One last waltz for a battler.

[Pie no sauce]

I'd like to see that, one last game for a real died in the wool never say die cooda-been,,, Walker.
One of the most endearing and stalwart traditions of CFC has been the toughness and true grit of their champs over the years. Even tho Walker didn't manage to fulfill the consistency expected, he has has had the respect and admiration of the administration and supporters over the time of his sidelined career.
Put him on the ground at CHF and give him a send off worthy of a true gladiator!!!!

[Pugsville]

Yeah. Lee Walker is the Great Man. One of the great traigdies of australian sport. Up there with Bruce ( memory failure, WA left arm quick, desvastator but his back destroyed his career). If Walker could of had one or two years of football without injury or indeed more than 10 games in the one season. bUt he's just kept comming back, it;s hard to keep a good man down. I been amazed every time I've seen him play the touch he seems to be in after yet another come back, he skills would be awesome if he had time to run into form. Sigh, I been wearing N0. 18 for years. guess I'l lhave to change the one to a four. I'd play him and one or two others (Watson who at least is on decent form 5 goals!) to send them off. Why smith can't get a game? Has anyone seen Lee Walker running around in the reserves, he was metioned then no word, not in team lists. I fear it's all over for Mr Walker, Phantom, the Knee the cannot Die.

pugs.

[Mr_Plow]

Bruce Reid

Watson, Fuller and Crow should be given a chance to save their careers

[foxy]

chad morrison is a damn good player, he'd be a bloody fine pickup.

[Newelly]

Chad morrison signed up at the start of the year i thought for another two or three years.

[Pugsville]

IF MM is comming across and there are players willing to come with him, it could be fairly easy to arrange, BUT they want to be careful if they do something like that. New coach arrives with own players delisting locals, getting picked ahead of others, coaches favouruites in the making. I would think twice before doing something like that. Also any prioroty picks should be used to chase players where we have a shortage. (1) The Ruck [ Everitt ] (2) Key Defender [ Graham ] (=3) class on ball [ ???] (=3) class goal kicker crumber [ Brent Harvey? ]. I would be cautious about "package" deals. GEt the best possible coach. Then work for best possible changes to list. Let's hope all involved are professional enough to do they job properly.

pugs

[foxy]

lee walker announced his retirement today. it's a sad end isn't it.

[ZED]

Yes Foxy,
It is very sad to hear Lee Walker wont be a part of the 2000 team. Ever since I met him at the 1997 Copeland Trophy Night I was forever watching his progress. I was elated when they redrafted him. It just showed that Collingwood does value his work ethic and motivation. I just hope Lee can stay with the club in some capacity. All the best to Lee in his future plans.

[Broadie]

While I hold no malice for Walker, the decision to end his career should have been made by the club 2 years ago.

Even then it was clear that his body simply could not stand up to the rigours of AFL football.

His re-drafting on the basis of "team spirit" was noted by me as a mistake at the time (I voiced my objetion on these very pages) and has kept us from developing one more potential star.

Good luck in whatever you end up doing, Tangles, and I hope the club has learnt a lesson: the list of 42 (soon 3 is for PLAYERS, not good clubmen.

[Pugsville]

Sad, if a f.. tradigy or something. While this may be the way it was always going to end, while it may have been an extreme long shot, while it may not have been smart or the way to the next premiership cup and cost the pies a valuable youngster let me say this. Football is a parable for life, and there is much more at stake than mere winning or losing. It's how you play the game and how you go about life. Lee Walker is a great man, had immense football talent and potential and has been cruelly cut down by unstable knees like many before him. But unlike some Neale Daniher or Coleman he didn't get those few passing moments of glory before the fall. In life we all struggle against our personal abyss. It was a long shot, a doomed effort in many ways but he felt compelled to give it his best and collingwood we good enough to give him a go. So it didn't work and it wasn't a smart football move, but it was in it's way the right thing. Sometimes in football you go in knowing you're going to get crunched and not get the ball anyway, but you go in anyway. it's the struggle not the prize that is great thing. It must have been a long hard struggle with very few rewards, it's one thing playing with a team and going thru the highs and lows but the long mor elonely path of knee reconstruction recovery, working up to match fitness, the hopes and dreams being cruelly destroyed as the knee goes again and again. But to get back up and go though the long process again. Football is about character and Lee Waker definitely is a man of great Character.

I would like to wish Lee Walker all the best in whatever he chooses to do now.

pugs.

[foxy]

i swear some of the stuff written on here needs to be published somewhere. but really, wouldn't it be great to see lee get a game on saturday and kick 12 goals, and get the winning goal after the siren. and to see the crowd run onto the ground and flock around him and the rest of the team. i guess that's just the stuff of dreams. but pie fans always dream of dream footy - we want the extraordinary to happen on the field, and if it doesn't happen then we just get more and more passionate.

[Pie no sauce]

It's a pity mate, hope you enjpy the game anyway.