Swans:Cressa Announcement

[Troy G]

Darryn Cresswell will make an announcement about his future tomorrow.

[desredandwhite]

Hmm!!! I guess we knew it was coming, but why is it so soon? This COULD mean a pre-season or mid-season retirement. Or maybe he just wants to play every game knowing it's his last season ;)

[Charlie]

:eek: :(

Say it isn't so Cressa!!!!

[robbieando]

Bloodly hell why do it now, its not like our midfield is overflowing with quality depth. This has been a sore point of mine, decisions made without thinking, Mott and now Cress (If true) means our 2 major weaknesses have mean made worse.

Thank God Cress wasn't a key defender.

[Bart]

Faaaark, Sounds like he is going to announce his retirement there and then.

Doesn't make sense to say now that this is his last year !

We are now truly in trouble in the middle

[robbieando]

Look not the end of the world in my book it will mean a young player will get a chance that he otherwise might not of got.

[Dpw]

Is this another Peter Matera, I am crying in my beer we just cannot afford to lose him now.

Hopefully he will announce this is his last season and a chance for all of us to farewell a great sydney player, please let it be the case.

[robbieando]

Look either way life goes on. Best start planning for life after Cressa. Maybe its an injury picked up late in the preseason which has forced his hand now.

[motorace_182]

Of course he will play out the remainder of this year. First of all he is contracted for one more but also why would he put all that effort in the pre-season to not even play a game?? Just letting every1 know that this will be it this year and hopefully will play every game like his last, i hope.
A true legend in my books.

[Dpw]

Originally posted by motorace_182
Of course he will play out the remainder of this year. First of all he is contracted for one more but also why would he put all that effort in the pre-season to not even play a game?? Just letting every1 know that this will be it this year and hopefully will play every game like his last, i hope.
A true legend in my books.

Not so motorace, Peter Matera was in exact position contract wise etc struggled to get through pre season and decided to give it away all the club does is pay said contract for this year than arrange a payout if required at the end of the year. Although the club is not obliged to do this if a player retires off there own bat, however in cases of great club services etc (like matera and cresea) they make suitable arrangements for both parties as it should be.

So I hope for the best and fear the worse.

[Cheer Cheer]

From what I understand he is making the announcement that this year is his last. But to why he is making an announcement about it has me a bit wary - he may be announcing his retirement stopping immediately, but I guess we will all find out tomorow.

[Rod_]

Anyone got any facts?

Or is this part of the war reporting AFL style - made up and exagerated????

My guess - last year or something

Rod_

(we will have to wait and see)

[liz]

If he really is making an announcement tomorrow it can't be that he will be retiring at the end of the season. Players just don't do that, especially ones who are loved by their clubs but not generally considered to be superstars in terms of the overall competition.

So I too fear the worst. One can only think he has some niggling injury he can't shake. Ironically he's quoted in the DT's AFL supplement today as believing the Swans will have a good year and there's no indication in it that he doesn't think he'll be part of it. Even allowing for printing/ editing deadlines, it all sounds a bit sudden.

[penga]

i had a suspision that this was goin to happen... however i thought it woulda been mid-season, ala schwatter

it makes me sad :( if it means that cressa is retiring however it does mean that a young player can be in the 22 and has the opportunity to step up, i have very mixed emotions on this one

[Jimmy C]

I never expected him to snatch it before the end of the season. I suppose it'd be better for him to go if he feels passionless about the game, rather than put in insipid performances and frustrate himself and everyone else around him. A true champ. I'll never forget the vision of him popping his kneecap back in, then wanting to play on. One tough bastard :D

Maybe we could all be wishful thinkers and hope that he'll announce that he's playing on for an additional year ;)

[Rod_]

Was he that upset about not getting the captaincy?

Rod_

"It's believed Cresswell was also bitterly disappointed at being overlooked in favour of Stuart Maxfield to replace retiring Paul Kelly as 2003 captain."

http://foxsports.news.com.au/story/0,8659,6183873-23211,00.html

[TheHood]

None of this is making any sense.

