According to a report in 'The Age', the talented but unreliable forward has almost certainly ended his career at the Cats.
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Cats, Burns set to part company
By Rohan Connolly, Chloe Saltau
October 02 2002
Geelong seems certain to dump star forward Ronnie Burns after having finally lost patience with the gifted but often wayward goalsneak.
The Cats are determined to cut their losses and trade the injury-prone and, at times, undisciplined 29-year-old. The final straw was an alleged physical confrontation between Burns and Geelong vice-captain Brenton Sanderson as the team celebrated the end of the season recently.
Club sources claim Sanderson had taken Burns to task about his lack of responsibility as a senior player, including his repeated failure to attend club functions and to act as a leader to the Cats' many younger players. Burns is alleged to have reacted heatedly.
When Geelong met recently to assess its list for 2003, the name of Burns, who has one year left on his contract, fell firmly on the potential trade category and a key factor cited in that decision was his falling-out with the senior playing group.
The Cats' football hierarchy is just as disenchanted with the enigmatic forward, who had to be pushed by officials into even the most fundamental of player responsibilities, such as attending rehabilitation sessions.
While there remains some anxiety about what Burns' axing would do to Geelong's already slim reserves of match-hardened experience, the Cats believe Gary Ablett junior is capable of stepping into the breach as a ground-level goalkicker, to ease what might prove an unpopular decision, with Burns a favourite of the Geelong fans.
While the five-day pre-draft trading period does not begin until October 24, Geelong will be keen to move quickly to secure an appropriate deal for Burns, who has recently had chronic hamstring trouble.
Geelong coach Mark Thompson, now on leave, is reportedly the keenest of the Cats' hierarchy to make the tough call. Thompson, having publicly backed Burns and refused to drop him earlier in the season, is believed to have felt duty-bound to continue to play him despite continuing ordinary form. Burns averaged only 10 possessions in his 18 games in 2002 and kicked just 17 goals. Burns would seem most likely to appeal to a top-eight side able to take a calculated gamble on his erratic ways and injury record, a team in need of ground-level goalkicking, which could potentially include Adelaide, Essendon or Melbourne.
Burns arrived at Geelong from Northern Territory club St Mary's by West Perth in 1996 but consistent form has remained elusive.
Geelong is battling interest from several Melbourne clubs to retain emerging ruckman Peter Street.
Chief executive Brian Cook said yesterday the Cats had made the 208-centimetre Street a new contract offer and were waiting for a response from his management.
Street has been approached by at least two other clubs, but Geelong would hate to see the exceptionally tall ruckman, its first selection in the 1998 national draft, blossom elsewhere.
"He's tall and gangly, nearly seven foot (213 centimetres) and it will just take him time (to mature). With the five years we've invested in Peter, we don't want to let that go, we'd prefer to see if he can make it over the next year or two," Cook said.
The Cats are optimistic about re-signing leading goalkicker Kent Kingsley soon after he returns from overseas this week.
At Collingwood, the immediate playing future of Nick Davis hinges on a meeting today between officials and the talented forward, who is expected to tell the club once and for all whether he wants to remain a Magpie or return to his home city of Sydney.
Now that the Magpies' post-grand final festivities are winding down, chief executive Greg Swann said he wanted to hear of Davis' intentions from the 22-year-old himself. "The choice is his. We know all the people around him, parents, etcetera, are all suggesting he should stay and I think he will stay but until he says he will stay, then we're all guessing," Swann said.
The Magpies expect to find out today whether their unexpected rise to a grand final was enough to keep Davis, who was raised in Sydney. His father, Craig, played 102 games for Collingwood.
Swann also denied the Magpies had talked to out-of-contract Hawthorn skipper Shane Crawford or reluctant Saint Peter Everitt.
Both Richmond and its unsigned star forward, Matthew Richardson, appear confident of a deal being completed before the team leaves for an exhibition game in London next week.
After being crowned the club's leading goalkicker for the seventh time and finishing runner-up to captain Wayne Campbell in the best and fairest, Richardson expressed a strong desire to stay "a Richmond guy".
