Geelong Addy - Geelong tells premiership ruckman to retire

eliiiiza

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Thread starter #1
From the back page preview on the Addy site:

Cats don't need King
Michael Auciello

Steven King's career at Geelong appears all but over, with the Cats requesting the premiership ruckman retire following a decision to re-sign Mark Blake for two years.

The Geelong Advertiser understands the Cats had been willing to offer their former captain a one-year deal but, with salary cap restraints, offered a contract King was unhappy with.

A source said with no interest from other clubs at the table, it left Geelong with little option but to ask King, through manager Ricky Nixon, to retire.

"They were thinking about keeping him for another year, the source said. "After Blake signed, they think they don't need to offer him (King) anything."

He said King's only hope was to "hold his nerve" and wait for the pre-season draft.

Nixon is said to be extremely disappointed with the move.

Geelong football manager Neil Balme last night said the club was yet to discuss the retirement option with King.

"No, we haven't gone down those paths yet," he said.

"There's been significant interest (during trade week), we'll see how it pans out.

"There's already a squeeze on the salary cap, not that that's impacted much by Mark (Blake)."


... continued Page 46
 

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Copernicus

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#3
I wonder how much truth there is to this. Still think they will end up working something out. Trade week speculation is a little annoying.
 

G.F.C

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#5
If King wants to play next season, he'll find a home. The guy can still play, and i can think of 3 or 4 teams where he would be an automatic inclusion for them.
 

Budda 230

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#6
There must be other options. Surely he deserves to retire on his terms. All Australian, former captain, best & fairest winner, Australian representative and Premiership player.

He'll play on next year on a reduced contract hopefully.
 
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#7
Fact and fiction in the media. St Kilda have openly stated in the press they are interested in King...I would be surprised if Richmond werent interested also. Saying there is a contact who says there is no interest in King is rubbish.

Blake signing for more and costing King an automatic contract sounds more reliable. King will have to wait to see how the rest of the week pans out and his fate is now in other people's hands.

If he isnt traded...us telling him to retire sounds pretty silly to me. The end of his season was particularly good and worth pursuing for one more as Bomber has suggested.
 

Budda 230

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#8
At the bottom of that article, it states they expect Tom Lonergan to sign a new contract, but said Todd Grima's future remained unsure!!!!

If they don't promote Todd Grima, I'll be extremely pissed off!!!!
 

darren forssman

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#9
Hmm, not convincing.

If true, it's quite a disgrace. If Blake's new contract has priced King off the list then I think we're paying Blake too much.
what happened to future? surely you invest in the future.

besides, we were probably so close to the cap that an increase in blakes and others salaries have made spare cash scarce.
 

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Team Chemistry

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#14
i hope this isnt true
ive always been a huge fan of King

and if u think that its because we kept blake that King has to go, its a bit unfair seeigns that King obviously DOES want to play for the cats, whereas blake went thru that whole fiasco...

dissapointed

TC:eek:
 

Reg Hickey

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#16
If it has come down to choice between King and Blake, its the right decision, just as dropping Blake for King for the GF was the right decision.

I don't think Kingy has too much to complain about - sure he's basically destroyed his body for the Cats over the last decade, but he did that because he was driven by one thing, winning a premiership. And about two weeks ago the club gave him one of those on a platter, when he did precious little to get us into that position in the first place. If he does retire now he will look back on his career with satisfaction rather than unfulfilled ambition because of that one game, and had he missed out on selection he would have had nothing to complain about.

If he wants to continue I can see him being traded to the Saints or picked up in the PSD by Richmond. The Pies might take him as well, although it looks like they will get Wood so it would probably be as a back up. I would hope we could get a reasonable draft pick or pick upgrade in any trade.

If he does retire, best case scenario for me would be to see him stay on in an assistant coaching role (ruck coach), and play in the VFL as a VFL-listed player. I know its a bit of a come down from AFL captain just over a year ago, but who knows. I think he has a huge amount to offer in the ongoing development of Blake and West (and the young ruckman we are DEFINITELY going to pick up in the draft now).
 
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Moderator #17
what happened to future? surely you invest in the future.

besides, we were probably so close to the cap that an increase in blakes and others salaries have made spare cash scarce.
The future is 2008. King is as much a part of the plans for 2008 as is Blake.

We are very close to the cap. That's partly my point. We shouldn't ahve been giving Blake a salary that's making life difficult keeping other players. If Blake's demands were unreasonable we should have stood firm.
 

Ling Sting

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#18
Hmm, not convincing.

If true, it's quite a disgrace. If Blake's new contract has priced King off the list then I think we're paying Blake too much.
true but at the same time, King should be happy with any one year deal offered by the club considering the likelyhood that he'll miss much of the season with injury.

If this is true the club have done the right thing.
 
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Moderator #19
true but at the same time, King should be happy with any one year deal offered by the club considering the likelyhood that he'll miss much of the season with injury.

If this is true the club have done the right thing.
They're not saying one year deal any more. They are "reportedly" telling him to retire. BIG difference.
 

D0nk

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#20
They're not saying one year deal any more. They are "reportedly" telling him to retire. BIG difference.
They still offered him a one-year deal, but less than what King was after, due to salary cap constraints, and he is not happy with that.

I wouldn't be happy with the $1000 that's left over either :p
 

rizzo

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#23
I quite agree. Kingy will be absolutely LIVID too if that's the case.

It would certainly be a pretty shitty way for the club to behave.
He won two premierships in one year. Sat on 500K a year while he was spending more time in the injury room than on the ground. He should be thanking the club for sticking with him. Make no mistake king has been great for the club, and he has proven his worth. But his times up, its footy. Obviously he doesn't want to take a significant pay cut.

I was acutally surprised he didn't retire. I know if i had the same injury history and won the premier ship i would be saying "see you at the G next september. Ill be in the toyata ;)"

Besides the source is Trent West ..... not really but he'd be happy reading it today.
 

CF

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#24
I think King still has something to offer as a player. If the club don't want him he should just take his chance in the PSD and I think someone else will offer him a contract. Other clubs are gagging for a ruckman so he should feel confident of getting a gig. The only thing against him is wether other clubs are worried about his injuries or him being injury prone.
 
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#25
I hope Collingwood offer a pick for him, Surley you guys would rather take a third round pick than let him go for nothing.
We could really use him too, wether or not we get wood we need another ruckman as fraser will be injured for the majority of the preseason and possibly the start of next season.
 
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