Warnock delays contract talks

[rgauci]

MELBOURNE heads the list of clubs attempting to lure uncontracted giant Fremantle ruckman Robert Warnock back to Victoria.

Warnock's management yesterday confirmed that the ruckman had put off contract talks with Fremantle until the end of the season — a sign that the Dockers might have a fight on their hands to retain the 206-centimetre Warnock.

Warnock, 21, showed considerable promise in his debut season last year when Aaron Sandilands was absent due to injury, but has played only two senior games in 2008, with the Dockers opting to play just one specialist ruckman in most games.

Melbourne, Richmond and Carlton are among the clubs understood to have expressed interest in Warnock, who played 12 games in 2007 and was given Fremantle's award for best new player.

The Demons are at the front of the queue for obvious reasons. First, that Warnock's brother Matthew is on their list (and played against the Brisbane Lions on Sunday), second that they might hold pole position in the draft due to their ladder position.

Melbourne's new football operations manager Chris Connolly also coached the younger Warnock when he was senior coach at Fremantle and regarded the ex-Victorian (from Sandringham under 18s) highly.

Richmond's interest in Warnock also is not surprising, given that its No. 1 follower, Troy Simmonds, turns 30 this year and has been hampered by injury over the past 12 months. Carlton's football operations manager Steven Icke also has a relationship with Warnock from his Docker days.

Warnock's manager Colin Young said the Dockers had been informed that contract talks had been on hold until the 2008 season was over. "We had a discussion that we just leave it to the end of the year and we wouldn't discuss it," Young said. Warnock has been playing for West Perth in the WAFL while the Dockers, perhaps reluctant to use two super-tall rucks in one team (Sandilands is 211 centimetres), has used stop-gap followers, including defender Michael Johnson, as the secondary rucks in some games, including the one-point loss to Geelong.

If the Demons remain on the bottom of the ladder by the end of the season, they would clearly be in a strong position in the event that Warnock wishes to return home to Victoria, since they would have the enormous leverage of the first pick in the pre-season draft for uncontracted players.

Collingwood was an early suitor for Warnock after his first year, 2006, when it traded Chris Tarrant to Fremantle, but he was under contract then and a move back to Melbourne wasn't feasible. The Magpies have subsequently acquired another ruckman in Cameron Wood.

http://www.realfooty.com.au/news/news/dees-head-list-for-freo-ruckman/2008/04/28/1209234761405.html

 

[dominguez]

Nothing new there really, thanks for the link though Gauch.

Lets hope that if he does decide to go home his brother gets de-listed and the Fremantle players let Robbie know what they think of Connolly which will discourage him from wanting to go to the Demons. Any side that finishes above us I could handle.

 

[Lach72]

Shizen

 

[masai]

Let's put the contract talks to the back of our minds, get 100% out of Robbie for the rest of the season.

If he plays well, he can demand more money, if he plays poorly, where ever he goes his hip pocket will be lighter. In alot of ways Robbie needs to stand up and show how good he is.

If he goes, so be it, as long as we have done our utmost to keep him. One door closes, another opens.

 

[prattsta]

How about we just give him a game. I wouldn't want to stay at Freo either if I was stuck playing at West Perth all year.

 

[raffrox]

I'm very worried about this. Has real potential to be a stuff up in the making. We have lost good players before because we didn't play them and prattsta as you say he'll get a fulltime gig if he leaves.

 

[Slacker]

Bloody irritating that melbourne choose this year to have a bad year. Puts us in a really poor place if it comes to negotiating at years end.

 

[Embers]

Hes a sook. Ask anyone who plays for West Perth. Whenever he gets dropped he mopes around thinking Why me, rather then putting in the performances to get back into the team. Hes got potential but he clearly needs to pull his head out of his ass.

You wont have to worry about losing him for nothing cos it sounds like Richmond will be his home if anything

 

[Belnakor]

How about we just give him a game. I wouldn't want to stay at Freo either if I was stuck playing at West Perth all year.

He hasn't shown enough at AFL level to warrant his spot. He will get maybe 10 games this season, and if he wants to be a sooky lala he can, and he can go play for the team that looks to be 4 years from being out of the bottom 4.

