Crows plan Walker talks!

[cmndstab]

You are allowed to spend less than 100%. I'm not sure how much less than 100% (something like the previously mentioned 92.5% sounds realistic to me) but you definitely can spend less than 100%.

My understanding is that the club has reached its own internal "salary cap", but whether they're imposing their own restrictions so as to have cash in reserve in upcoming seasons (it's not just Walker... the majority of our squad are young, promising players, most of whom will expect a pay rise in their next contract talks) is another matter. I would hope the Crows are being frugal.

I'm never certain if clubs are allowed to backend contracts, but I assume so. If so, I hope we're taking advantage of it.

 

[Mad Fan of AFL]

Walker has so much upside and certainly hasn't shown his best. He is yet unproven. On top of that he is regarded as one of the most potentially talented forwards we had since Modra and Hentschel. I want him to be a big part of this club and i hope he does too. I think he will want to prove his worth.

 

[amer]

of course its not more than a job, lets not be so silly or naive.

its a job, its a business and rightly so.

hopefully we put a compelling business proposition to Tex

It's a business in lots of ways, but that's not the appeal of the game. And the players need to feel that as well as the supporters, or else the game dies. But I take your point.

 

[cmndstab]

There's certainly more to it than business, and it's pretty foolish to argue that's all there is. You don't spend that amount of time with a group of teammates simultaneously pushing yourselves to the limit without building up a sense of camaraderie that can be every bit as significant as the business side of things. The prospect of success, both individual and team success, is also a very alluring factor, and not just from the point of view of dollar signs. Some players will be in it primarily for the money, others will be in it primarily for the glory or the love of the game, but I doubt there's a single player in the AFL system who is there for entirely one or the other. I would imagine that for most of the players it's close to 50/50.


However, I feel that clubs (and ours in particular) seem to focus too much on the culture side while ignoring the reality that although it is not solely a business venture to the players, that is still a significant part of things. Building a strong culture that players want to be around is fantastic, and I have no doubt it does allow you to retain or attract players despite offering somewhat less from a money point of view, or even a living standards point of view, than another club with a less attractive culture. How much less does it allow you to offer, though? In the end, if another club decides they'll increase a number on their offered contract, it's not as though we can go to the culture-o-meter and crank it up a few notches to match. It takes a long time to build up a strong culture, and longer again for people outside of the club to actually recognise it, and its not as though every other club isn't attempting to do the exact same thing. I don't know how much focus we do put on the business side of retaining players, but my intuition is that we could do more.

 

[jenny61_99]

Their window for signing players (in this case Walker) was from the conclusion of our last game of the season until the last of the drafts (the rookie draft) was conducted.

They had the ability to not just "talk to" players in this window, but to actually sign them to contracts for 2012 and beyond.

Here's hoping we haven't already left it too late with Tex.

That's when Bock was signed (in principle) with GC.

 

[jenny61_99]

Let's not forget that whilst money was certainly an important component of the Gold Coast's offer to Ablett, Brown, Bock et al - don't discount the part that a beach side lifestyle (or at least the perception thereof) played in the decision making process. Add to that, south east Queensland is not exactly foreign to Australian Rules football and that there is a solid base of support already in place.

Have you SEEN the weather in QLD lately????

 

[alex_is_on_fire]

That's when Bock was signed (in principle) with GC.

Really?

You can prove some evidence on that statement?

my evidence is his word and that's good enough for me.

 

[jenny61_99]

Really?

You can prove some evidence on that statement?

my evidence is his word and that's good enough for me.

Then I have some real estate you might be interested in.... It's a great buy!

 

[alex_is_on_fire]

Then I have some real estate you might be interested in.... It's a great buy!

uh uh uh Bazzinga....Now, do you wanna come back to the real world and deal in things called facts. Hearsay isn't a fact.

 

[jenny61_99]

uh uh uh Bazzinga....Now, do you wanna come back to the real world and deal in things called facts. Hearsay isn't a fact.

You are making an assumption. That assumption is incorrect. Whether you choose to believe that or not is up to you.

