OldSchool
12 Feb 2003, 04:35
I know that this is just about footy and it will not interest too many here at the moment but here goes anyway:
Terry Wallace has scheduled a return to the Whitten Oval today amid revelations that the former Western Bulldogs coach has been making periodical payments to the club as part of a six-figure settlement.
Wallace, who shocked the football world when he walked out on the club last August, has been making twice-monthly cash payments since the start of this year and will do so until the middle of the year following claims by the club that he breached his contract.
The cash repayments are believed to total $50,000, but Wallace, who spent 14 years at the Western Bulldogs, has also relinquished long-service payments, believed to be about $100,000.
Wallace, who is understood to have told his management that he did not plan to push for a long-service leave settlement, signed the confidential payback agreement soon after quitting the club on the eve of round 22 last season.
Recently returned from a working holiday in the US, where he spoke with leading American football coaches, Wallace has signalled his intention to spend 2003 as a media commentator, while remaining determined to push for a senior AFL coaching position.
He has already attended a number of pre-season training sessions, including one at Hawthorn, and is due to watch Richmond at 10am today and the Bulldogs, under his former assistant Peter Rohde, at 4pm.
Western Bulldogs president David Smorgon said yesterday he had not been aware of Wallace's return to the Whitten Oval, but that the club had no qualms about its coach of the past seven years watching the team train.
"People know that Terry is going to make a career for himself in the media and I know he'll be treated with the respect we normally give the media. I can't speak for our supporters, but I'm sure he'll be treated with respect."
Of the settlement, Smorgon said: "We reached a commercial settlement, which was confidential, and now it's time to move on."
Wallace's manager Craig Kelly said his charge would work this season as a football commentator for 3AW and Foxtel, and continue as a newspaper columnist with the Herald Sun. "But Terry's plan is to be a career coach and he will continue to watch all the other clubs work this season as part of that plan," Kelly said.
The unfortunate timing of Wallace's resignation from the Bulldogs led Rohde to take over as coach for the last round against Collingwood. The team refused to play under Wallace.
Wallace was widely tipped to take over at Sydney this season, but the club instead appointed Paul Roos following pressure from players, sponsors and members.
The Bulldogs, headed by club director Henry Jolson, QC, told Wallace he had breached his contract and immediately pushed for the settlement, and agreement was reached in the days that followed the August 27 resignation bombshell.
Wallace has not returned to the club since and, in that time, the Bulldogs' new chief executive, Campbell Rose, has overseen cuts of almost 30 employees and reached a three-year, $3 million major sponsorship deal with Lease Plan.
Terry Wallace has scheduled a return to the Whitten Oval today amid revelations that the former Western Bulldogs coach has been making periodical payments to the club as part of a six-figure settlement.
Wallace, who shocked the football world when he walked out on the club last August, has been making twice-monthly cash payments since the start of this year and will do so until the middle of the year following claims by the club that he breached his contract.
The cash repayments are believed to total $50,000, but Wallace, who spent 14 years at the Western Bulldogs, has also relinquished long-service payments, believed to be about $100,000.
Wallace, who is understood to have told his management that he did not plan to push for a long-service leave settlement, signed the confidential payback agreement soon after quitting the club on the eve of round 22 last season.
Recently returned from a working holiday in the US, where he spoke with leading American football coaches, Wallace has signalled his intention to spend 2003 as a media commentator, while remaining determined to push for a senior AFL coaching position.
He has already attended a number of pre-season training sessions, including one at Hawthorn, and is due to watch Richmond at 10am today and the Bulldogs, under his former assistant Peter Rohde, at 4pm.
Western Bulldogs president David Smorgon said yesterday he had not been aware of Wallace's return to the Whitten Oval, but that the club had no qualms about its coach of the past seven years watching the team train.
"People know that Terry is going to make a career for himself in the media and I know he'll be treated with the respect we normally give the media. I can't speak for our supporters, but I'm sure he'll be treated with respect."
Of the settlement, Smorgon said: "We reached a commercial settlement, which was confidential, and now it's time to move on."
Wallace's manager Craig Kelly said his charge would work this season as a football commentator for 3AW and Foxtel, and continue as a newspaper columnist with the Herald Sun. "But Terry's plan is to be a career coach and he will continue to watch all the other clubs work this season as part of that plan," Kelly said.
The unfortunate timing of Wallace's resignation from the Bulldogs led Rohde to take over as coach for the last round against Collingwood. The team refused to play under Wallace.
Wallace was widely tipped to take over at Sydney this season, but the club instead appointed Paul Roos following pressure from players, sponsors and members.
The Bulldogs, headed by club director Henry Jolson, QC, told Wallace he had breached his contract and immediately pushed for the settlement, and agreement was reached in the days that followed the August 27 resignation bombshell.
Wallace has not returned to the club since and, in that time, the Bulldogs' new chief executive, Campbell Rose, has overseen cuts of almost 30 employees and reached a three-year, $3 million major sponsorship deal with Lease Plan.