Firstly, he had a great year last year, 2nd in the B & F and all that.

Secondly, an announcement about next year on the eve of this year doesn't pass the smell test.

Thirdly, he worked very hard to get another contract for 2003 and was given full endorsement by the club.

Fourthly, he is very fit at the moment with no reported injuries and to be honest he has never had a recoccuring injury in his life.

If he does announce his retirement, I smell a non-footy issue here.

[Skells]

Creswell is retiring at the end of the season according to www.afl.com.au

[desredandwhite]

well I guess that wasn't too surprising - though it IS strange that he's announcing it so soon!!

Onya Cressa, make it another solid year before you go.

[skilts stilts]

As good a servant he is to the club,it will be like a black cloud lifted off our midfield when he goes.In fact if Roos is serious about rebuilding they should let him play one game as a send off.
He is now too slow to warrant selection and his skills are deplorable.He was a good ordinary player in his heyday.

[Skells]

Skilts Stilts I disagree with your comments about cresswell being "a good ordinary player in his heyday" when a player wins the best and fairest at a club and finishes in the top 3 on 6 other occasions (including runner up last year) he is more than an ordinary player. He was also all Australian in 97.

Cresswell is more of a champion than ordinary in my opinion.

[skilts stilts]

Sorry to be so cryptic.The expression was borrowed from Jack Dyer when he was asked what he thought about a champion player at the time ,it may have been Gary Ablett but I could be wrong.Cresswell has been the engine room for many years but the engine started to falter 2 years ago to the point that it is now
just all but dead.

[Diego]

Originally posted by Rod_
Was he that upset about not getting the captaincy?

Rod_

"It's believed Cresswell was also bitterly disappointed at being overlooked in favour of Stuart Maxfield to replace retiring Paul Kelly as 2003 captain."

http://foxsports.news.com.au/story/0,8659,6183873-23211,00.html

If this is the case good bye cressa. I am over the huge egos in the Sydney team. Too many individual trying to claim personal achievements over team achievements..hence why we haven't won a flag in 70 years.

Sorry Cressa but you aren't/weren't captaincy material.

[Skells]

What do you classify the rest of the swans list as then if Creswell is nearly dead seeing as he came second in the B&F last year?

[Craig]

Darryn Cresswell is a true champion of the Sydney Swans and in my opinion a very much underrated player. Over the last 10 years, Cressa has played his heart out for the Swans and has been a backbone for the club, he will be a huge loss! We luv ya Cressa!

On a side note, as Stewie is a year younger, does that mean this will be his second last year?

[skilts stilts]

Until you are willing to accurately assess the ability of a player from your own team you will harbour delusions about the ability of the team as a whole.There ain't no champions in the current line up unfortunately.

[penga]

im pretty sure that maxy and willo have said that theyve got at least 3 years left

[desredandwhite]

I guess it depends how tightly you define "champion"!

IMHO there ARE no more out and out champions in the team. PK was one. Lockett was one.

Then in the "second tier" of consistently great players.. Schwass, Williams, Dunkley, Maxfield, Bayes...... Cresswell MAYBE to scrape in.

[Skells]

I agree Des. The term "Champion" is used very loosly these days but on a scale I would rate Cresswell closer to Champion than ordinary. The swans will eventually find another champion in the future and it may even come from the current list (Goodes if anyone IMO).

[Nico]

I tend to agree with Skilts. Cressa can best be described as a warhorse. One of those players who give their all each week without ever being brilliant. Have got to say though, on many an occasion he was pretty selfish.

If you recall when Plugger and Roosy were coomentating on CH7, they often had a dig about his tendancy to have a go at the goals, rather than giving off to a player in a far better position who had better finishing skills. 2nd in the B&F, how????

I reckon if he plays out of the forward pocket this year due to an obvious lack of pace, then he may well prove valuable close into goals, as can snap a ripper now and then, rather than try to bomb the 80 yarder from the centre. There is one thing about Cressa that will never change and that his ability to get the pill, so why not as a crumber to BBBH. Even though he has slowed down he gets where the balls at, and we have lacked a good, underrrated crumber for a while now. Use him where he best fits the teams fast running style that Roos is developing, and that is not in the midfield.

