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What's Essendon waiting for?

9th October, 2013
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Roar Guru
9th October, 2013
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1656 Reads

There’s a million and one elements that make the AFL’s annual trade period so seductive yet incredibly frustrating.

The thrill of who’ll be traded and where and for what price make for compulsive viewing, even if from a terribly long distance. The stalled talks and posturing I could gladly do without.

I’ll take an item from the latter category which has really got my goat in recent weeks. That being Stewart Crameri’s purported move from Essendon to the Western Bulldogs.

Here’s what we know. Crameri wants to play next season for the Bulldogs. He’s uncontracted at Essendon with the Dogs apparently putting a $1.8 million offer on the table over four years in addition to compensating the Bombers (who’ve as present no participation in this year’s draft) with an early second round pick.

Call me crazy but I don’t see what the posturing is about on Essendon’s side?

The drugs scandal which engulfed the AFL this season and which in turn punished the Bombers heavily and disgraced the AFL’s integrity taught us a couple of things.

The main lesson was that Essendon were conducting their business in cavalier fashion, displaying scant respect for anybody in the game and were consequently severely and adequately punished.

I’d hate to think Essendon have learnt nothing from the affair.

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From afar it seems the Bombers are of the view they can still fleece their opposition and conduct their business with the utmost arrogance.

Essendon perhaps need to be reminded, surely they have, that Crameri can leave Windy Hill for nothing. That the Bulldogs needn’t give them anything, let alone the more than generous second round pick the Dogs have offered.

I can understand Essendon desperately trying to get themselves back into the draft yet I’m surprised to see them running the risk from alienating a trade partner who could easily take their offer off the table and recruit Crameri via the pre-season draft.

I don’t expect trades to be conducted in cozy environment with handshakes and chocolates readily exchanged but it’s surely not so much to expect a degree of decorum and reality- Two things Essendon could do with a hefty dollop of.

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