AFL risks player backlash over Inglis poaching
Roar Guru By Justin Rodski, 7 Jun 2010 Justin Rodski is a Roar Guru
- Tagged:
- AFL, Essendon Bombers, Greg Inglis, Israel Falau, Karmichael Hunt, nrl poaching
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Australia's Greg Inglis races away for a try. AAP Image/Hagen Hopkins/PHOTOSPORT
I’d be lying if I didn’t admit to slightly enjoying the hysteria and frenzy created by the AFL’s recent brazen attack on rugby league.
But now though, with everyone on high alert and the battle lines drawn, ironically the AFL might end up being its own worst enemy.
In pledging its support for Essendon’s bid to poach Greg Inglis, the AFL is treading on dangerously thin ground and running the risk of completely alienating its own players.
The Greg Inglis situation is poles apart from Karmichael Hunt and Israel Folau and funding his defection is fraught with danger for the AFL.
The smash and grab policy in its new expansion markets has been both brave and shrewd, marching into enemy territory the coup was well planned, extremely well funded and executed to perfection. It needed to be.
Fair enough, there was always going to be ridicule from some sections of the industry, however in this case, the potential pioneering impact has been too seducing for even the harshest critics to ignore.
The same can’t be said when it comes to Greg Inglis.
Two new teams, two new markets and two new high profile recruits. Money is money, but the exposure and publicity is invaluable and has landed the AFL an important minor victory in the long running war that is the battle of the codes.
This is big picture stuff and whether Hunt or Folau even play a game is irrelevant in the scheme of things anyway.
Apart from being incredible athletes in their own right, they are well and truly novelty recruits. The lure of Inglis is not.
If the AFL was to offer a similar promotional arrangement for Greg Inglis to switch to a Melbourne based club I can guarantee you right now they won’t be afforded the same autonomy from the current playing group, coaches and the AFLPA.
I wonder how big an impact this could potentially have ahead of next year’s collective bargaining agreement too? Why wouldn’t the players strike or demand far more than they would otherwise if the AFL keeps forking out bundles of cash to code swappers?
It just threatens to create an unnecessary divide, it totally makes a mockery of the salary cap, and fails to reward the elite players already playing the game.
The suggestion his indigenous background would help further promote the game baffles me a little too; the AFL has over 80 indigenous players already playing the game. Sure not many are from New South Wales or Queensland, but to use Inglis’ heritage as justification just isn’t going to fly on this one.
There’s no legal issue but it becomes an interesting moral one for the AFL. Any club can pre-list a player as an international rookie providing he had not been registered in a recognised AFL competition, but here in lies the problem, when the governing body is funding the move, the lines become blurry and the boundaries are lost.
This in a sense opens up Pandora’s box.
Every Melbourne club or any other club for that matter will find a boom recruit from another sport and request the AFL fund his salary outside the cap.
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- AFL, Essendon Bombers, Greg Inglis, Israel Falau, Karmichael Hunt, nrl poaching
June 7th 2010 @ 1:36pm
Timelessness said | June 7th 2010 @ 1:36pm | Report comment
The AFL has just paid the NRL the biggest compliment in the history of the Barassi Line. What they are effectively saying “Your athletes are better” and “Your players are underpaid” and to top it off, they try to remove the spectator appeal of league by taking away a high flying fearless Polynesian poster boy who makes most AFL players look like flying fumbling girls. After three decades spending gazillions fighting its Vietnam for marketshare in NSW and QLD while kids unconverted parents take their NAB cash and run, the AFL has finally decided “if you can’t beat them join them” and now spending gazillions to lure the top line players. Rugby League enjoy watching your boys make fools of the AFL competition and rejoice the AFL’s monumental hari kari.
June 7th 2010 @ 1:44pm
Redb said | June 7th 2010 @ 1:44pm | Report comment
“Nah its just a flesh wound” said the Black Knight has he looked down to find his legs (read current NRL TV deal) cut off at the knees.
June 8th 2010 @ 7:50am
JVGO said | June 8th 2010 @ 7:50am | Report comment
So this is the real reason behind all this-to kill off RL. Thanks for making it so clear Redb. We hate you too. I hope you’ll be equally happy about it if we ever get to return the serve. The hatred and negativity just compounds.
