SANFL 2011 Player Movement - Rumours and Discussions

[Grahaml]

Why do we insist on asking players to be loyal, particularly professional players? If my boss at work was offering me a certain wage, and another was offering $30k a year more I'd be sent to the loony bin if I didn't take it. Especially if I only had 15 years tops in that industry, and even more so if the difference was more like $100k+. So why is it different for footballers? And why do we seem to think that it's todays players, coaches and clubs that are less loyal than in days past? Kerley was sacked how many times from West before the game went professional? And plenty of high profile players in the past changed clubs during their playing days. Cornes, Ebert, Philips, Platten, Bradley, Kernahan amongst a host of blokes who changed league clubs. And even before those guys. It's been going on since the game started.

And for the guys who are playing SANFL, amateurs or country who are in most cases putting in serious amounts of time towards footy for it to be effectively a second job, why not go somewhere they can get $500 a game instead of $250 if that's what they want? If someone is good enough at something they enjoy doing to get that much of a reward then good on them. I for one won't join the queue of hypocrites who would jump at more money given the chance to bag them for it.

[Big Phil]

2007 Premiership player Charles Slattery is back out training with the Doggies - looking at a possible return to SANFL action in 2011

[bloods08]

2007 Premiership player Charles Slattery is back out training with the Doggies - looking at a possible return to SANFL action in 2011

Is he still living/working in Melbourne?

[whufc]

2007 Premiership player Charles Slattery is back out training with the Doggies - looking at a possible return to SANFL action in 2011

Is he still living/working in Melbourne?

no

[Dogwatcher]

That's succinct!

[nickname]

My view is that a player like Eagleton, as an example, who has been in the AFL system for about 12 years, has usually set himself up financially by that stage. His future income will not be derived from playing football and he has, probably, no need to play clubs off against each other for the sake of 10-20,000 dollars. I think it's a reasonable expectation among his original club's fans that he might return there, still well paid, as some sort of nod towards where he got his very productive start.

[SpionKopster]

I'll stand corrected but didn't Nathan Eagleton play U/18's in Victoria prior to being listed on the Powers original list?

[Dutchy]

My view is that a player like Eagleton, as an example, who has been in the AFL system for about 12 years, has usually set himself up financially by that stage. His future income will not be derived from playing football and he has, probably, no need to play clubs off against each other for the sake of 10-20,000 dollars. I think it's a reasonable expectation among his original club's fans that he might return there, still well paid, as some sort of nod towards where he got his very productive start.

And the original clubs fans should vent their disapproval at their clubs management, not Eagleton, they must make it impossible for him to say no to returning which they obviously didnt.

[bloods08]

I'll stand corrected but didn't Nathan Eagleton play U/18's in Victoria prior to being listed on the Powers original list?

No he is a West Adelaide junior.

[nickname]

My view is that a player like Eagleton, as an example, who has been in the AFL system for about 12 years, has usually set himself up financially by that stage. His future income will not be derived from playing football and he has, probably, no need to play clubs off against each other for the sake of 10-20,000 dollars. I think it's a reasonable expectation among his original club's fans that he might return there, still well paid, as some sort of nod towards where he got his very productive start.

And the original clubs fans should vent their disapproval at their clubs management, not Eagleton, they must make it impossible for him to say no to returning which they obviously didnt.

I disagree. The club can't allow itself to be held to ransom. You want us to pay him more than what anyone else is offering him, regardless of his age or our salary cap position? Ludicrous. I'd vent my disapproval at management if we paid a 32 year-old $70K or $80K considering where we are at the moment.

[fester69]

I think Dutchy means if your management had you in a position to seriously challenge for a Flag then the player would sign.

[Dutchy]

My view is that a player like Eagleton, as an example, who has been in the AFL system for about 12 years, has usually set himself up financially by that stage. His future income will not be derived from playing football and he has, probably, no need to play clubs off against each other for the sake of 10-20,000 dollars. I think it's a reasonable expectation among his original club's fans that he might return there, still well paid, as some sort of nod towards where he got his very productive start.

And the original clubs fans should vent their disapproval at their clubs management, not Eagleton, they must make it impossible for him to say no to returning which they obviously didnt.

I disagree. The club can't allow itself to be held to ransom. You want us to pay him more than what anyone else is offering him, regardless of his age or our salary cap position? Ludicrous. I'd vent my disapproval at management if we paid a 32 year-old $70K or $80K considering where we are at the moment.

Your presuming its all about the $$$

If that was the sole reason for him not signing and WAFC arent happy to pay the $$$ then they need to work a different angle with him to get him over the line, Id be questioning if they did this with him.

[nickname]

Your presuming its all about the $$$

If that was the sole reason for him not signing and WAFC arent happy to pay the $$$ then they need to work a different angle with him to get him over the line, Id be questioning if they did this with him.

