Duties

[Frodo]

Posted from eagles forum :-

I'll just put myself in Ben Cousins shoes to putthings into perspective. I give my all out on the field for 4 quarters while most of my teamates provide little to no help. But I keep going out there doing everything I can rain, hail or shine. My team gets flogged and I am sore from all the constant physical attention , not to mention drained from running non stop for the majority of the game. I trudge into a changeroom with the mood of a funeral and sit as the coach goes over the game, then I try to get some fluids back into my body and shower. The last thing I wish to do at this point is go to a meet and greet session where I will be mobbed by every female ages 6-66 wanting photographs, autographs who wish to ask the same mundane questions and tell me the same things I hear from everyone. People dont seem to understand that football players are simply that. Its only in recent years that more and more demands have been made on player's time, and particularly with a high profile player such as Cousins its extremely difficult. This is why the club makes attendance compulsory for certain events only, and understandably the player's lounge is one of these things where it's left to a player's own discretion



My opinion is that it is Cuz's job to get to the after match function no matter how demanding it is (except injury)
It's his job and he gets $400K+ for it

 

[Voice of Reason]

I believe that players should meet the fans after the game at the after match function.

The great teams of the early 90s always did (I'm talking Melbourne here and I appreciate that the volume of fans in Perth is greater which causes some problems) subject to injury.

The bond between players and supporters has a mythical importance in footy and needs to be preserved.

But wait - I hear you say - it's a business now and there's all this pressure etc etc etc. If it is a business (and I only half subscribe to that), then you look after your customers - and customers in this case include supporters, albeit in financial terms behind television and (arguably, it'd be close) corporate sponsors in the short term.

NB in business you also have to look after your long term customer base. I argue that television is driven by supporter interest and that corporate sponsors will not be interested in a losing team. So for the next generation - look after your supporters.

So, turn up as a united team and draw strength in victory and defeat. If you lose and it hurts, suffer with your supporters. That's a good thing.

 

[jod23]

Im sure Cousins and other high profile Eagles are more than happy to do all the off field stuff with fans. They train a few nights a week, play a game of footy and then meet and greet some fans for a lousy 400k a year. Of course they enjoy it.

Its better than 5 days a week 9 to 5 for a paultry 50k a year.

Im sure all the Eagles dont mind there extra responsibilities, im sure i wouldnt.