June 8th 2010 @ 7:59am
Redb said | June 8th 2010 @ 7:59am | Report comment
JVGO,
Wow how did you read that into my comment?
read Timelessness rant and then my response which is to clarfy, who has the better athletes is not the point. The NRL is unable to pay its players adequately. That is not the AFL’s fault.
So by all means come out with the hate and bile for the AFL, but your real enemy is the NRL’s administration and News Ltd connection.
Remember the polarisation goes both ways, AFL fans can read as well. Heard of the Melbourne Storm?
June 8th 2010 @ 8:19am
JVGO said | June 8th 2010 @ 8:19am | Report comment
Your disingenuousness is ridiculous Redb. And of course I know that polarisation goes both ways. Have you ever heard of one way polarisation?
June 8th 2010 @ 9:00am
Redb said | June 8th 2010 @ 9:00am | Report comment
JVGO,
Maybe you didnt read Timelessness comment.
So it is disingeneous to suggest the NRL has administration problems and suffers due to the News Ltd partnership?
Get a grip .
June 8th 2010 @ 2:30pm
JVGO said | June 8th 2010 @ 2:30pm | Report comment
No, it’s disingenuous to say you don’t mean what your analogy implies, that is that the AFL would love to dismember the NRL limb by limb. When the NRL is helpless then Eddie McGuire can slip in and finish it off with a dagger between the ribs. When we react to your jibes you tell us that we are paranoid and insecure about the AFL’s intentions. You are basically a PR operative Redb and deserve no respect.
June 8th 2010 @ 2:49pm
JF said | June 8th 2010 @ 2:49pm | Report comment
AFL supporter/administrator “on the record” comments – “We do not want to destroy the NRL, you guys are crazy to suggest such nonsense, we are about being involved in the community and providing pathways for the kiddies”
AFL supporter/administrator “off the record” comments – “We are getting closer to obliterating the NRL, we need to sign some more of their stars and pump more money into Sydney and SEQ, we will keep bombarding their TVs with live AFL games until they come around”
June 8th 2010 @ 3:16pm
Redb said | June 8th 2010 @ 3:16pm | Report comment
JVGO,
maybe you missed Monty Python and the Holy Grail
From Wikipedia…
….In the film, King Arthur (Graham Chapman), accompanied by his trusty serf Patsy (Terry Gilliam), is traveling through a forest when he enters a clearing and observes a fight taking place between a Black Knight (John Cleese) and a Green Knight (also played by Gilliam) by a bridge over a small stream. As he watches, the Black Knight defeats the Green, stabbing his sword straight through the eye slot of the Green Knight’s helm(during Arthur’s battle with the Black Knight, the Green Knights body is nowhere to be found).
Arthur then congratulates the Black Knight and offers him a place at his court on the Round Table, but he only stands still, holding his sword, and makes no response until Arthur moves to cross the bridge; he then refuses to stand aside. Reluctantly, Arthur fights the Black Knight, and after a short battle the Knight’s left arm is severed.
However, even at this the Knight refuses to stand aside, insisting “‘Tis but a scratch”, later insisting that “I’ve had worse,” and fights on. Next his right arm, which had been holding his sword, is also removed, but he still does not concede. As the Knight is literally disarmed, Arthur assumes the fight is over and kneels to offer a prayer to God. The Black Knight interrupts Arthur’s prayer of thanks for his victory by kicking him in the side of the head and accusing him of cowardice; when Arthur points out his injuries he insists “it’s just a flesh wound!”. In response to the continued kicks and insults, Arthur chops off one of the Black Knight’s legs. At this point, as the Knight still will not admit to defeat, Arthur is extremely annoyed at The Black Knights persistence, and angrily asks the Black Knight if he is “going to bleed on me”. The Black Knight replies by saying, “I’m invincible!”. Arthur finally cuts off the other leg too. The Black Knight then offers to “call it a draw” as Arthur puts his sword away then summons Patsy and “rides” away, leaving the Black Knight to scream threats at him (“Come back here and take what’s coming to you! I’ll bite your legs off!”), whereupon the scene fades out.
