rfctigerarmy
16 Oct 2003, 19:40
Brown gives ultimatum
16 October 2003 Herald Sun
Mark Robinson and Mark Stevens
NATHAN Brown has turned the screws on his former club, the Western Bulldogs, telling them: trade me to Richmond or I will go into the pre-season draft.
It almost certainly means the Doggies will be forced to deal or lose Brown to either Carlton, Melbourne or the Tigers for nothing.
The Tigers believe they would snare Brown with their No. 4 selection in the pre-season draft, fuelling speculation yesterday they were cooking deals with the Blues and Demons to overlook him in December.
"If he goes into the pre-season draft, I'm 99 per cent he'll get through to us," Tigers football director Greg Miller said yesterday.
It's believed, however, Carlton would pounce on Brown with its No. 2 selection if he was available. In a saga bordering Dean Solomon proportions, Brown, 25, is angry the Bulldogs are still trying to shuffle him to Hawthorn in a deal for Jade Rawlings.
The Hawks yesterday were told by Brown's management he was not interested in going to Glenferrie Oval.
On Monday, the Tigers offered the Western Bulldogs their first and second-round draft selections (No. 6 and No. 21), but the Dogs refused to budge.
"They're trying to get Brown to Hawthorn and Rawlings to them, it won't happen," Miller said.
"They've got to come to terms with the great offer I gave them or it's going to get worse.
"He'll go into the pre-season, he'll do that, he'll definitely do it.
"We've made a very good offer, very good. But when it gets closer to the moment, we've got an opportunity to get him for nothing."
The Bulldogs meanwhile remain furious at the Tigers' offer of No. 6 and No. 21.
Asked if he thought Brown would still end up at Punt Rd, Bulldogs football operations manager Stephen Newport said: "No. The way things are at the moment, I can't see that happening.
"We've got to agree to the deal and what's on the table, we're not going to agree to that.
"We're playing hardball. We're certainly not caving in to Richmond.
"If you asked anybody in football if those picks were adequate compensation for Brown, you'd be hard pressed to find anybody to say yes."
Newport said the club now had "something in mind" in the knowledge the Tigers were now attempting to snare Brown for nothing in December.
"We'll see how it unfolds," Newport said.
The Dogs' theory on the Brown trade is simple: Give us a quality player for a quality player.
And they believe they can still strike a deal before tomorrow's 2pm deadline that would land Jade Rawlings at Whitten Oval, although that appears extremely unlikely.
"We're still trying to get him. We have first pick in the pre-season draft, but we'd like to get him now," Newport said.
If Brown does land in the pre-season draft, Carlton, if it has signed Nick Stevens, has the money to also add Brown to its list.
The Blues confirmed yesterday they had not spoken to Richmond about Brown.
"We'll do what's best for Carlton," recruiting manager Shane O'Sullivan said. "We don't know who's going to be there."
IN keeping with the Croad homecoming theme, Corey McKernan looks certain to return to Kangaroos.
The Roos may give up a third-round draft pick to take him from the Blues.
And a deal could still be struck between St Kilda and Heath Black to send the former Fremantle Docker back to where he started.
16 October 2003 Herald Sun
Mark Robinson and Mark Stevens
NATHAN Brown has turned the screws on his former club, the Western Bulldogs, telling them: trade me to Richmond or I will go into the pre-season draft.
It almost certainly means the Doggies will be forced to deal or lose Brown to either Carlton, Melbourne or the Tigers for nothing.
The Tigers believe they would snare Brown with their No. 4 selection in the pre-season draft, fuelling speculation yesterday they were cooking deals with the Blues and Demons to overlook him in December.
"If he goes into the pre-season draft, I'm 99 per cent he'll get through to us," Tigers football director Greg Miller said yesterday.
It's believed, however, Carlton would pounce on Brown with its No. 2 selection if he was available. In a saga bordering Dean Solomon proportions, Brown, 25, is angry the Bulldogs are still trying to shuffle him to Hawthorn in a deal for Jade Rawlings.
The Hawks yesterday were told by Brown's management he was not interested in going to Glenferrie Oval.
On Monday, the Tigers offered the Western Bulldogs their first and second-round draft selections (No. 6 and No. 21), but the Dogs refused to budge.
"They're trying to get Brown to Hawthorn and Rawlings to them, it won't happen," Miller said.
"They've got to come to terms with the great offer I gave them or it's going to get worse.
"He'll go into the pre-season, he'll do that, he'll definitely do it.
"We've made a very good offer, very good. But when it gets closer to the moment, we've got an opportunity to get him for nothing."
The Bulldogs meanwhile remain furious at the Tigers' offer of No. 6 and No. 21.
Asked if he thought Brown would still end up at Punt Rd, Bulldogs football operations manager Stephen Newport said: "No. The way things are at the moment, I can't see that happening.
"We've got to agree to the deal and what's on the table, we're not going to agree to that.
"We're playing hardball. We're certainly not caving in to Richmond.
"If you asked anybody in football if those picks were adequate compensation for Brown, you'd be hard pressed to find anybody to say yes."
Newport said the club now had "something in mind" in the knowledge the Tigers were now attempting to snare Brown for nothing in December.
"We'll see how it unfolds," Newport said.
The Dogs' theory on the Brown trade is simple: Give us a quality player for a quality player.
And they believe they can still strike a deal before tomorrow's 2pm deadline that would land Jade Rawlings at Whitten Oval, although that appears extremely unlikely.
"We're still trying to get him. We have first pick in the pre-season draft, but we'd like to get him now," Newport said.
If Brown does land in the pre-season draft, Carlton, if it has signed Nick Stevens, has the money to also add Brown to its list.
The Blues confirmed yesterday they had not spoken to Richmond about Brown.
"We'll do what's best for Carlton," recruiting manager Shane O'Sullivan said. "We don't know who's going to be there."
IN keeping with the Croad homecoming theme, Corey McKernan looks certain to return to Kangaroos.
The Roos may give up a third-round draft pick to take him from the Blues.
And a deal could still be struck between St Kilda and Heath Black to send the former Fremantle Docker back to where he started.