I think Skilts is also right in that supporters of all sides get very passionate about their team, and hence have difficulty recognising
that while a club has certain players they are just not going to win a club a flag. Alah Leo Barry, the fairy floss player, all fluff and no substance.

[JF_Bay22_SCG]

After having endured all the retirement hullabullo last year, nothing surprises me any more.

Whilst we may say that Cressa was still able to hold his own (he is the master of the arsey goal-a couple against the Dees at the MCG do instantly spring to mind!), the only person who can tell you whether he still has the hunger to play AFL football is one Daryn Cresswell.

I was upset when I heard Kel announce his retirement. But I when I heard his reasoning that it was taking him over 3 days to physically get over matches, that was enough for me. It was too the point, and an explanation from the man in his own words.

Cresswell isn't getting any faster. The opponents aren't getting any slower either. Of course we will remember him with great fondness. And savour his efforts this year with even greater relish.

Personally, well I admit I have had a love-hate relationship with Cressa. He is the type of player who shines when we do well, yet is often a passenger when we are down. And THAt goal against North Melbourne!!!!!!! :D I always felt he was not half the player on the pitch in Kelly's absence, as often he would be the benefitiary of the work guys like Kel did in boring into the packs for the hard ball. Maybe that is being a bit harsh. But needless to say he feels the need to create a sense of finality for himself, interestly only months after Kel's retirement.

If Daryn Cresswell wants to call it stumps, then it is his decision wholely and solely, not ours. It won't help our side in the short term. But our club, and its supporters frightened with being seen to be associated with a losing side, should learn that we should be thinking of the future, long term. And giving more youngsters a go for greater amounts of time in the next couple of years.

Maybe we can get a RWOer to go to training to ask him what is going on?

JF

[SWANSBEST]

Swan song for Cresswell after 2003
March 26 2003

The desire to finish while still on top has prompted Sydney midfielder Daryn Cresswell to announce yesterday that he would retire at the end of this AFL season.

The longest-serving player on Sydney's list, 31-year-old Cresswell will log his 226th senior game on Saturday when he starts his 13th season against Carlton at Telstra Stadium.

Cresswell made his decision after talking to coach Paul Roos and former captain Paul Kelly at the end of last season and also consulted his family.

"It's very important to me to go out while I was still playing well," Cresswell said. "I don't want to finish on the bench or in the twos or anything like that, so that was the reason for the decision.

"It gives me a good opportunity to really enjoy the season and play every game as if it was my last."


He said making the decision now rather than later in the year had lifted the burden of expectation on him and emphasised there was "no chance" of him changing his mind and playing on beyond this year.

Cresswell said he felt he could still be a consistent player and good contributor to the club while helping to develop the Swans' younger players.

"The body still feels OK, obviously I'm not as diligent and as quick as what I was 10 years ago, but I still feel I can be a good contributor to the side," Cresswell said.

Roos said Cresswell was a great role model and outstanding ambassador for the club and had developed into one of the elite midfielders in the competition.

He noted that Cresswell had finished in the top three of Sydney's best-and-fairest seven times, including winning it in 1994.

Roos spoke of Cresswell's "longevity and his ability to play in different roles, a tagging role and a player that could pick up the ball 30-plus times a game".

Cresswell said he would probably live in Brisbane, where he has relatives, after retiring.

http://www.realfooty.theage.com.au/articles/2003/03/25/1048354596172.html

[Donners]

I just wonder if we will be able to replace him after this season. Looks like there is now a bit more pressure on Bolton to show he has the goods. If Cressa plays every game this season (as he has over so many other seasons), he will finish on 247 games. :(

[penga]

Originally posted by Donners
I just wonder if we will be able to replace him after this season. Looks like there is now a bit more pressure on Bolton to show he has the goods. If Cressa plays every game this season (as he has over so many other seasons), he will finish on 247 games. :(

if we get to the granny he could play 250 ;)

[Mike_B]

or even 251...