 

[alex_is_on_fire]

You are making an assumption. That assumption is incorrect. Whether you choose to believe that or not is up to you.

Provide some tangible evidence then. He said he didn't and that is good enough with me.

 

[Pariah]

Really?

You can prove some evidence on that statement?

my evidence is his word and that's good enough for me.

Bock's word is almost worthless. Had a press conference said he wanted to be a one club player a few weeks later joins the Suns.

 

[alex_is_on_fire]

Bock's word is almost worthless. Had a press conference said he wanted to be a one club player a few weeks later joins the Suns.

So do the comments from Jack Trengrove during the week, tie him to the Melbourne Football Club for his entire career?

maybe, maybe not....don't know what the kid will do, all that it does suggest is that its a pointless question asked in a pointless press conference because no one can predict the future.

 

[Pariah]

So do the comments from Jack Trengrove during the week, tie him to the Melbourne Football Club for his entire career?

maybe, maybe not....don't know what the kid will do, all that it does suggest is that its a pointless question asked in a pointless press conference because no one can predict the future.

Different set of circumstances involved.

 

[cmndstab]

So do the comments from Jack Trengrove during the week, tie him to the Melbourne Football Club for his entire career?

maybe, maybe not....don't know what the kid will do, all that it does suggest is that its a pointless question asked in a pointless press conference because no one can predict the future.

The difference is that at the moment Trengove probably does want to stick with the Demons, or at least has no current plan to leave, but Bock clearly was not intending to stick with the Crows at the time he said he wanted to be a one-club player. A press conference isn't a lifelong contract, it's an expression of your current thoughts. Bock lied. I understand why he lied, and hell, in his shoes I may even have done the same, but it is what happened.

 

[alex_is_on_fire]

The difference is that at the moment Trengove probably does want to stick with the Demons, or at least has no current plan to leave, but Bock clearly was not intending to stick with the Crows at the time he said he wanted to be a one-club player. A press conference isn't a lifelong contract, it's an expression of your current thoughts. Bock lied. I understand why he lied, and hell, in his shoes I may even have done the same, but it is what happened.

If he did and I'm not saying he did but if he did...i can also understand why.

However, my point is and the it was the same to Jenny, can you and since you made the accusation that he lied, the onus of responsibility fall upon you to provide solid tangible evidence that he signed that contract with the GCFC prior to that press conference.

Every bit of gossip, rumor and innuendo could easily lead to that point but without any evidence, its hearsay.

Did he say he signed with the GCFC before the season?

 

[aneale]

If he did and I'm not saying he did but if he did...i can also understand why.

However, my point is and the it was the same to Jenny, can you and since you made the accusation that he lied, the onus of responsibility fall upon you to provide solid tangible evidence that he signed that contract with the GCFC prior to that press conference.

Every bit of gossip, rumor and innuendo could easily lead to that point but without any evidence, its hearsay.

Did he say he signed with the GCFC before the season?

There were 8 players strongly rumoured to have signed in that period, we know that they did, GC admitted it, they have no reason to continue to lie about it now.

And surprise, surprise, they got 100% right in the media, name the last time that happened.

GWS have now come out and said they have signed players in the 'same' period 'just like GC did' in fact they said they followed the same model. GWS don't have the element of surprise. Anyone saying by March that they are putting contract talk on hold til the season ends has already signed a MOU. In fact there is no point even denying it now because they won't be believed. Expect to see some unusual names in the magoos the moment the final 8 is out of reach.

Take him at his word, don't take him at his word it's up to you. I'd believe certain football administrators over players.

 

[WALL-e]

The media was surprisingly accurate with the players that had signed or committed through the loop hole. But just went stupid with the rumours revolving around everyone else.

We've got two more years for the media to go ape shit and print a GWS story for every player in the AFL who hasn't signed.

I'm very keen to hear the stories about this years 'loop hole' players start to surface though. They have an amazing strike rate to live up to.

