Was Ottens exit manufactured?

[Crumden]

Ever since the club made their reduced offer to Ottens, I've had this feeling the club wanted him to walk because they knew they could get quite a bit in return. With Simmonds signing on, I have the feeling stronger than ever. A few things to consider:

• Although fans have made a big deal about the "one club player" comments by Ottens, I always had the impression they were qualified with "but we'll wait and see", even if he didn't say that explicitly each time.
• The club knew that he was waivering on re-signing or going elsewhere.
• Anyone of Ottens stature would have second thoughts about re-signing given the magnitude of the wage cut, especially if already unhappy at the club.
• The club could have guessed that other clubs would have been snooping around for a while, just as it equally seems we were in Simmonds ear for a while.

I suspect Miller and Co had a fair idea before they offered Ottens a cent that they were a chance with Simmonds and also knew Ottens would be worth a couple of handy picks if traded. So it was a no-lose postion. If Ottens re-signed, they had him at much less cost than previously, and if he didn't there was some pretty good compensation to look forward to. And the club wouldn't look bad for trading a potential gun, because it was Ottens decision to walk.

Good to see the type of cold-blooded but well-planned ruthlessness that we haven't seen around the club since GRs days. While I personally would have liked Ottens to stay and believe he'll do well at Geelong, desparate times call for desparate measures.

 

[Tiger_Of_Old]

considering ottens made the "one club" statement not long after cogs had resigned the longer his contractual talks went on the less likely he was going to stay.weather it was a plan after all by the club or he was nibbled who knows.

cheers!

 

[cairo tiger]

mate i can tell you no one is safe, administrators always look fo rpossible deals here and there it is all about smelling iot all out, miller smelt it well

 

[1980GFVideo]

Its a legacy of being a bottom side that good players will want to go elsewhere just fed up with losing.

If people are rubbing thier hands together about finnishing down the bottom because of draft picks they can weigh it up that a player around 24 years old is going to be harder to keep at the club.

Personally I hate the priority pick draft system although we need to utilise it as other bottom teams of the future will and past have (Saints).

Seeing Richmond fans hoping that we finnished with less than five wins just put too big a gap between what Richmond was and what we are today. Can't wait till I recognise us as the club that gave me so much joy in the early eighties.

 

[beaver's army]

i dont like the idea of winning <5 games a year just 2 get 1 more draft pick
but the clubs these days are all abt hw 2 make ur club better not how to win games

 

[IDGAF]

I agree with you crumden , i believe that when all the pro`s and cons were weighed up some time ago , it was decided , for many reasons , that we would be better off in the long run to let him go . And the decision was made some time ago . It was pretty clear that they said to Otto , here`s the offer , take it or leave it . I think that there was very little negotiation involved

Our history of over paying under performing players , salary cap pressure , his worth on the market , the fact that we are in totally rebuilding mode and the question that Ottens would be the type of "character" to build the new richmond around , the fact that we could get Simmonds for next to no loss , which in my mind almost totally negates the Ottens loss , let alone the draft picks we got got for him .

When you sit down at the end of the day , it adds up to a very sound , rational , calculated business and footbal decision designed to serve the RFC in the best way possible for our long term future . The type of decision that i have not seen around the place for many a year . For the best part of our recent history , i believe that most of the decisions made by our club have been mostly "knee-jerk" ......... this one was not .

Long live Greg "GR" Miller

 

[jezza]

I don't think they wanted him to go, but made a firm stand that if he wouldn't accept their offer then they were more than happy to leave. There was obviously very little negotiation between the two parties which makes me think that Miller said here is our offer, accept it or leave, we won't budge. The financial situation has a lot to do with list management at the moment, Ottens and Gaspar were prime targets, Gaspar took the cut, Ottens walked out the door.

 

[itsintheblood]

Does anyone stop and think that ottens was in fact part of the problem? If I was a player with ability at the club i'd be playing my a$$ off each and every week even if my team mates were of the ilk of simon fletcher and ben marsh. At least i could sleep easy at night nowing i put in every ounce of energy i had each week and was in the best players on the ground more often than not.

How many times did young brad feature in the best players on the ground over the last 3 years? How many times did young brad kick 3 goals or more in a game when at full forward? How many brownlow votes did young brad get this year? How many best and fairests did young brad win?

Young brad was part of the losing endemic at our club. His fat paycheque did not reflect the return he was giving the club. It was one way traffic and for him to say he was sick of losing was quite amusing. He was part of this losing culture and contributed to it with his mediocre performances. He could have done something about it and lived up to his "potential" and delivered a few devastating blows when we needed him too. Sadly, ottens will end up like lance whitnall. Promised so much, delivered so little.

 

[SaveFeriss]

Agree 100% Crumden and IDGAF.

Im almost 30, and can never remeber such a smart player administration move.

Read all my life about the ruthfullness, stubborness and pride of Greame Richmond and it 'feels' Miller is honouring the GR ghost.

We're on the bottom of the ladder, and already they're beggining to hate us again.

The wise ones sense what's coming

 

[Showbag]

Totally Agree. Ottens exit was well planned, excecuted and effective. The only thing we didn't get was a top 10 pick, which we only just missed on. I bet Ottens knew this was coming.

 

[jezza]

I've read elsewhere he asked for a trade last year and was never really happy at Richmond. Not sure how true it is though.

 

[Bojangles17]

Does anyone stop and think that ottens was in fact part of the problem? If I was a player with ability at the club i'd be playing my a$$ off each and every week even if my team mates were of the ilk of simon fletcher and ben marsh. At least i could sleep easy at night nowing i put in every ounce of energy i had each week and was in the best players on the ground more often than not.

How many times did young brad feature in the best players on the ground over the last 3 years? How many times did young brad kick 3 goals or more in a game when at full forward? How many brownlow votes did young brad get this year? How many best and fairests did young brad win?

Young brad was part of the losing endemic at our club. His fat paycheque did not reflect the return he was giving the club.

well said...it was gawling indeed to read that Otto was sick and tired of the losing culture when he was in fact key to the problem. as you rightly put it he hardly raised a sweat in trying to arrest defeat after defeat....cant remeber the last time he wa svoted amongst best 3 on the ground and quite simply top earners must be influencing the game week in week out....Good riiddens Brad welcome to tigerland Simmo

 

[hotdogandsauce]

i reckon terry and miller knew that a big name/paid player had to go, i personally feel that he was the expendable player that they had identified, also knowing how much he would get them on the market.

the amount they offered him was always never gonna be enough and they would have obviously known that several clubs (cats,swans) were in his ear, and wallace wanted good picks in this draft, certainly goes in line with the five year deal and that to grow our own 200 gamers/champions.

we will in the long term come out in front 2 good/great players for one that as we all know didnt put his heart and soul into it, and by the sounds of it doesnt like to take responsibity for his actions or in his case lack of action.(on the field).

so all in all i reckon the tigers have/will come in front and for ottens who knows and really who cares anyway our future is onwards and upwards, while in his case a leopard doesnt change its spots...

EAT EM ALIVE IN 05