View Full Version : Griffen article in the HUN
Extracted from http://www.heraldsun.news.com.au/footy/common/story_page/0,8033,18699411%255E20322,00.html
Honest call seals Ryan Griffen's fate
04 April 2006 Herald Sun
Mike Sheahan
IF RYAN Griffen didn't realise he put his golden boot in his mouth on Saturday, he found out soon enough.
Teammate Adam Cooney was on the phone next morning alerting him to the headlines in the Sunday Herald Sun and warning him of impending doom.
The coach is going to tear you apart, Cooney said gravely in his role as resident troublemaker at Whitten Oval.
Griffen hadn't seen the paper, but knew trouble was looming.
He nervously called mentor Scott West for advice and Westy suggested he get to Rodney Eade before the coach got to him.
Griffen had made headlines by telling SEN's Saturday Spotlight he thought Richmond players gave up in the second half on Friday night.
Sadly, a player speaking the truth landed in headlines and hot water.
Fortunately, Eade has been around long enough to know the game is played on the field, and not on the air or in print.
"He phoned me at lunchtime and was pretty stressed about it. He was pooing his pants," Eade said last night.
"I said `G'day, Griff', and he just blurted out his explanation. The kid was probably a bit naive; I just told him, `You just used the wrong words'.
"I heard it live and thought, `That's probably not a good thing to say'.
"I was going to phone him and warn him about the paper, but I thought he'd stress so I left him alone. What he said wasn't malicious; just a poor choice of words.
"I said, `It's OK, mate, no need to get stressed about it; there's no repercussions.
"I think he was sh...ing himself that I'd tear strips off him."
Cooney didn't help, but that's Cooney. As the coach said, he has a "wicked" wit.
Eade said the controversy would ensure his men were "on the ball" next time the two clubs met (August 5 at the MCG).
"He's such a good kid. He just wants to do the right thing. It wouldn't have occurred to him that there might be a problem," Eade said.
The coach said he would address the player group tomorrow on coping with the media.
"We thought this could happen at some stage; I think we'll be able to cope," he said.
Sadly, Eade said Griffen's immediate response was to swear off more interviews.
The kid did nothing more than echo the thoughts of Richmond's match committee, captain Kane Johnson and its supporters.
He has been embarrassed because of the archaic school of thought that you mustn't say anything that may come back to haunt you next week, next year or next century.
Pooing his pants :D
Reading stuff like further enforces my views that Rocket is an outstanding coach and leader for our football club. Is always honest and works the media beautifully.
Lucky Star
4 Apr 2006, 15:41
This is the biggest storm in a t-string.
Griffen would have played over 100 games of footy in his life - he'd know (as would anyone else who saw the game) that Richmond basically gave up.
not to mention the hun was instrumental in stirring this up as 'news' in the first place, then shamelessly has a piece like this criticizing the 'archaic school of thought' of other media comenators. what a bunch of arsewipes
not to mention the hun was instrumental in stirring this up as 'news' in the first place, then shamelessly has a piece like this criticizing the 'archaic school of thought' of other media comenators. what a bunch of arsewipes
Yep so bloody annoying to read trash like that.
Teammate Adam Cooney was on the phone next morning alerting him to the headlines in the Sunday Herald Sun and warning him of impending doom.
Sadly, a player speaking the truth landed in headlines and hot water.
He has been embarrassed because of the archaic school of thought that you mustn't say anything that may come back to haunt you next week, next year or next century.
Well stop instigating that thought you idiots.
I don't know what's funnier, what Griff said, or Cooney being a little prick :D
Spiritof82
5 Apr 2006, 11:02
What footy needs is players that will tell the truth and say what things were like out on the field, not the normal robots you get who are interviewed and say "where happy that we won, it may have been by 200 points but the opposition played well and stayed motivated the whole game".:cool:
Yep - nothing worse than the "Matthew Lloyd" syndrome ie every interview is just 8-10 cliche' s glued together.
Like him or hate him, Akermanis is interesting to listen to at any time.
Reminds me of the "respect" comment Griff made about G.Ablett last year - slightly controversial but 100% correct.
I liked Rocket's response in yesterday's Age:
... Eade wasn't concerned by the likelihood of Richmond resurrecting Griffen's comments when the sides meet again in round 18. "I reckon if you need motivation like that to play at this level, you've got some issues," he said.
Beautifully put Mr Eade.
Yep - nothing worse than the "Matthew Lloyd" syndrome ie every interview is just 8-10 cliche' s glued together.
Cut him some slack. It's noteworthy that Lloyd can get 8 - 10 words out in an interview.
Rumour has it his auto cue's are written in crayon too.
