The olive branch of peace is offered to Thomas

[Kildonan]

Saints peace plan (http://www.heraldsun.news.com.au/footy/common/story_page/0,8033,22657873%255E20322,00.html)
28 October 2007 Sunday Herald Sun
Jon Ralph

THE new St Kilda board has called an end to the cold war between the Saints and Grant Thomas, welcoming back the former coach as well as ex-president Rod Butterss.

Thomas has had a frosty relationship with the club after being fired last year, notably missing Robert Harvey's testimonial this season.

While former friends Thomas and Butterss are still warring over a disputed loan, new board member Nathan Burke said the time for recriminations was over.

Burke said the former coach and Butterss, who recently stood down for new president Greg Westaway, should return to the fold.

"You can't afford to burn those type of people, good St Kilda people," he said.

"You would love to see (Thomas) back at the club, probably not in an official capacity, but able to turn up to president's dinners and to best-and-fairests, and anything we have. It is something that should definitely happen.

"There has been a lot of conjecture that Grant was behind the (Footy First) push. To be honest he hasn't had anything to do with it.

"But as far as I am concerned, he is the second-longest serving coach at the club, and I know his heart is still with St Kilda."

He said he hoped Butterss would be happy to return.

"We would love to welcome him back to president's functions, just as we did when Rod took over from Andrew Plympton," Burke said.

"After a while Andrew was coming along and giving speeches for 'Harvs' and things like that.

"We anticipate the same for Rod as a past president, to be given the respect to do that sort of thing."

St Kilda is close to announcing a new major sponsor, after Bill Express decided last month not to extend its deal.

Burke said the club was speaking to several companies and was optimistic of announcing a new deal in coming weeks.

The club is well down the track with the companies, and negotiating the small details on signage and hospitality issues.

"The companies we are speaking to have hinted they want to be long-term sponsors, which is good," Burke said.

"I don't know whether you get good value if you stay for one or two years then go. The ideal ones are when you build relationships and partnerships for years into the future."

Meanwhile, Burke has tendered his resignation to the AFL's match review panel after taking up an official position with the Saints.

[bubblegoose]

Wow! A positive article in the hun about the Saints!!!:eek:

This all sounds pretty good to me, ensuring the Saints of old are brought back into the fold - in a non official capacity, I reckon is great.

How will our "luck" be at the match review committee next year I wonder? ;) better/worse/same? I'll put my $ on same.

[Persevering Saint]

I'm hoping that Burke will stop things like what happened to Baker ever happening again.

[bubblegoose]

I'm hoping that Burke will stop things like what happened to Baker ever happening again.
do you mean Bakes 7 weeks suspension

[Kildonan]

I think he means that the former administration submitted meekly to the improper AFL ruling on Baker. He was wondering where the new administration stood in as far as standing up for the player even suggesting that they would not have stood for the AFL's actions at all.

The AFL accepted the testimony of an opposition club official as a vehicle to get the case to the tribunal (Even if they were genuine in their belief of the "evidence" then when that testimony was debunked - they should have just thrown the case out). No the AFL used that testimony to get the case to the tribunal - then without informing Baker of the prospect, they used Baker's own evidence against him to find him guilty. They had no case whatsoever - except Baker's evidence.

This was a dirty, underhanded approach by the AFL - showing their moral blindness, but it was a mistake by the St Kilda football club to even allow Baker to testify. If he lied and said he had amnesia from the serious headclash imposed on him by Farmer, the player that literally ran into him, then he would have got off scot free. Also, given the flimsiness of the evidence against him, (just the AFL tribunal members' twisted interpretation of Baker's words), to be given the harshest penalty of the year was unjustifiable.

I don't advocate lying.
Our players simply need to be given first rate advice when fronting the tribunal. Do you think a Collingwood player, with their panel of legal experts, would have given damning evidence against himself leading to a 7 week suspension?

[Persevering Saint]

Exactly StKildonian. I don't advocate lying either, but I do uphold the precedent that is allowed in pretty much any decent legal system in the world - if you'll be incriminated against, you can shut up. Bakes had that under the tribunal, but was given VERY poor advice. Of course, it could've been the perfect advice if the tribunal respected a player being honest, but it doesn't - and the Saints' lawyers should have known that. Their counsel, that he should talk, was totally ill-informed.

