It may not have been the easiest decision he has made in his life but Brendon Goddard made the right call to leave St Kilda to join Essendon for the 2013 season and beyond.
At the age of 27, Goddard would have been well and truly thinking about and planning his life after football; something he won’t need to worry about now until at least the end of the 2016 season.
And after four years of being paid between the rumoured figures of $675,000 and $725,000, there won’t be too much to worry about.
Sure, he will cop similar criticism to that of Tom Scully and Gary Ablett, but it will come from the mouths of those who would no doubt make the same decision if in his position.
It would be an unfair statement to say Goddard didn’t give his all to the St Kilda Football Club in his 205 matches since being drafted in 2002.
He leaves the club as a former leader of the Saints, a three-time grand finalist and two-time all Australian, which made him an elite player in the AFL.
And that list of honours may not have been added to if Goddard remained at the Saints, but it could be added to as a rejuvenated Essendon footballer.
It’s been clear since the 2010 Grand Final that Goddard has struggled to produce his best football, which is perhaps due to consecutive grand final losses, leaving Goddard and a number of his former teammates physically, mentally and emotionally exhausted.
There is no debating Goddard is one of, if not the best, utility in the competition, and you just need to watch the 2010 grand final to be reminded of that.
But the 27-year-old was looking flat at the Saints; easily frustrated and uninterested at times.
It’s something that a new club may be able to fix; as they say, a change is as good as a holiday.
Either way Goddard had nothing to lose by changing clubs – except perhaps the respect of some – but he has plenty to gain.
Will Goddard regret his decision in the coming years? Will he become the second Essendon player to win the Brownlow Medal in as many years? Will he be Essendon’s saviour?
Time will tell.
Andrew A
Guest
St Kilda's close defeats this year cost them a finals spot. Their solid percentage gives a good indication of their competitiveness this year. Losing a quality player in Goddard will hurt, and hopefully they receive adequate compensation. The Luke Ball departure was handled poorly by Ross Lyon. From memory, Collingwood offered pick 30 and Sharrod Wellingham for Ball but were knocked back. Ball even approached Lyon at trade week and asked him to negotiate the trade to Collingwood. In the end Collingwood used pick 30 to draft Ball and St Kilda received nothing. The Ball debacle coupled with the disastrous recruiting of a known problem player in Andrew Lovett using pick 16 were huge blunders.
NeeDeep
Roar Pro
Agree Nick (& Westy). Just so glad to see the death of the so-called "St. Kilda Game Plan" and a much more attacking style coming to the fore. The players certainly responded as well - you could see that they enjoyed having a license to take the game on and take a risk. Now we can watch the "Freo Game Plan" mature and be criticised (although it's still being called a "St. Kilda style game" over here in Perth - pretty sure it was Sydney-like when we got it)! Anyway, let's hope we get some more talented youngsters out of this situation and Scotty can get them up and about. If we'd won a couple of close ones this year, we would have been well into the finals. Just need to match it with the top sides - we did beat the eventual premiers and gave everyone else a decent run for their money. Plenty to look forward to next year!
Nick Brown
Roar Rookie
I remember sitting in on the 2009 Grand final press conference and Ross Lyon stating the club would not try and keep players at the club that weren't interested in being there.... not long after Luke Ball wished to be traded, going against his word Ross Lyon then tried to keep him, before stuffing things up and the club received nothing for Ball! Unforgivable! I am glad that this time the club stuck by its policy that no one player is bigger than the club. It was a big moment for the club. I have no doubt Watters is the perfect coach to develop the young group we have and help the club take out its second premiership.
Westy
Guest
The only issue there NeeDeep is that a certain, no longer present individual (I use that term advisedly) made a fundamental stuff-up in the Luke Ball fiasco.
Nick Brown
Roar Rookie
Thanks Dylan, appreciate it. Westy - With the likes of McEvoy, Armitage, Geary, Saad, Ledger and co the future looks bright, especially with watters at the helm. I do believe Siposs grew up as a Saints supporter and wanted to go to the Saints, basically the opposite of Goddard really.
NeeDeep
Roar Pro
I guess guys, we can only hope that a sense of fair play prevails in the AFL and we don't end up getting shafted by Andrew and friends, like we did when Luke Ball walked out and we got nothing! Andrew applauded Luke and the Collingwood Football Club for their actions and we got the prickly end of the pineapple, back then. Let's hope this time, there is a silver lining and we get something for all the time and effort the club has invested in to BJ, rather than just being treated like the poor relations, again!
Westy
Guest
Dead right Nick, Sipposs not only shows a lot of promise, but from all accounts he loves the place as well.
Dylan
Guest
Great article Nick spot on, glad to see a stkilda supporter can see both sides
Nick Brown
Roar Rookie
Westy - As a Saints supporter it hurts to see him go, but I think it will be good for St Kilda in some ways. I would love to see Siposs tried in a similar role to Goddard.
Westy
Guest
Much has been said how it is good for Goddard, he did the right thing, he is allowed to go wherever he likes and it is good for Essendon. Is there some faint chance that it could also be good for St Kilda? Hi churlish behavior lack of interest and professionalism at times have been ignored at the expense of a number of young blokes keen t get a chance. And then there is draft pick consolation, so it could be good for St Kilda, unless of course the AFL has other ideas when the time comes. Oh, and yes, I am bitter!