Pembleton
5 Apr 2006, 23:47
not to mention the hun was instrumental in stirring this up as 'news' in the first place, then shamelessly has a piece like this criticizing the 'archaic school of thought' of other media comenators. what a bunch of arsewipes
A newspaper is not one person, and there is no reason to think that all the writers in a newspaper should have veiws consistent with each other. This writer disagrees with the way the HUN pumped up Griffen's comments. Would it have been better if the HUN refused to allow the writer to express that view?
footscray1973
6 Apr 2006, 14:33
A newspaper is not one person, and there is no reason to think that all the writers in a newspaper should have veiws consistent with each other. This writer disagrees with the way the HUN pumped up Griffen's comments. Would it have been better if the HUN refused to allow the writer to express that view?
Pembleton - a newspaper dept (in this case Hun's football dept) is heavily influenced by its Editor, and also by the direction of senior management. Can you find a writer in this dept who has views significantly different to the rest of the dept?
Pembleton
6 Apr 2006, 15:50
Pembleton - a newspaper dept (in this case Hun's football dept) is heavily influenced by its Editor, and also by the direction of senior management. Can you find a writer in this dept who has views significantly different to the rest of the dept?
Do you think this is not a case of one writer disagreeing with the way his paper handled an issue?
If it is what you are getting at, general observations about the influence of editors and senior management doesn't actually damage my point about this one very narrow case.
Maybe you are just making the observation because i didn't specify in my brief post that some level of consistency amongst a newspaper's staff is a given, so it may have looked to you like i was suggesting that no such consistency exists at all. It obviously does.
footscray1973
6 Apr 2006, 16:39
Do you think this is not a case of one writer disagreeing with the way his paper handled an issue?
If it is what you are getting at, general observations about the influence of editors and senior management doesn't actually damage my point about this one very narrow case.
Maybe you are just making the observation because i didn't specify in my brief post that some level of consistency amongst a newspaper's staff is a given, so it may have looked to you like i was suggesting that no such consistency exists at all. It obviously does.
I think it is a case of a paper trying to create the controversy in the first place, then blame 'others' for the controversy, thereby arguing both sides to generate interest in an issue that the club, coach and players obviously do not think is that big a deal.
Other media have commented on Griff's refreshing honesty and how it will probably be stymied next time, but the Hun is the one that is obvious in its attempts to justify both sides of the argument.
You;re right in your last para - it did look to me like that, but thanks for clarifying the point.
Not sure that the writer necessarily disagrees with previous works - an article with the byline of a single name does not preclude the influence of others in its content.
I just think it's a beat-up by the paper and football dept as a group. Just as journos at the one paper can have an overall consistency of opinion, they can also collude to create a controversy that doesn't exist.
BTW - do you have any affiliations with the Hun, H&WT, other media outlets, etc. Not an accusation or anything, just curious given the tone of your reasoning?
Cheers
Pembleton
6 Apr 2006, 17:08
I think it is a case of a paper trying to create the controversy in the first place, then blame 'others' for the controversy, thereby arguing both sides to generate interest in an issue that the club, coach and players obviously do not think is that big a deal.
Other media have commented on Griff's refreshing honesty and how it will probably be stymied next time, but the Hun is the one that is obvious in its attempts to justify both sides of the argument.
You;re right in your last para - it did look to me like that, but thanks for clarifying the point.
Not sure that the writer necessarily disagrees with previous works - an article with the byline of a single name does not preclude the influence of others in its content.
I just think it's a beat-up by the paper and football dept as a group. Just as journos at the one paper can have an overall consistency of opinion, they can also collude to create a controversy that doesn't exist.
BTW - do you have any affiliations with the Hun, H&WT, other media outlets, etc. Not an accusation or anything, just curious given the tone of your reasoning?
Cheers
Thanks for outlining your veiw in more detail.
You could be right that this is a case of an over arching attempt by the higher ups at the paper to have it both ways. I am just inclined to think the more straightforward option of one writer being unhappy with the way his paper dealt with the Griffen comments, resulting in him having a very minor crack at his own paper, is more likely.
BTW - I have no affiliation. I actually think the HUN is total garbage. I only read it at all when they have something about the Dogs that gets linked to on here.
footscray1973
6 Apr 2006, 17:13
I actually think the HUN is total garbage. I only read it at all when they have something about the Dogs that gets linked to on here.
:thumbsu: Now there's something we're in absolute agreeance with. I actually read it at work, so I don't feel as if I'm contributing to the coffers of Murdoch, Bolt, etc, - although I suppose I'm indirectly contributing to their readership, so I'm probably only deluding myself anyway :D . At least it makes me feel good, though......
Thanks for the discussion Pembleton, always good to stimulate the brain on a different prespective of footy. :thumbsu:
Pembleton
6 Apr 2006, 17:46
Thanks for the discussion Pembleton, always good to stimulate the brain on a different prespective of footy. :thumbsu:
No probs mate, i enjoy a back and forth with people who are willing to go to a bit more depth to show the reasons fthey hold an opinion.