Maybe we left Ling at the airport, or something, and nobody's noticed that he's missing? Though it is strange, how occasionally a lower level player disappears from public view. Offhand, Ronke and Pink, had extended periods where they weren't playing, weren't on our injury list and never seemed to be mentioned in any media.
Looks like Ling will now be a delist. He needed a strong season and obviously hasn't had one.
On Van Huisstede as a kpd: it's a bit hard to get a handle on him, due to all the covid interruptions. Also making it more difficult, is that he'll play a bit down back and then spend some time as a forward. Plus, I don't think he's had that much game time, when he's been in the VFL side, due to our generally brief injury list.
On the positive side, he is 195cm, seems to have decent closing speed and I vaguely recall him playing some good shut down games, at academy level. And he does have the occasional eye catching few minutes; though probably more as a forward. What might work against him, though, is he's actually a year older, than last year's crop of Gulden, Campbell, etc. So, maybe he only has a limited amount of opportunity to impress, before our recruiting staff are more focused, on who of our current academy cohort will get to play VFL next year?
Ling has had many long stints in the darkness. It's been a strange 4 years. Maybe KB can't face the music. I should drop him line and forgive him for not taking Ed Richards or Noah Balta. I understand KB. Where's the job satisfaction if you work your butt off all year, then in the end you just listen to Ludwig.
I have no evidence, this is purely a theory, but quite possibly the young players who 'disappear' may have been, or are, struggling with more than physically getting on the park. The club has been at pains for many years to get the league to accept that mental health is an issue within clubs.
The comments made about players here can often grate. I know a number of young people struggling with life in different ways and the last thing they want is for everyone to know before they are ready. I trust the club has good reason not to make everything public, regardless of what the supporters want.
None of us knows for sure what the reason is for Ling's absence. What we do know is that he is almost certain to be heading for delisting. Sadly, he has just never been able to develop to the point that he could regularly push for a senior game, apart from when we were decimated by injury last season. Not all picks work out, that's the way it is. I wish him all the best for his future which probably lies outside of professional football. No shame in that. He gave it his best shot.
Ling is in the Twilight zone.
Manhattan Transfer - Twilight Zone - YouTube
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Another bye this weekend. Probably will arrange a scratchie against one of the other teams with a bye.
VFL round 17 fixture full of must-win clashes
this VFL comp is shambolic. Why do they even bother having teams this year?
It was a very high pick to spend on a hbf - perhaps we projected that he would become McVeigh Mk 2
Loose translation from the Latin is - I am tall, so I hit out.
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