Player Watch Nathan Freeman

[JollyBallsUp]

Has anyone contemplated sending Freeman into the draft if we don't get a decent outcome.

 

[Dopey BJ]

Heard 3rd hand, (I know, I know) the treatment of his hammy was not an issue and has nothing to do with him leaving.
Apparently he was offered to do the "Germany thing" too.
Despite what Connors says, IT IS about the money.
Only reason I post this is I was/am pleased to hear our treatment of him was up to scratch and not a contributing factor.

So your 3rd hand mate has better mail than Connors, makes sense

 

[Apex36]

So your 3rd hand mate has better mail than Connors, makes sense

What player managers say publicly to make their clients look better and what actually happens behind closed doors are two very different things.

Jeez St Kilda supporters can be thick...

 

[Matt_352]

Has anyone contemplated sending Freeman into the draft if we don't get a decent outcome.

No. We are better then to sink to Aints level.

 

[davywap]

So your 3rd hand mate has better mail than Connors, makes sense

Yes there's no other reason for his manager to say it's not about the money other than the truth.

 

[Saintly Viewed]

Just to clarify, I do generally agree with your premise, and I was taking a "black-and-white" approach to this, but it is more as a response to people calling Freeman a "money grubbing heck" amongst other things. A lot of this thread seems to be ripping into a kid because he is not saying "No" to an extra $150k per year - and I think that is being incredibly unfair.

For the most part, I think players do want to stay with their teammates and stay loyal to their clubs, but there is a limit to that "loyalty". A lot of the guys who left for more money did so for close to double (or more) than their original salaries. You are not a "money grubbing heck" for doing that - you are an intelligent human being who, if you take into consideration all the factors into making your decision, are probably doing the best thing for yourself and your family.
From reports the original offers to Freeman were something like 300k/yr vs 150k/yr - he would be stupid to not at least consider that... and everybody else would do the same thing.

Now if the difference wasn't as significant, then I reckon most players would prefer to stay... unless there is some other reason they want to leave (as you listed). But we aren't talking about a small difference in pay here - we are talking about a massive difference. (And lets be honest - although our "conditional contract" would look attractive if someone was playing every game - for someone in Freeman's position, this would look very hard to achieve at this point).

Both your two posts on this are very good. Yes there is a human side, as well as a business side.

If i may, the concept of loyalty is an interesting one. Below is exaggerated points of loyalty from different perspectives. There are shades of grey ofcourse.

For the player loyalty can mean club returning to me sufficient salary as to my equivalent peers, what my manager says. What is good for my family.
Loyalty is the club sticking with me until i think im done, not when they think im done for.

Loyalty for the club is player agrees to our terms by and large, player follows all programs etc.
Player agrees to go happily when chopped or told its time to go. Player happily agrees to any trade.

Loyalty for the supporter means, player must agree to whatever terms would keep them at the club so long as said supporter thinks they have worthiness on the list. otherwise they can just go and when they go they are told dont whinge on the way out.

 

[Dopey BJ]

Yes there's no other reason for his manager to say it's not about the money other than the truth.

And of course no sane person would ever want to leave collingwood if wasn't for money.
Any type of a successful career there would set you up for life

 

[jmac70]

And of course no sane person would ever want to leave collingwood if wasn't for money.
Any type of a successful career there would set you up for life

So Dopey, why do you think Freeman has asked for a trade?

 

[Kirby]

On Footy Classified they had a brief bit from Bucks where he suggested that Freeman had issues that he would take to StKilda with him that he would still have to deal with.

Hmmmmmm.............

It was certainly taken by the FC panel to be non football related.

 

[didaksrightfoot]

I disagree. Whilst I understand that football is a business and players are not shown any loyalty by clubs, but clubs expect the players to remain loyal to them. At the end of the day clubs are held accountable by their members with the main aim is to be as successful as the leagues rules will dictate. The club overrides the player in the overall scheme of things. We as supporters will support anyone who wants to wear our jumper and Freeman does not want to wear the jumper any more.

Whilst Freeman maintains he is leaving for better opportunities most of us don't believe this to be the case. Freeman has not been denied any opportunities at Collingwood as be has not put himself in a position to know where he sits in the scheme of things. If he was going to StKilda for better opportunities than it should not take 300k to convince him. I would much rather he be more upfront with us all and tell us that the length of contract and the money was too good to refuse. Personally I see Freeman as a significant risk.

^I agree, in an ideal world it would be great for players to just be open and honest about why they are leaving, but I don't think the media or a big chunk of AFL supporters are anywhere near ready to being able to accept that - and until they are, we will continue having agents and clubs play games in the media. (I think most supporters would be wise enough to accept that, but just imagine to response of the BF masses to a player being honest like that)

 

[Mr Bombastic]

On Footy Classified they had a brief bit from Bucks where he suggested that Freeman had issues that he would take to StKilda with him that he would still have to deal with.

