No way, a legend like Maher should never be cut, not especially when he is still prob in our top 3 players,if not our best, maybe ask him to take a pay cut and reduce his role a bit as he gets older, but yea i would never cut Maher, he is a true champion and has been incredibly loyal to the club, so we owe it to him to let him go out on his own terms i think

ok i know someone didnt just agree with that numbnut... that was probably just ben hart as anonymous, am i right isaac?

anyway, please dont use the alias of a legend like Ben Hart when u urself are so stupid, Brett Maher is still the best point-guard in the league and he is still probably our best player (just ahead of horvath).
Maher will give you 20,6 & 6 every game and theres no way hes too old, hes 33 for god's sake, look at D-Mac at 43, Karl Malone retired at 42, Reggie Miller, Rob Rose and there's plenty more WAY older than Brett.

Ben Hart, I seriously hope u get bagged as much as i did when i said $h!t about dusty rychart because you dserve it for that

No, they aren't the same person.

Injury seems to be the issue, not age. e.g., pretty sure Karl Malone wasn't missing half of a season through injury, and Rob Rose has been moved to the bench and would've had his salary downgraded, etc.

As for my thoughts, it's a tough call. He's still very capable when fit - easily one of the best in the league. But if fitness is an ongoing issue, then the club are crippling themselves having money wrapped up in one player in that situation.

This year, I think it's just a horrible run of bad luck more than anything - calf, virus, groin.

If Brett's body can't handle 40 minutes per game anymore, yes move him to the bench, reduce the salary, but keep the legend on as long as he wants to play.

He stuck by the club when he went through one of the most horrific things any person or parent could ever go through, and I think the club owes him to do whatever they can to allow Brett to retire when he is ready, on his terms and in his way.

damn straight yogee

Hang on, isn't this the same guy that everyone was talking up 4 weeks ago when he beat Wollongong by himself...give it up people, Maher should not be cut or benched, let him get over his injury/virus and you will all be eating your words...

Yogee your last paragraph could not have been said any better!

Maybe the players should be on a lower base wage, and have a bigger portion of the wages on a performance basis.
So if someone is out for a while, it is not going to hurt the club financially, and maybe better reward those who have to rise to the occassion.

Those seasons were 33 games I think. Maher missed 7 games in 2005, and 5 in 2006 (20% and 15%).

This weekend will take him to 7 missed games for 2006/07.

I would think the club should be looking at a longer term role for Brett be it in coaching, admin, marketing or whatever and discussing and planning for it now - BUT the timing of the transition to that role should be left to Brett.

yeah i think stephen black should retire now too.

OMG i cant believe were even discussing Brett Maher's retirement, give him another 7 years.

Anon 104336

Every club, regardless of the sport has it's club veterans.

Who remember's the first time Mark Davis was "retired"?? Who remembers the huge uproar that created?

Whilst a club has to manage it's player lists and salary caps very well, there is a lot to be said for looking after club veterans who have suck by the club through thick and thin. If Brett's body is no longer up to the vigours of his old game (40 or so mpg), then give him a reduced role, with a reduced salary to match, supplement it (legally of course) where possible, and let him call when enough is enough. Someone like Brett would be sensible to know when it's time to go (and he has repeatedly said he thinks he only has 1 or 2 seasons left in him).

Do you think if Phil said to Brett next week "Sorry mate, but we need someone who isn't going to break down all the time" (and we wont enter into current player and Smyth-hate agendas, please) that there would not be 11 other clubs lining up to sign him for those 1-2 seasons???

Let the man retire on his own terms, and retire his singlet as another pure legend of the club.

Agreed with yogee, Maher deserves to go out with honour to show the true champion he is, and i think he does have a few years left in him, he is far from a has been if he can get his body right

All this uproar over maher - what about the other brett we have on the roster???

Mahersy is a legend and as soon as he gets back to 100% health he'll be making all you haters eat your words..

As for giving him a role at teh club in admin, marketing or whatever, as suggested by $talks - im not having a go at brett here, because i dont know his skills - but you cant just throw someone without experience into one of these positions... Look at how BASA managed to get itself into debt in the first place... Davis was given a similar role & ended up getting the boot..

IMO Maher would make an excellent choice for coach, and would be better than Brooks IMO

#104354

"I can't remember the last time he consisitently gave us those figures..."

How about
2005: 19, 4 and 7
2006: 19, 5 and 7
this year: 19, 5 and 6
Career: 17, 4.5 and 4.5

seems pretty CONSISTENT from where I am looking at it...

As a player/s ability is a matter of opinion we are never all going to agree. The NBL is now a business and from that point of view the 36ers and there administration need to look long and hard at the future of their team and therefore business investment. I have had been attending as a season ticket holder for some years and have witnessed the down hill slide of the teams proformances. We can not turn back the clock as this season is now in progress I would like to see some of the bench players eg Dodman etc be given some court time we have over the years had players sitting on the end of the bench year after year and then disappear from seems to be the face of the earth. Maybe they are not good enough but how do we really no??????? At least it would be a change and we may not lose them to the game of basketball. Good Luck to those making the decisions. I love the game of basketball and will continue to support it. Give the loyal supporters some hope for the future. Which imo is not with Copeland Wheeler Nash. Curious what Cooper has done wrong to be warming the pine so much. imo no better or worse that Wheeler or Nash.

As a player/s ability is a matter of opinion we are never all going to agree. The NBL is now a business and from that point of view the 36ers and there administration need to look long and hard at the future of their team and therefore business investment. I have been attending as a season ticket holder for some years and have witnessed the down hill slide of the teams performances. We can not turn back the clock as this season is now in progress I would like to see some of the bench players eg Dodman etc be given some court time we have over the years had young players sitting on the end of the bench year after year and then disappear from seems to be the face of the earth. Maybe they are not good enough but how do we really no??????? At least it would be a change and we may not lose them to the game of basketball. Good Luck to those making the decisions. I love the game of basketball and will continue to support it. Give the loyal supporters some hope for the future. Which imo is not with Copeland Wheeler Nash. Curious what Cooper has done wrong to be warming the pine so much. imo no better or worse that Wheeler or Nash. (spell check would be good)