So we should be venting our disapproval at management without knowing what it did to entice him back?
What if he didn't want to play under our coach? Should management sack the coach?

My point is that I think there should be a greater sense of obligation on a player like him to return to his original club.

[Dutchy]

Your presuming its all about the $$$

If that was the sole reason for him not signing and WAFC arent happy to pay the $$$ then they need to work a different angle with him to get him over the line, Id be questioning if they did this with him.

So we should be venting our disapproval at management without knowing what it did to entice him back?
What if he didn't want to play under our coach? Should management sack the coach?

My point is that I think there should be a greater sense of obligation on a player like him to return to his original club.

And if the club creates the right environment before they leave, during their AFL career and when they are looking to return they will. The club has a responsibility to be loyal to the player as well. Recent events suggest WAFC dont do this anywhere near well enough.

[wycbloods]

this may be relevant to the discussions being had here

17 November 2010





The West Adelaide Football Club would like to update its members in relation to Nathan Eagleton.



Despite what we thought were strong contractual and career opportunities for Nathan to return to his home club he has decided, for his own reasons to sign with the Norwood Football Club. Nathan informed us of this decision today.



We are disappointed that Nathan has chosen not to return to West Adelaide.



As a Club we have a commitment to the future and we will continue towards our goal to play and win finals not just in 2011 but beyond.



The West Adelaide Football Club admires the AFL career of Nathan Eagleton.





Mr Kym Russell

Chief Executive Officer

[nickname]

That's an incredibly blinkered view. It doesn't allow for the fact that some players will simply go wherever they get the most money, regardless of anything else the club does or offers.
And going back as far as 2002, of the players drafted from us who went interstate and have since returned to play SANFL - Marsh, Walsh, Brown, Clark, Chris Schmidt, Hartlett and Carter have come back to play for us. Welsh and now Eagleton and Tiller have gone elsewhere. The club's stance on Welsh has been vindicated and I think that record is perfectly acceptable.

[am Bays]

My view is that a player like Eagleton, as an example, who has been in the AFL system for about 12 years, has usually set himself up financially by that stage. His future income will not be derived from playing football and he has, probably, no need to play clubs off against each other for the sake of 10-20,000 dollars. I think it's a reasonable expectation among his original club's fans that he might return there, still well paid, as some sort of nod towards where he got his very productive start.

Which had more impact in Bryce Gibbs getting drafted the root his parents had ~nine months before he was born or the fact he grew up in the Glenelg area and played his junior footy at the Bays? I'd argue the former.

Sometimes SANFL, TAC and WAFL clubs over-emphasise their importance a players development once their AFL careers have finished, especially when they absically use the same model and basically the same funding source (AFL through the SANFL distributions). Why should they go back to their club of origin? SANFL clubs are happy to take players of origin out of the VFL when their AFL careers (Birss and Tenace) or dreams are over e.g. (the Caruso's, McConnell).

Why should SANFL clubs/supporters get upset when a player doesn't come back if they are happy to recruit other players in the same situation?

[nickname]

If we signed someone like Jordan McMahon (assuming we all thought he was a good player) I would be pleased he came to our club and would understand Glenelg fans' disappointment that he didn't return to them. And I would still be disappointed if one of our blokes came back and played for another club. I think that's a reasonable position.

[DOC]

That's an incredibly blinkered view. It doesn't allow for the fact that some players will simply go wherever they get the most money, regardless of anything else the club does or offers.
And going back as far as 2002, of the players drafted from us who went interstate and have since returned to play SANFL - Marsh, Walsh, Brown, Clark, Chris Schmidt, Hartlett and Carter have come back to play for us. Welsh and now Eagleton and Tiller have gone elsewhere. The club's stance on Welsh has been vindicated and I think that record is perfectly acceptable.

Very true.

Eagleton and Tiller themselves and via a representative spoke with at least two other clubs. Tiller made it quite clear to at least one club that his main motivating factor was playing with Eagleton (both played togethor at Footscray). Eagleton stated that his main motivating factor in playing SANFL "if" he played again was to ensure that it fitted in with his business plans, ie: it had to be time efficient.

Well, Norwood is nowhere near his business set up and Tiller rejected Norwood's offer. Both simply went for the best offer. It happens.

But, in Eagletons case, the childish piffle about selecting Norwood was based on premiership ability is to be treated with the contempt it deserves.

Westies gave him the start he needed and gave him games when he was dropped from the Power. If he could'nt have made enough money after 10 plus years playing AFL, then the shoe fits. Should be at West.

[finn]

A lot of the discussion seems to be based on an assumption that a player's view of a club remains static; eg for eagleton it's been around 12 years since he's played a game at westies. The club would have changed; I doubt any of the people he played with would be still be playing and his loyalty would have moved to the bulldogs.
If he was another club's supporter before playng at west its quite likely that any affiliation felt would have dissipated.