—————–
The NRL (and fans) are the over confident yet leg-less Black Knight and its not the AFL that has cut off his legs, it’s News Ltd. The NRL is powerless to stop other sports attracting their players, its not the AFL or ARU’s fault, look within.
June 8th 2010 @ 3:27pm
JVGO said | June 8th 2010 @ 3:27pm | Report comment
True. I’m not a Python fan. Your argument is then that News is RL’s enemy not the AFL? As I see it RL needs to negotiate it’s way between the two equally soulless corps. Hopefully we can let you too hack away at each other and then say see you later to both of you.
June 8th 2010 @ 3:59pm
Beast-A-Tron said | June 8th 2010 @ 3:59pm | Report comment
JF,
““We are getting closer to obliterating the NRL, we need to sign some more of their stars and pump more money into Sydney and SEQ, we will keep bombarding their TVs with live AFL games until they come around””
Who specifically are you quoting?
June 7th 2010 @ 1:45pm
Michael C said | June 7th 2010 @ 1:45pm | Report comment
if that’s how you wish to see it,
what the AFL has done is indicated that in the 12-18 months prior to the senior list being allowed to be assembled publicly – - that an NRL convert player is big news in the target markets,
nothing to do with ‘better’,
nothing to do with ‘worse’.
Don’t forget though, Folau was the one who credited his best strength in the game as an AFL skill learned in Melbourne and it was Folau who made the comment in Feb out in West Sydney that he’d like to see the AFL do well in the market, and it was Folau who via his manager instigated the discussions about coming to the AFL.
you don’t need the AFL to tell you whether your athletes are under paid or not, the ARU and international RL and RU have been making this point for some time now.
June 7th 2010 @ 1:58pm
TammyS said | June 7th 2010 @ 1:58pm | Report comment
I guess we’ll have to wait and see. Personally I doubt they’ll be superstars but I dont think they’ll be atrociously bad either
June 8th 2010 @ 12:44pm
Nathan said | June 8th 2010 @ 12:44pm | Report comment
Can’t understand the bitterness and ignorance expressed by league fans here.
@Timelessness, you’re welcome to your opinion but the only purpose it seems to serve is to indicate the size of the chip on your shoulder. I don’t think the AFL are saying ‘Your (NRL) athletes are better’ at all, otherwise the Hunt and Folau etc would be paid solely for their playing ability. Your opinion is easily refuted by the fact that a fair portion of their wages is actually for marketing, which most aware people realise is the MAIN purpose of the exercise.
And what’s wrong with being a SPORTS fan? I’ll watch RL, I love all sports, but it’s hard not to feel contempt for most RL fans and their puerile attitudes …when a RL team was formed in Adelaide, most Aussie Rules fans in SA that I know said ‘great, another team to follow’. And the Rams didn’t have too bad crowds before they were terminated, in fact they were awesome crowds if you consider a per capita basis. But RL fans, in contrast, feel threatened and resort to making ridiculous ‘AFL players look like flying fumbling girls’ style comments. It’s so petty and sad (though I do get a laugh out of it).
What It really boils down to – if RL is so superior, why doesn’t anyone watch it in comparison to Aussie Rules? Geez, even the SANFL (a state based competition in a state with a fraction of NSWs population) gets crowds as big as some NRL games (supposedly a national competition).
June 8th 2010 @ 2:08pm
Redb said | June 8th 2010 @ 2:08pm | Report comment
Well said.
June 8th 2010 @ 3:14pm
JVGO said | June 8th 2010 @ 3:14pm | Report comment
‘If RL is so superior why doesn’t anyone watch it in comparison to Aussie rules.’ This is the crap that gets RL fans annoyed Nathan. The Rams were a News Ltd marketing exercise. New’s agenda almost destroyed RL, the majority of the fans were against it and it caused a huge split in the code. There is nothing wrong with being a sports fan but the AFL ( that is the governing body of your code I believe who you all back uncritically) has an agenda to undermine, disrupt and ultimately replace the other codes as far as possible with its own product. A lot of fans of the other codes see this as not conducive to being an all round sports fan and they object. Well the news is Nathan that barely anyone in Sydney watches AFL and of course this seems proof enough that we all must be ignorant.
