When did someone at the club learn of his signing? Any why as a club are we still going through the process like it hasnt happened?
It is not that simple. No-one at the AFC has seen the contract but concerns that arose during last year's trade period have been confirmed over the last 8 weeks
The loophole was first used by the Gold Coast at the end of 2009. It was used by the Gold Coast to sign some uncontracted players at the end of 2009. My source is impeccable (Andrew D).
THE Gold Coast has exposed a legal loophole in the AFL rules that allows players to sign secret deals.
AFL chief executive Andrew Demetriou last night confirmed to The Age that a rugby league scenario now exists in Australian rules football whereby players such as Gary Ablett and Trent Cotchin could play for Geelong and Richmond respectively in 2010 while already contractually committed to the Gold Coast for 2011. (dated 17 February 2010)
GWS were able to use the same loophole to sign Scully, Palmer and Davis at the end of 2010. Since GWS could pick up uncontracted players over a two year window it is believed that they also picked up players at the end of 2011 whose contracts finish at the end of this year. The AFL were happy to turn a blind eye to this to give a hand to the new franchises.
Then an agreement was made for free agency and suddenly other clubs could use the loophole. Provided a player was going to be an unrestricted free agent then clubs could contract players twelve months in advance with the certainty that they could get access to the player twelve months later. This is the reason why the Adrian Anderson issued a press release on 14 August 2012 to close the loophole.
"It was determined the rule that clubs cannot enter binding agreements with players from another club during the season should be retained,
but that clubs may no longer sign players a season in advance during the off-season window and also that any discussions concerning potential contracts occurring during the season must be specified as non-binding. In addition, Clubs have been granted the right to make a formal complaint under the Rules, with sanctions of up to $100,000.
How does this relate to Kurt?
Clubs other than GWS and the Gold Coast could not get players from other clubs to sign contracts a year in advance (prior to free agency) because they could not guarantee that their existing club would trade them. Asking players to sign a contract under those conditions would create a legal minefield.
Except if a player had a guarantee from his current club that he would be traded to another club(s) in twelve months time (i.e. the Kurt deal) under certain specified conditions.
The AFC were aware that this could happen at the end of last year and so they vigorously denied that Kurt was available for a trade whilst trying to squeeze a trade out of Brisbane. Whilst everyone at the AFC was hopeful that they could talk things around, the way that things have developed has confirmed their initial fears. If a player wants more money or a longer/shorter contract then you start negotiating. When you make an offer that ticks all the boxes and instead of asking for more, the player simply asks for more thinking time then the writing is on the wall.
Eventually rumours come out from the other club (refer to Ablett and Scully). The Crows were hearing the same things since the end of last year.
You join the dots......................................................................