scott Pendlebury, would we be having this discussion?
The Giants showed there is plenty of life left in their season
Despite having lost three games in a row, and missing all five members of their leadership group due to injury, the Giants responded emphatically on Saturday defeating Collingwood by 47 points.
It was a performance that snapped the Giants out of a form slump that had their season faltering, and it also showed that their depth is definitely amongst the competition’s best.
Co-captain Callan Ward will miss the remainder of 2019 through injury whilst his counterpart Phil Davis was also missing on Saturday, along with star on-ballers Josh Kelly and Stephen Coniglio, whilst hard-nosed tagger Matt de Boer also still remains on the sidelines.
It was the Giants barometer and arguably their most talented player Toby Greene that led them on Saturday as captain, finishing with 27 disposals and two goals – Greene was instrumental in setting up an eight goal first quarter that put the Magpies to the sword.
Along with Greene, Jeremy Cameron starred with six goals to strengthen his hold on the Coleman medal, whilst Tim Taranto and Lachie Whitfield were brilliant in the midfield.
The Giants should welcome back Davis for this week’s matchup against Port Adelaide, whilst Kelly and de Boer should follow in the coming weeks, Coniglio’s injury still has him on a later timeline.
Their win over the Magpies however shows that even when missing a handful of stars, the Giants can still be a scarily good team.
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