Hmmmmmm.............

It was certainly taken by the FC panel to be non football related.

Yep, he was definitely having a clip at Freeman.

 

[Dopey BJ]

So Dopey, why do you think Freeman has asked for a trade?

I really just think him and collingwood didn't click, injury, frustration on both sides ended up with his heart not in it 100%. Not everything has to be sinister

 

[Dopey BJ]

Yep, he was definitely having a clip at Freeman.

And not money related

 

[jmac70]

I really just think him and collingwood didn't click, injury, frustration on both sides ended up with his heart not in it 100%. Not everything has to be sinister

That is true. I find it very difficult to believe that he was mismanaged at Collingwood in terms of his injury. Personally I think he is making a mistake as I see it as a bit of a blight on his character to leave a club after only two years. The decision is made though so no point debating his reasons. Give us your second round pick and it will get done.

 

[Mukesh]

On Footy Classified they had a brief bit from Bucks where he suggested that Freeman had issues that he would take to StKilda with him that he would still have to deal with.

Hmmmmmm.............

It was certainly taken by the FC panel to be non football related.

Possibly an over inflated idea of his worth as a footballer....

 

[Dopey BJ]

That is true. I find it very difficult to believe that he was mismanaged at Collingwood in terms of his injury. Personally I think he is making a mistake as I see it as a bit of a blight on his character to leave a club after only two years. The decision is made though so no point debating his reasons. Give us your second round pick and it will get done.

I know how you feel, we had Jamie Cripps leave after his 2 years was up, do the deal and we all move on

 

[slugger01]

Yep, he was definitely having a clip at Freeman.

Yep. In that interview, Bucks also said something along the lines of, we didn't see how good he could turn out as a footballer, due to not being able to recover from injuries.. a part of that was his own doing...
(Not the words he said, but that's what i thought, along those lines..).
Hmmm..

 

[Dopey BJ]

Yep. In that interview, Bucks also said something along the lines of, we didn't see how he could turn out as a footballer, due to not being unable to recover from injuries.. a part of that was his own doing...
(Not the words he said, but that's what i thought, along those lines..).
Hmmm..

Wow that pushes his value down

 

[jmac70]

Yep. In that interview, Bucks also said something along the lines of, we didn't see how good he could turn out as a footballer, due to not being unable to recover from injuries.. a part of that was his own doing...
(Not the words he said, but that's what i thought, along those lines..).
Hmmm..

Why would Bucks talk the guy down? We want the best deal possible don't we?

 

[PieBeast]

On Footy Classified they had a brief bit from Bucks where he suggested that Freeman had issues that he would take to StKilda with him that he would still have to deal with.

Hmmmmmm.............

It was certainly taken by the FC panel to be non football related.

We are about to rookie list 2 players that won't see any action for a year and with even more non Football related issues based on far more than just innuendo.

hmmmmm indeed

 

[Kirby]

I think the inference I took out of it was that he didn't look after himself well. That could be personality related, off field activities or something like that.

 

[slugger01]

Why would Bucks talk the guy down? We want the best deal possible don't we?

Not sure.. I hope i heard that right, would love to hear that interview again...

 

[jmac70]

Not sure.. I hope i heard that right, would love to hear that interview again...

Seems odd for him to be offering any more than "we are disappointed he is leaving". Unless of course he is trying to reassure the fans that Freeman is the bad guy. Maybe it is a bit of prep work for the member's forum.

 

[Dopey BJ]

Not sure.. I hope i heard that right, would love to hear that interview again...

Yeah that was pretty close to what was said

 

[larrikan]

99% of people on this forum don't represent an AFL football club as a player for their job. What you're saying works fine if Freeman was moving from BHP to RIO Tinto. Although actually I'm sure BHP would also feel pissed off if he had spent the last 2 years on paid sick leave with them before he left.

Two years paid sick leave - never performed the role he was asked and left with classified information! Yes, many players do it but none who have NEVER PLAYED AN AFL GAME.

The members own the club and the club is bigger than a player. Freeman is not returning our patience with his long term injury. It is an unusual circumstance but we, as supporters, are entitled to feel aggrieved with his attitude.

For those equating this to an employer/employee relationship - he has never worked for us in the role we drafted him for and now is demanding a pay rise. The stakes, pick 10, are a huge loss considering the investment in time to his rehabilitation. For another club to gain from the fruits of our investment in a young player feels wrong to us.

I never hate a player leaving our club because there are generally good reasons and they have served the club in a playing capacity. But I hate this kid. I hope St Scum get the karma of those dodgy hamstrings for years to come.

No empathy here.