Tiger coach Danny Frawley hoped he would be re-signed "before the end of the week".
http://www.realfooty.theage.com.au/articles/2002/10/01/1033283488509.html
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Cats, Burns set to part company
By Rohan Connolly, Chloe Saltau
October 02 2002
Geelong seems certain to dump star forward Ronnie Burns after having finally lost patience with the gifted but often wayward goalsneak.
The Cats are determined to cut their losses and trade the injury-prone and, at times, undisciplined 29-year-old. The final straw was an alleged physical confrontation between Burns and Geelong vice-captain Brenton Sanderson as the team celebrated the end of the season recently.
Club sources claim Sanderson had taken Burns to task about his lack of responsibility as a senior player, including his repeated failure to attend club functions and to act as a leader to the Cats' many younger players. Burns is alleged to have reacted heatedly.
When Geelong met recently to assess its list for 2003, the name of Burns, who has one year left on his contract, fell firmly on the potential trade category and a key factor cited in that decision was his falling-out with the senior playing group.
The Cats' football hierarchy is just as disenchanted with the enigmatic forward, who had to be pushed by officials into even the most fundamental of player responsibilities, such as attending rehabilitation sessions.
While there remains some anxiety about what Burns' axing would do to Geelong's already slim reserves of match-hardened experience, the Cats believe Gary Ablett junior is capable of stepping into the breach as a ground-level goalkicker, to ease what might prove an unpopular decision, with Burns a favourite of the Geelong fans.
While the five-day pre-draft trading period does not begin until October 24, Geelong will be keen to move quickly to secure an appropriate deal for Burns, who has recently had chronic hamstring trouble.
Geelong coach Mark Thompson, now on leave, is reportedly the keenest of the Cats' hierarchy to make the tough call. Thompson, having publicly backed Burns and refused to drop him earlier in the season, is believed to have felt duty-bound to continue to play him despite continuing ordinary form. Burns averaged only 10 possessions in his 18 games in 2002 and kicked just 17 goals. Burns would seem most likely to appeal to a top-eight side able to take a calculated gamble on his erratic ways and injury record, a team in need of ground-level goalkicking, which could potentially include Adelaide, Essendon or Melbourne.
Burns arrived at Geelong from Northern Territory club St Mary's by West Perth in 1996 but consistent form has remained elusive.
Geelong is battling interest from several Melbourne clubs to retain emerging ruckman Peter Street.
Chief executive Brian Cook said yesterday the Cats had made the 208-centimetre Street a new contract offer and were waiting for a response from his management.
Street has been approached by at least two other clubs, but Geelong would hate to see the exceptionally tall ruckman, its first selection in the 1998 national draft, blossom elsewhere.
"He's tall and gangly, nearly seven foot (213 centimetres) and it will just take him time (to mature). With the five years we've invested in Peter, we don't want to let that go, we'd prefer to see if he can make it over the next year or two," Cook said.
The Cats are optimistic about re-signing leading goalkicker Kent Kingsley soon after he returns from overseas this week.
At Collingwood, the immediate playing future of Nick Davis hinges on a meeting today between officials and the talented forward, who is expected to tell the club once and for all whether he wants to remain a Magpie or return to his home city of Sydney.
Now that the Magpies' post-grand final festivities are winding down, chief executive Greg Swann said he wanted to hear of Davis' intentions from the 22-year-old himself. "The choice is his. We know all the people around him, parents, etcetera, are all suggesting he should stay and I think he will stay but until he says he will stay, then we're all guessing," Swann said.
The Magpies expect to find out today whether their unexpected rise to a grand final was enough to keep Davis, who was raised in Sydney. His father, Craig, played 102 games for Collingwood.
Swann also denied the Magpies had talked to out-of-contract Hawthorn skipper Shane Crawford or reluctant Saint Peter Everitt.
Both Richmond and its unsigned star forward, Matthew Richardson, appear confident of a deal being completed before the team leaves for an exhibition game in London next week.
After being crowned the club's leading goalkicker for the seventh time and finishing runner-up to captain Wayne Campbell in the best and fairest, Richardson expressed a strong desire to stay "a Richmond guy".
Tiger coach Danny Frawley hoped he would be re-signed "before the end of the week".
http://www.realfooty.theage.com.au/articles/2002/10/01/1033283488509.html
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