 

[Brenton Davy]

Let's not forget that whilst money was certainly an important component of the Gold Coast's offer to Ablett, Brown, Bock et al - don't discount the part that a beach side lifestyle (or at least the perception thereof) played in the decision making process. Add to that, south east Queensland is not exactly foreign to Australian Rules football and that there is a solid base of support already in place.

The same can't be said of GWS. Speaking as someone who lived in south western Sydney for 5 years in the late nineties and early noughties, there are absolutely no redeeming features to this part of the world! Its a concrete junge, its residents (and media) are insular and have no support for anything other than rugby league.

Any player who makes the decision to join GWS with $ signs in their eyes may well regret their decision once they come to live in the place.

This.

Sydney has become more and more of a hole every time I go there. Lived there 1979 to 1985 and go back there at least once a year. Entire city and metro area becomes a car park 6am to 10am and 3pm to 7pm. It's dirty, foul smelling and especially Western Sydney has NOTHING to recommend it, other than the Hume Highway, the main highway out of Sydney.

People get attracted by the faster paced lifestyle, but the facade wears off after a short while. The cost of living is SOOOOOOOOO high that a $300,000 a year contract here would have to be far higher than that to maintain the same lifestyle.

 

[cmndstab]

If he did and I'm not saying he did but if he did...i can also understand why.

However, my point is and the it was the same to Jenny, can you and since you made the accusation that he lied, the onus of responsibility fall upon you to provide solid tangible evidence that he signed that contract with the GCFC prior to that press conference.

Every bit of gossip, rumor and innuendo could easily lead to that point but without any evidence, its hearsay.

Did he say he signed with the GCFC before the season?

You're right, I don't have any evidence. I assume he was at least thinking about it a few weeks before it happened when he told a national audience he wanted to be a one club player, but that is only an assumption on my part.

If I'm wrong, then I apologise to Bock for the slander... but my suspicion is that I'm not wrong at all.

 

[jenny61_99]

My evidence is a text I got from someone in the know (and I'm talking someone in the middle of it all) that told me Ablett, Bock and Rischitelli were already signed. I reported it in here if you want to look for it. It was weeks before Bock came out and said he wanted to be a one Club man. I was sceptical at first, then when he came out and made the one club statement, I thought it (the text) was probably incorrect. But of course we all know now that all three had, in fact, been signed by the Suns. Once Bock was announced, I was very confident the other two would follow. My source later confirmed that all three had made an in principle agreement with the Club at the end of last year.

 

[Huntercrow]

In reference to the poor standard of living in Western Sydney for any potential recruit to have to deal with, Is there a stipulation in their contract that they must reside in the western part of Sydney?

I would hardly think that GWS would be compelling their star players to live in the confines of their boundary.

More likely they would be rubbing shoulders with Russell and Nichole somewhere on the harbour.

 

[Crow-mo]

Let's not forget that whilst money was certainly an important component of the Gold Coast's offer to Ablett, Brown, Bock et al - don't discount the part that a beach side lifestyle (or at least the perception thereof) played in the decision making process.

there is no real evidence that lifestyle played any part whatsoever.

no player offered GC a discount, they all left for big, big cash offers far in excess of their current clubs means.

when players start signing for less, rather than way over the odds, then we can consider the odds.

 

[Crow-mo]

That's when Bock was signed (in principle) with GC.

no such thing. he committed or he didn't.

a heads of agreement is not binding, and all evidence is that Bock signed a binding committment.

 

[Crow-mo]

There's certainly more to it than business, and it's pretty foolish to argue that's all there is. You don't spend that amount of time with a group of teammates simultaneously pushing yourselves to the limit without building up a sense of camaraderie that can be every bit as significant as the business side of things. The prospect of success, both individual and team success, is also a very alluring factor, and not just from the point of view of dollar signs. Some players will be in it primarily for the money, others will be in it primarily for the glory or the love of the game, but I doubt there's a single player in the AFL system who is there for entirely one or the other. I would imagine that for most of the players it's close to 50/50.

I've known a fair few professional athletes, even represented a couple.

its business.