Undertaker said:
Players only have a say if it is in the first year of their contract then both parties need to agree on a trade (Heffernan Rule). If a player is in the second or third year of his contract the club can trade him as Melbourne did Woewodin. When a player is out of contract he can elect to go into the the pre season draft as did Schofield.
Now are we all totally
I think you'll find that Woe Woeful was told in no uncertain terms that, he would not get a game at Melb. He was on $500K a year, no other team could afford him and Melb would pay half his salary for the next 2-3 years only if he went to Collingwood.
Woeful could not categoricaly be forced to go to Collingwood, but it was pretty close to it as Melb held all the spades.
Another scenario: Hawk's Holland to P.Adel in their 1st year, he had a few years left on his contract. Hawks wanted the Compensation Pick at any cost and told Holland, deal has been agreed to, you are going to P.Adel, sign on the dotted line.
He told the lot of them to get stuffed, and "I aint going anywhere, shove it".
As he refused to sign anything, Hawks couldn't force him to go. Hawks could have bluffed and said, if you stay, you will never get a regular game again. Holland could have called the bluff and said, well thats fine by me, I don't mind getting paid $400K a year playing VFL reserves.