 

[Jetau]

I have been a big fan of Warnock but he hasn't done much this season in the games he has played, nor has he been amazing in the WAFL.

If he wants to go back to Melbourne to be with his brother, so be it. Sandilands is our no 1 ruckman and will be for many years yet. We DO need a backup ruckman though. Kepler Bradley anyone?

Looks like the writing is on the wall in this one.

 

[Archimedes]

Can't blame the guy. He constantly gets overlooked, even though we play only 1 recognised ruckman and a part time ruckman.

We need a 2nd ruckman, which was evident against Geelong. When Sandi had a rest, we were very brittle in the clearances. If he goes, who is this going to be: Bradley, Connelly. We have very little rucking depth.

I hope he stays, but if he goes I expect he wont screw us like Judd did the eagles and let the Dockers have negotiations with all teams that want his services.

 

[Bradesmaen]

He has to play well to get looked at. From what I have been hearing he has done nothing of note apart from before he got his AFL games.

 

[Archimedes]

He has to play well to get looked at. From what I have been hearing he has done nothing of note apart from before he got his AFL games.

True.

But the issue here is where are Freo at. Are we in contention, short answer no. Are we looking to develop players that will be key players going forward, yes.

Therefore he should be getting a game every week and I am sure his confidence and in turn performance will improve rapidly.

 

[prattsta]

He hasn't shown enough at AFL level to warrant his spot. He will get maybe 10 games this season, and if he wants to be a sooky lala he can, and he can go play for the team that looks to be 4 years from being out of the bottom 4.

Warnock has shown as much as any other young ruckman in the AFL. What more can he do in 4.7 seconds of game time? We were all happy enough with his performances last year, now he's expected to do more with less time on the ground, and even less time in his natural position.

If Harvey sees it as a rotational problem having two ruckman in the team fine, i can accept that - although every other team in the AFL can manage it well enough - the problem i have is Gilmore is still getting a game as back-up ruckman/average role player. So Harvey is admitting there is a position there to be filled. Why can't it be Warnock? He offers far more in the ruck, and is just as good up forward as Gilmore is where ever he gets put for the rest of the time.

Sandilands has enough trouble getting around the ground as it is, yet he has to do more work than every other ruckman in the AFL because we choose to use role players rather than a genuine back-up for him.

We have a better option than Gilmore at every position on the ground. We have two better options in the ruck.

 

[FootyEater]

Warnock has shown as much as any other young ruckman in the AFL. What more can he do in 4.7 seconds of game time? We were all happy enough with his performances last year, now he's expected to do more with less time on the ground, and even less time in his natural position.

If Harvey sees it as a rotational problem having two ruckman in the team fine, i can accept that - although every other team in the AFL can manage it well enough - the problem i have is Gilmore is still getting a game as back-up ruckman/average role player. So Harvey is admitting there is a position there to be filled. Why can't it be Warnock? He offers far more in the ruck, and is just as good up forward as Gilmore is where ever he gets put for the rest of the time.

Sandilands has enough trouble getting around the ground as it is, yet he has to do more work than every other ruckman in the AFL because we choose to use role players rather than a genuine back-up for him.

We have a better option than Gilmore at every position on the ground. We have two better options in the ruck.

I whole heartedly agree with everything you have said prattsta.
gilmore is a dud, and has shown nothing, yet a potentially dominate ruckman who can go forward sits in the wafl. i do agree that warnock does need to find form in the wafl before he can get picked, but id put warnock anywhere on the ground before gilmore.

originally this year i was of the opinion that id rather trade sandilands and keep warnock, but if sandi keeps playing like he did on the weekend, then id have sandi anyday, maybe we can fast track connely, trade off warnock if he wants to go home, and take the draft picks from whoever wants warnock to add depth to our midfield.

even bradley would be a better backup ruckman than gilmore.

does anyone know how connely has been going in the wafl?