June 7th 2010 @ 3:22pm
Republican said | June 7th 2010 @ 3:22pm | Report comment
There is a very important distinction to be made here, when any RL and Union fiscal analogy is being drawn with our game and that is to do with Aust footy’s very domestic status. The Rugby codes are ‘international’ in the true sense of the word and as stated ad nauseum, our games strength and assured sustainability is for it to remain in essence, a uni lateral brand.
I believe that the the AFL will eventually come off second best if they continue to up the anti in respect of poaching League or any other codes elite for that matter, for commercial gain or not and this will be felt at ALL levels of the game.
Certainly if this is to become integral to the AFL’s recriuting culture, a dramatic change of the physical criteria for our game will be evidneced by the a dumbing down of the skill set, that clearly defines and distingushes it from the rugby codes, if this isn’t happening to a certain degree all ready.
We, the custodians of our indig code, have much to lose at this time, since the game is tenuosly poised to get out of it’s depth very quickly, if it’s governiong body continues to arrogantly forge ahead in such a bombastic and egotistical manner.
June 7th 2010 @ 3:46pm
Brad Perry said | June 7th 2010 @ 3:46pm | Report comment
So 2 slightly famous guys want to play AUSTRALIAN football…..This wonderful country of ours is actually called Australia. Why would any Australian athlete not aspire to excel at the AUSTRALIAN game. Australian football was created in Australia for Australians. It is a game requiring superb skills , athletisism, endurance. & a VERY fiece competitive spirit… These guys can learn the skills unique to AFL… training will bring the endurance…. they have proven they are superb fiercely competive athletes…. they will be succesful…..many more will follow….if for no other reason than to play the AUSTRALIAN game…
June 7th 2010 @ 9:07pm
Beaver Fever said | June 7th 2010 @ 9:07pm | Report comment
Thanks Brad, refreshing post.
June 8th 2010 @ 10:28am
Ken said | June 8th 2010 @ 10:28am | Report comment
I get your point and I think we should run with it. All Rugby League has to do is name it’s sport ‘World Football’ and then the whole world should feel obliged to play it
Thanks for the heads up
June 8th 2010 @ 7:34am
Timmypig said | June 8th 2010 @ 7:34am | Report comment
I wonder if anyone in the AFL hierarchy is aware of the intense dislike many Sydney rugby league fans have for the Sea Eagles? Much of it stems from player raids decades ago, eg the 1980 poaching from the Magpies of Boyd, Dorahy et al. Many of us cheered for Manly when Beaver was playing his last NRL game (and scored a meat pie as part of the bargain). But as soon as the whistle was blown on the 2008 season, it was back to “hating Manly”.
Sounds trivial, but I can’t help thinking that there has been a bit of a miscalculation on the AFL’s part, in Sydney at least. It may just be that some kids will pay attention and want to take a look, but many of those kids’ older brothers and dads will be seething, and the AFL will be the target of their anger.
May not play out that way, but this could be a factor in turning those who may have given GWS a look into rabid anti-AFL zealouts.
June 8th 2010 @ 7:48am
Redb said | June 8th 2010 @ 7:48am | Report comment
There is some risk of a backlash but diehard RL fans were never that interested anyway.
I think the AFL has to be careful not over do it or be seen to be actively poaching. As I wrote yesterday the AFL needs to sniff the air and judge the mood of AFL players, fans and clubs, other sports fans and slow down a bit.
That said, lets be clear, Karmichael Hunt had signalled his intention to move on from rugby league anyway, the AFL engaged after this became apparent.
Israel Folau’s management approached the AFL first.
Even with Inglis, it is case of a player being forced to move on that has led to manager- AFL club discussions.
Where Demetriou and David Matthews AFL game development, Sheeds need to be careful, is that whilst its fine to say the door is open, the message it sends is that the AFL is out to raid rugby league players and players of any other sports.
After Folau’s announcement, 12 RL player managers approached the AFL, so the message is out, but dont over do it.
