Frankly I'm disgusted at the AFL for not doing anything about this situation.
GWS take a player touted as our future captain, and we get under compensated compared with another club who have a player of far less talent and durability taken from them. GWS then, in a blatant attempt to capitalise on turmoil in our club, target our current captain, and push the situation so that we will be completely uncompensated should we seek for a better option elsewhere.
GWS then hold us to their terms and nothing else in negotiations so that there is no way we can possibly get an equitable deal, even though one of their players would like to come to us in return. The fact that we are targeting another player is then criticised by all and sundry in the media as an outrageous move, and we are treated as if we are despicable (AFTER GWSHAVE INITIATED THIS, TAKEN OUR CAPTAIN, AND MADE IT SO WE CAN ONLY DEAL WITH THEM!). Collingwood never received this treatment for Buckley. Then again, they are Collingwood...
It is clear that the AFL does not care about us as an organisation, and are not going to do a thing for us in the coming 24 hours. It really makes me wonder - why does Melbourne get preferential treatment over us in circumstances that are equally or less dire? Why does a club that they have developed directly at our expense, both in draft picks and in player poaching, get the upper hand in this context? The AFL owe us, and must do something about this.
It just goes to show that a low SES club with supporter.... I feel like we are a blue ribbon seat that never receives any development money because we dont know any other way - yet in another low SES swing seat which could go to another support, they provide preferential treatment even in outrageous circumstances... No respect to the club or the western suburbs.