SA Footy

The following is the first part of the coaches report from Ron Fuller on the Eagles website.

"Before I talk about the Central District game I would like to clear up a matter that the Messenger press couldn’t. After the Norwood game I was approached by a messenger reporter, I believe his name is Adam Todd, and asked if I had time for a chat. He was in a restricted area and I was about to address the players post match and I replied that I didn’t have time and could he be removed from the locker room. My reasons for this were because I hadn’t spoken to the players yet and a couple of years ago the same thing happened at Alberton where a reporter found his way into our rooms and listened to my post match address. On that occasion the reporter never bothered to interview me after the game but just chose to quote extracts from my talk to the players.

After the Norwood game I had to go to work straight after I spoke to the players and left the paper interview duties with Shane Reardon, as has happened on many times previously. The disappointing thing about this is that the Editor of the article, Gordon Armstrong, had spoken to John Kantilaftas about the issue, got a reason, yet still chose to print it. He also chose not to speak to me about it but instead relied on the version of his sensitive young reporter. The other disappointing thing about this is that I have never refused any reporter a comment, win lose or draw, yet these people found it necessary to dedicate about 20 lines of negativity toward it and suggest I take a leaf out of another coach’s book. It was also said in the article that I needed to understand the reporter was just doing his job. I would appreciate if the Messenger people understand I was still doing my job too and it would also be appreciated if they could all do their job a lot more professionally than they did on this occasion".

Well done to Ron for making this statement, will Rucci choose to ignore this blantant cheap shot by one of his media buddies or will he print it in the 'Tiser seeing as he "surfs" the SANFL Clubs websites?

Well put by Ron.

Have to say that was very well written by Ron. Gets his point across, does not vilify anyone and comes across very professionally. The points he makes in regards to him still doing his job as well are spot on. Just because the game is over doesn't mean the job is done and the press need to understand this a little better i feel.

i can just see rucci making headlines of this NOT

well said ron, but i doubt rucci or anyone will look twice as it makes too much sense.

rucci's too busy writing negative stories about the crows

While I dispise Rucci and don't really like sticking up for him, at the main football writer he has to write the stories he thinks most people will read. The Crows have about 1 million fans across the state, and the power about 300000. WWT have a following of 25k. It would have to be a huge story, or one of relevance to the AFL teams for him to even think about writing on it. I'm sure he's aware of the issue it's another story when it comes to what he puts in his column.

Grahaml wrote:While I dispise Rucci and don't really like sticking up for him, at the main football writer he has to write the stories he thinks most people will read. The Crows have about 1 million fans across the state, and the power about 300000. WWT have a following of 25k. It would have to be a huge story, or one of relevance to the AFL teams for him to even think about writing on it. I'm sure he's aware of the issue it's another story when it comes to what he puts in his column.

I wasn't being serious about him reporting about the article as there would be no way he would show a fellow footy journo up for lack of integrity and taking quotes etc out of context. Despite the journo working for the poor man's press - the Messenger, I highlighted the article to show how grubby and underhanded journos are and they (even Rucci) "bleat" on about how they have no responsibility to promote football?