I was there for the GFs of 07, 08, 11 and 2013 (plus several of the earlier ones). We had a dynasty in the making in 2011 and I was at Brookie Oval the day after the 2011 GF where the players and the coach met fans and began what was a cavalcade through to Manly. I recall Hasler telling us: "We showed them" as he reflected on the critics who said Manly couldn't recover from The Battle of Brookie.
The next day came the shock announcement: Hasler was leaving for the Dogs!
All Manly fans felt betrayed. Obviously there were a number of people/factors responsible for the split, but the timing of that announcement was despicable. From that day on I've referred to him as DESpicable. I'm very happy to have him back with the club, but I'll never forget how disappointed I was at his/the club's handling of the defection. Those who believe that Hasler walks on Narrabeen Lake should appreciate that he has not always had the club's best interests at heart. He has failings. He is human and we should be entitled to call him out when any of us feel he has miss-stepped.