SA Footy

Love or hate Port Adelaide,this bloke is one of those hard nuts who,with a limited amount of football ability has been one of the corner stones of our defense for 10 years.

The 1997 Rising Star and 04 Premiership player has been dealt a cruel blow and will miss the 07 GF.

Back luck Wilbur.

One Port guy i just can't hate for some reason. He has had his fair share of setbacks but just keeps coming back and giving everything he has. Really felt for him yesterday.

That's a real shame for Wilbur and for Port - he seems very important to their side. Apart from his skill he plays that enforcer role they will need next week (the roles that Pickett, Hardwick and Carr used to play) to help the kids.

Will he play on? Assume so he is only 30.

Great player for mine

Gotta feel for any bloke who goes down at this time of year. At the start of the year not even Booney would have picked a grand final appearance so the players might have taken a final or two...to do all that work, climb the ladder so quickly and make it and then get hurt on the second last Saturday of the year is terible luck for 'Wilbur' Wilson. If anyone can make it back, it is Wilson.

regards,

REB

I've already posted ad nausuem my admiration for this bloke....

He is the epitome of tough - doesn't whack blokes just goes in hard* after the pill and the body every time fairly....

The sort of blokes you want to stand side by side in the trenches every week because you he won't let you down through lack of effort.

no doubt, Wilbur is Port's spiritual leader, his leadership will be missed next week, especially in the back 6...

Limited football ability? I reckon you are seriously selling Michael Wilson short there Boons.

It is shattering what happened. If it is the end for him then it would be a sad but somewhat annoyingly fitting end given how his career has panned out.

Poor Bastard...it seems it's always a player that deserves a shot at GF glory that goes down the week before.
Great tough uncompromising footballer...will be a HUGE loss for the Power next weekend...

My favourite player. (Ever since his performances on stage at Alberton after the 1995 Grand Final! .) It's devastating for him after all the injuries he's already fought back from.

He's one of the toughest, strongest, hardest, most fearless players to play the game. Wilbur doesn't have that thing in his brain that tells us mere mortals to stop when it hurts.

I recall in the late 90's when strength stats were published, Wilbur was Ports strongest pound for pound and had Ports best bench press record, not many kg's off the best on the AFL. Add to that his records in the 2.2km 'University Loop' around the parks in North Adelaide - Wilbur jointly held the fastest time with Kane Cornes (which I think has since just been eclipsed).

Choco regards Wilbur as one of the top 5 players at Albertons which is a huge wrap. I'd say that would have come 99% from attitude and effort and 1% from ability.

Macca19 wrote:Limited football ability? I reckon you are seriously selling Michael Wilson short there Boons.

Ever seen Wilbur kick on his right? Not pretty. Wilbur's definitely one of those blokes who's got 110% out of his ability.

I definately hope Wilbur plays on. There's good things happening at Alberton and it would be very sad to see him go out like this.

When I said 'limited football ability' it was with all due respect to a bloke who is one of my Port Adelaide favourites.I am thinking he does not have the skill base of many others on a natural level,all his skill has been acquired through sheer hard work,one of the most dedicated diet and fitness regimes in the AFL.

If many more naturally gifted players worked as hard as Wilbur they would go much,much further in life.

Booney wrote:When I said 'limited football ability' it was with all due respect to a bloke who is one of my Port Adelaide favourites.I am thinking he does not have the skill base of many others on a natural level,all his skill has been acquired through sheer hard work,one of the most dedicated diet and fitness regimes in the AFL.

If many more naturally gifted players worked as hard as Wilbur they would go much,much further in life.

I've always valued and respected him as a player for that reason - he is a sound player with a commitment to getting the most out of his ability. If only some players with more natural talent [in all teams] had his discipline and motivation, what could they achieve!

Michael Wilson is a great player, one of the best Port Adelaide has seen and will be missed next week in the Grand Final.

Hopefully he plays on next year.

Good Luck Wilbur!!

Booney wrote:When I said 'limited football ability' it was with all due respect to a bloke who is one of my Port Adelaide favourites.I am thinking he does not have the skill base of many others on a natural level,all his skill has been acquired through sheer hard work,one of the most dedicated diet and fitness regimes in the AFL.

If many more naturally gifted players worked as hard as Wilbur they would go much,much further in life.

We all knew what you meant mate, you just have to explain things a bit clearer for your Port mates....

G'day Macca hows it going....

Booney wrote:When I said 'limited football ability' it was with all due respect to a bloke who is one of my Port Adelaide favourites.I am thinking he does not have the skill base of many others on a natural level,all his skill has been acquired through sheer hard work,one of the most dedicated diet and fitness regimes in the AFL.

If many more naturally gifted players worked as hard as Wilbur they would go much,much further in life.

A truer statement I am yet to hear.

Spot on Booney.

They were talking on the radio today that Wilbur's achilles could be a 12 month lay-off

Based on Greg Anderson taking 18 months to fix the same injury when he was playing

Just passing on what I heard - I am definitely no medico!

hondo

correct, their definitely would be serious doubts on Wilbur making it back, however he is a tough nut, and I would not put it passed him