The end is near for Voss

[Beaussie]

You'd love this KE. It's something you've been saying for a while now. Well now Gary Lyon agrees with you.

Voss is past his prime
By Gary Lyon
April 25, 2006
http://foxsports.news.com.au/story/0,86 ... 11,00.html

THERE is no more sacred player than a superstar veteran who has spent his entire career at one club.

Nor is there a more delicate proposition than that player's longevity when Father Time comes knocking.

It can be viewed as sacrilegious to even raise the question of the player's future.

I recall current Brisbane Lions coach Leigh Matthews writing for the Herald Sun in 1997 a suggestion that the end was near for Carlton superstar and captain Stephen Kernahan. "Sticks" was none too impressed.

Speaking from experience, players get very protective of their final days in the game, and any debate about their ability to play on can be misconstrued as criticism. This would be wrong.

Players such as Michael Voss, Anthony Koutoufides and Glenn Archer have provided spectators with some of the most memorable moments imaginable and they stand on a pedestal reserved for the game's elite players.

Early signs this season, however, suggest the question of their football mortality be addressed.

Voss, one of the most brilliant and highly respected players of the modern era, is in foreign territory.

Even with his well documented injury concerns, most notably a degenerative knee complaint, he has, through courage, a will, pride and fierce competitive streak, been able to maintain a standard that few others approach.

He is in his 15th season of AFL football, and as sublimely talented as he is, he has used his body as a battering ram for all of those 15 years, and it has taken its toll. His mind and heart are willing, but his legs are struggling to play their part.

While once clubs would have been thrilled just to contain the Lions skipper, they now look to exploit him.

He has never had to overly concern himself with the defensive aspects of the game, for wherever he went his tagger would follow. Now, they will happily go head to head with him in the middle, and run off him at every opportunity.

At three-quarter time of Saturday night's match against Richmond at the Gabba, Matthews implored Voss, along with Jason Akermanis and Simon Black, to lift the Lions to victory.

So many times Voss would have delivered, but this time he just couldn't. He didn't earn a possession in the final quarter...

[King-Eliagh]

I think Gary Lyon puts forward some honest and truthful views here. I just wonder whether he's been plagiarising my work of last year??? No doubt he'll soon be talking about Jonothan Browns' weight and Lee Mathews' alcoholism.

RIP Lions