“I hope I can just go back and barrack. For the Saints,” Kos

[saintsRrising]

“I hope I can just go back and barrack. For the Saints,” he says.

Good read on Kosi.

Read more: http://www.theage.com.au/afl/afl-news/k ... z2dYAqPcOs

[ausfatcat]

what I took from that article was

“I probably don't think I am yet,” he says, with lowered voice and eyes.

“I don't know how to explain it. I've definitely improved, but I don't think I have gotten fully over it.

“Footy definitely changed for me then. It was a mistake I made on a footy ground and it cost me dearly. I just didn't see him coming … and there's been some horrendous low times from that.”

he still ain't over the Gia hit, and he possibly lost the love for the game on that day

great send off glad it didn't happen in rnd 16 and wished he got that goal



what if thou in my mind still lingers

[saintspremiers]

What a top bloke and he wants to stay involved which is a huge relief. Be a mentor to the kids perhaps?


The article should ve said that Gino would've copped about 4 weeks for his dog act under the new rules.
That hit riled me more at the time than any other hit I've witnessed at a footy match.

I guess just as long as Gino realises the damage he's done will help

[Liam_G]

I feel the other factor surrounding the Gino hit and why Kosi, as ausfatcat says, "lost the love for the game on that day", was that the overwhelming response from the media and general football public was that Kosi was to blame. Here is a guy who had his skull fractured in a hit yet HE was the one criticised from pillar to post. The response was unforgiving with little sympathy offered. I wouldn't blame him one bit if this was a cause.

[stevie]

The guy that did it isn't 'Gino' or 'Gira'

His name is forever Giasiraloser

[8856brother]

The guy that did it isn't 'Gino' or 'Gira'

His name is forever Giasiraloser

As brave as a sniper was Gino.

[Moods]

Really enjoyed Kosi's career. Seems like a great bloke too, which is even more important.

BUT if any of you think that most saints player, (ie Lenny, Bakes for certain) wouldn't have done exactly the same thing, if a player left themselves wide open like that in 2006, then you're kidding yourselves. Footy is very very dangerous unless you protect yourself on the field. It occurred virtually right in front of me. I'm still staggered at Kosi's lack of awareness on that day. He was chasing the bloke with the ball (a token chase it has to be said cause he looked knackered) was about 10 metres behind him and had his head down. Who has their head down when running around playing footy?

Shocking thing that happened to him, and I reckon if you asked Gia he would say he regretted the injury that Kosi suffered as a result. Just don't see any point blaming anyone for it. Gia did what was expected of him, and what we, as supporters, would have expected from our players in the same set of circumstances.

[suss]

Really enjoyed Kosi's career. Seems like a great bloke too, which is even more important.

BUT if any of you think that most saints player, (ie Lenny, Bakes for certain) wouldn't have done exactly the same thing, if a player left themselves wide open like that in 2006, then you're kidding yourselves. Footy is very very dangerous unless you protect yourself on the field. It occurred virtually right in front of me. I'm still staggered at Kosi's lack of awareness on that day. He was chasing the bloke with the ball (a token chase it has to be said cause he looked knackered) was about 10 metres behind him and had his head down. Who has their head down when running around playing footy?

Shocking thing that happened to him, and I reckon if you asked Gia he would say he regretted the injury that Kosi suffered as a result. Just don't see any point blaming anyone for it. Gia did what was expected of him, and what we, as supporters, would have expected from our players in the same set of circumstances.

I respectfully disagree. I played a few games of footy and you know when a guy is totally unaware and vulnerable to be cleaned up. It really is a pretty gutless act in my opinion.

And the injury he inflicted that day was as bad as i've seen on a footy field that wasn't accidental (e.g. Hird's face, Matt Maguire's leg, Nathan Brown's leg - all accidents, all unavoidable). If i remember correctly, it was compared at the time by at least one doctor to a serious motor car injury. Hayes never went close to doing anything close in 250+ games of footy.

I understand that some people will feel differently, but I consider Gia to be an absolute disgrace because of that act. Baker was pretty dirty, but that was on another plane IMO.

[ralphsmith]

giansiracusa was reckless

knew kosi didnt see him coming and went for total unnecessary impact

totally unnecessary force

ginsiracusa , prick prick total prick

[Moods]

The injury was only horrific because Kosi didn't prepare for it like he should. A disgrace would have been a raised elbow at Kosi's face, or a round house sling (ie Matthews on Bruns)

[Solar]

The question in my mind and shall forever be there is why jump? He had him cold, came from a direction which allowed him to take kosi out fairly. kosi would have had to do something similar to a head check to have seen this coming. So why did gia feel the need to jump into the player, thus brining the head into play. Also as most have said, kosi was a good 10 metres behind, there was no way he was going to chase the guy down. It's a disgrace and the media reaction was bizarre. Changed his career forever.

[Moods]

The question in my mind and shall forever be there is why jump? He had him cold, came from a direction which allowed him to take kosi out fairly. kosi would have had to do something similar to a head check to have seen this coming. So why did gia feel the need to jump into the player, thus brining the head into play. Also as most have said, kosi was a good 10 metres behind, there was no way he was going to chase the guy down. It's a disgrace and the media reaction was bizarre. Changed his career forever.

Can't recall whether he jumped or not. But I would imagine if he did jump, it's because Kos is a good 10cm taller than him. What ppl forget is back in the day, this sort of thing was not that uncommon place. Remember Voss on Richardson? The AFL used to show it as a marketing tool to promote how tough our game was. Richardson could easily have sustained similar injuries to Kosi - only dumb luck prevented it. Turner for Richmond, did the same thing in a final back in 1995.

[dragit]

I'm with moods… Gia had no intention of smashing his own skull against Kosi's…

At that stage, those kinds of shepherds where okay… this one went horribly wrong obviously, but he was trying knock him over, not end his career.

I bet half the people moaning on here used to love it when Hamill & Guerra were sniping players off the ball.

[stinger]

I feel the other factor surrounding the Gino hit and why Kosi, as ausfatcat says, "lost the love for the game on that day", was that the overwhelming response from the media and general football public was that Kosi was to blame. Here is a guy who had his skull fractured in a hit yet HE was the one criticised from pillar to post. The response was unforgiving with little sympathy offered. I wouldn't blame him one bit if this was a cause.

agree with your comments....a dog act from a dog player.....

[plugger66]

I feel the other factor surrounding the Gino hit and why Kosi, as ausfatcat says, "lost the love for the game on that day", was that the overwhelming response from the media and general football public was that Kosi was to blame. Here is a guy who had his skull fractured in a hit yet HE was the one criticised from pillar to post. The response was unforgiving with little sympathy offered. I wouldn't blame him one bit if this was a cause.

agree with your comments....a dog act from a dog player.....

Yep Gia has a real reputation of being a dog player. Well I suppose he has because he plays for the dogs but that is about it.

[Greg T]

That's the link after he collapses .
Quick snap shot of the Gia hit.
Kosi said he still hasn't got over it to this day.