A lot of the angst amongst rugby league fans has been generated by the Daily Telegraph, they have 2 objectives:
1. Sell papers – us v them is what they thrive on.
2. NRL/News Ltd support against the new AFL team in Sydney.
So what RL fans see is the ‘war’ and ‘invasion’ coming to fruition.
The fact is Folau approached the AFL , hows does that make RL fans feel? The AFL has every right to explore the options. It is far easier to blame the AFL than look within the NRL itself and question why some RL players feel the need to look elsewhere.
June 8th 2010 @ 8:49am
JVGO said | June 8th 2010 @ 8:49am | Report comment
News Ltd are the most powerful media interest in the country. They got there by acquiring a virtual controlling interest in the no 1 TV product in the countries biggest market. That was their business strategy like or largely loathe it.
They also funded the professionalisation of RU and AFL is also largely bankrolled by TV rights. News’ interest is in keeping the RL viewers tuned in. They will do whatever they have to do to keep it that way including spending large amounts of money, so get used to it.
June 8th 2010 @ 9:02am
Redb said | June 8th 2010 @ 9:02am | Report comment
“News’ interest is in keeping the RL viewers tuned in”
So they do this by attacking other codes?
June 8th 2010 @ 3:20pm
JVGO said | June 8th 2010 @ 3:20pm | Report comment
They do this by attacking the attacks of other codes, same a the AFL and Melbourne media does.
June 8th 2010 @ 3:29pm
Redb said | June 8th 2010 @ 3:29pm | Report comment
Rubbish. I guarantee there is a truck load more anti stuff in the Sydney papers about AFL than in reverse in Melb and RL.
June 9th 2010 @ 5:29pm
JVGO said | June 9th 2010 @ 5:29pm | Report comment
Because the NRL is not attacking the AFL in Melbourne, adding teams buying players etc. Do you think if the NRL were doing this there wouldn’t be pages and pages of stuff against it in the Vic press.
June 8th 2010 @ 10:52am
Michael said | June 8th 2010 @ 10:52am | Report comment
The AFL has said Folau approached them, Folau’s manager said there was an approach by the AFL.
Someone is telling porky pies.
Your argument of players looking elsewhere is not the player, its their manager exploring options.
If my manager was to approach a rival company and say…”hey would u look into my player”, and they said “Sure we’ll bring him in and pay him $6m over 4 years” and then my manager says “Hey…Mick…look this company wants to offer you this to be the main guy and earn $6m over 4 years, are you interested?”…
What are you going to say?
Israel Folau didn’t get hold of Sheedy’s number and say “hey coach, i’m interested in AFL, lets get this done.” This is what the Herald Sun would like you to believe, but the fact is it is not true.
June 8th 2010 @ 3:48pm
JVGO said | June 8th 2010 @ 3:48pm | Report comment
The AFL PR operatives will never admit this. They are all spin, spin, spin.
June 9th 2010 @ 8:23am
Redb said | June 9th 2010 @ 8:23am | Report comment
The anti AFL PR operatives likewise.
AFL fans see it for the possiblity, the anti AFL nuts see it for the conspiracy.
June 9th 2010 @ 8:30am
Billo Boy said | June 9th 2010 @ 8:30am | Report comment
Please. With the Hunt signing the AFL hung up a huge sign saying to every NRL player and his manager that there was a motza on offer for the new Sydney franchise.
Playing semantics to try and paint themselves as non predators is just a little too cute, even by AFL standards.
June 8th 2010 @ 8:06pm
Gilbank said | June 8th 2010 @ 8:06pm | Report comment
I will never watch AFL and nor will my friends. No matter how many players they nick. You can’t win hearts and minds by paying money. Rugby Union learned that. Publicity alone will burn out your games limited appeal.
June 8th 2010 @ 10:10pm
Adam said | June 8th 2010 @ 10:10pm | Report comment
Talk about killing your own game, whatever happened to just playing the game? Oh thats right there’s a quid to be made.
December 21st 2010 @ 6:28am
shoebox said | December 21st 2010 @ 6:28am | Report comment
for years that the nrl have relied on pokies revenue and so have subsequently the players
there is a price to pay getting revenue from these disgusting abominations
the afl should run and so should inglis a million miles away fom these putrid things
bravo rabbitohs