 

[estibador]

does anyone know how connely has been going in the wafl?

http://www.bigfooty.com/forum/showpost.php?p=10845959&postcount=4

 

[prattsta]

I whole heartedly agree with everything you have said prattsta.
gilmore is a dud, and has shown nothing, yet a potentially dominate ruckman who can go forward sits in the wafl. i do agree that warnock does need to find form in the wafl before he can get picked, but id put warnock anywhere on the ground before gilmore.

originally this year i was of the opinion that id rather trade sandilands and keep warnock, but if sandi keeps playing like he did on the weekend, then id have sandi anyday, maybe we can fast track connely, trade off warnock if he wants to go home, and take the draft picks from whoever wants warnock to add depth to our midfield.

even bradley would be a better backup ruckman than gilmore.

does anyone know how connely has been going in the wafl?

I don't think Gilmore is a dud, he certainly has some ability. The problem I have is he isn't in the side because he's a great defender, where he spends most of the game, he's in the side to be Sandi's back up.

I never understood the trade Sandilands argument, it was baffling to me. He was an unstoppable force at the end of 2006 and the start of 2007, there was AA/brownlow talk about him. Given how much he brings to our team, in an area we really struggle, we could never hope to replace him.

Bradley is a forward/wing. That's where he plays his best footy. If he is only in the side to be Sandi's back-up, we may as well use Warnock. If he earns a spot in our forward line then I am happy for him to spend time in the ruck when needed, similar to Michael Johnson. It is essentially the same argument i have with Gilmore's inclusion.

Brent is playing reserves at the moment, so he's a long way off being up to AFL standard.

 

[dockers_bengals]

Going on what I saw from him(t.v not live)on the weekend he hasn't shown he deserves a spot and if he gets in for some reason he is lucky.
If he wants to move back thats fair enough but if he doesn't give his all and play to his potential then he won't get the contract he deserves and his developement will fall behind.

 

[Frigate]

It does surprise me that he cannot seem to get a run. If he wants to go to Melbourne he will still be the backup ruckman behind White for the next two years. Furthermore he will be in a shizenhowzen team for the next 4-5 years. With the new teams coming in, Melbourne are hitting rock bottom at the wrong time.

Richmond and Carlton will go alright for the next couple.

We might be ble to offload quite a few players for picks in what should be a very good draft. Obviously if he chooses to stay that would be ideal.

I gather this is not going to happen. White was meant to be an absolute super star when he left but has not ever done that much. Hard to tell with ruckmen.

 

[freoextra]

I saw his display on the weekend as well. It did appear possible that his decision to return home has already been made and he was very disinterested in the contest. Interesting that Freo are also not picking him, if he has no intention of staying I would rather see how Bradley would go as a forward/relief ruckman. At least Bradley wants to be here and is in good form and could be a threat down in the forward line.

 

[SupersonicDocker]

If he will stay, harden him up and keep him. Pointless to git rid of him for the sake of it. If melbourne want him?

They can give us there No.1 pick and we will give them warnock and our first round pick...

Lets just pray maybe for once we will come out on top in a deal. Unlikely however...

OFFICIAL NATANUI IN PURPLE PRESIDENT

 

[raffrox]

I saw his display on the weekend as well. It did appear possible that his decision to return home has already been made and he was very disinterested in the contest. Interesting that Freo are also not picking him, if he has no intention of staying I would rather see how Bradley would go as a forward/relief ruckman. At least Bradley wants to be here and is in good form and could be a threat down in the forward line.

So now Warnock wants to go for sure hey?

Once again, are we ever going to learn? That Clement/McPhee/Croad/Polak are surplus to our needs so stuff 'em. How about we don't play them until their trade value is worth a half eaten packet of twisties and be totally shocked when they get game time at another club and they are much much better players.

He's a talent and has heaps of potential. We should be doing all we can to keep him and we should be playing him. Especially in a year where we ain't gonna win the premiership. Everyone jumps up and down about Brock, Mayne and Ibbo but the overall feeling I'm picking up from alot of people is that he's not worth a spot in our 22 this year so why try develop him?

 

[estibador]

I seem to remember a certain M. Pavlich putting off contract talks til the end of the season.

And I seem to remember all the media vultures trying to convince us he was leaving too.

 

[richmond fanatic]

Warnock for Polo?

 

[Bradesmaen]

Warnock for Cotchin and your first pick.