The reason I mention Burke is because he has been intimately involved in the tribunal system, and should be able to help stop things like the Baker incident hapenning again. If he'd been in a position to help us when Bakes was charged (which he wasn't - he was still too close to the system), he would have told Bakes, "Look, I know the system, what they want, and what they don't - I'm telling you, keep your mouth shut..."

[Cardio Carl]

Seemed to have moved away from the topic of this thread boys.

Look ,great idea to offer the olive branch to Thommo & Butters - however there should be some terms & conditions on this offer.

In the past they have used the media to attack each other & sometimes the club for their own egos. This needs to be quelled - lets not have them trumpeted back into the club and then every 2-3 months have something they have said or done blow up in the media and then the club has to go into damage control to snuff out.

It would be great to do this AFTER all their legal / debt issues are over and amicabley reconciled so when they come in there are no issues between them still in the closet.

[Qsaint]

So are we paying Thomas out his 200K or whatever it was?

[ultimate hater]

St Kilda is close to announcing a new major sponsor, after Bill Express decided last month not to extend its deal.

Burke said the club was speaking to several companies and was optimistic of announcing a new deal in coming weeks.

The club is well down the track with the companies, and negotiating the small details on signage and hospitality issues.

"The companies we are speaking to have hinted they want to be long-term sponsors, which is good," Burke said.




I would have thought, if you are well down the track with signing a sponsor and just "negotiating the small details" you would know how long they would be signing up for..??? I'm sure it wouldn't be a last minute thing.. "ohh wack on another 2 years to the sponsorship would you?"

[Squizzy1970]

So are we paying Thomas out his 200K or whatever it was?


Early days - Thomas is a stobborn individual and has not yet accepted the Olive branch. He may yet treat it as a Trojan horse.

[Persevering Saint]

Seemed to have moved away from the topic of this thread boys.

Uh, yeah, my bad... sorry about that.

So are we paying Thomas out his 200K or whatever it was?

EXCELLENT QUESTION! Something tells me an olive branch isn't the most important piece of greenery Thommo's after from the StKFC.

I would have thought, if you are well down the track with signing a sponsor and just "negotiating the small details" you would know how long they would be signing up for..??? I'm sure it wouldn't be a last minute thing.. "ohh wack on another 2 years to the sponsorship would you?"

ANOTHER GREAT POINT. It's all sounding too up-in-the-air for them to have organised them before they even got in (which is what they seemed to be claiming during the voting). But hey, it's not as if they need to live up to their campaign, now is it...?

[sainter35]

I think the club should pay Grant the $200k and prior to him receiving it Rod Butters be entitled to withdraw his outstanding $1m owed by Thomas before passing on whats left to Grant...

If you cant afford it - dont borrow it.

[sauce_head]

Exactly StKildonian. I don't advocate lying either, but I do uphold the precedent that is allowed in pretty much any decent legal system in the world - if you'll be incriminated against, you can shut up. Bakes had that under the tribunal, but was given VERY poor advice. Of course, it could've been the perfect advice if the tribunal respected a player being honest, but it doesn't - and the Saints' lawyers should have known that. Their counsel, that he should talk, was totally ill-informed.

The reason I mention Burke is because he has been intimately involved in the tribunal system, and should be able to help stop things like the Baker incident hapenning again. If he'd been in a position to help us when Bakes was charged (which he wasn't - he was still too close to the system), he would have told Bakes, "Look, I know the system, what they want, and what they don't - I'm telling you, keep your mouth shut..."

I don't either. Just gross misinterpretation. I am sick to death of getting shafted by the giant afl probe. Reintrepretation of evidence, umpiring gross misconduct and end of game procedure. Whilst I was not supportive of this board, due to a lack of any demonstration, I am fully behind them now and hope they play the off field game like collingwood would. That is not to say lying...

[ultimate hater]

saw this on another thread and just had to post it.. quite funny..


http://www.theage.com.au/ffximage/2004/06/19/thomas_family,0.jpg
http://www.rob-clarkson.com/duff-brewery/cletus/03.jpg

[Persevering Saint]

All I think when I see that photo is... too many girls... (flipping father-son lovin' Geelong scum...)

[Molky Saint]

saw this on another thread and just had to post it.. quite funny..


http://www.theage.com.au/ffximage/2004/06/19/thomas_family,0.jpg
http://www.rob-clarkson.com/duff-brewery/cletus/03.jpg
:D cool. geez really wish GT was still the coach