Daniel Bradshaw celebrates his sixth goal during the AFL Round 06 match between the Sydney Swans and the Brisbane Lions at the SCG, Sydney. Slattery Images.
While the phrase ‘club culture’ has never been so important in AFL circles, Sydney Swans recruit Daniel Bradshaw provided a fresh reminder this week it actually means very little.
As the lure of new franchises, big money and the prospect of free agency get closer, uncontracted players should keep in mind just how quickly the boot could be on the other foot.
If a player of Bradshaw’s ilk is so dispensable, surely now those players who voluntarily choose to move clubs should be free from condemnation?
Needless to say, if you don’t look after yourself, no one else will.
Bradshaw’s move to Sydney speaks volumes for this so-called loyalty, or more like disloyalty in football.
The new Sydney spearhead starred when he faced old side for the first time last night, and his comments in the build up were both honest and pertinent to the conversation on loyalty.
He said about his former club: “I have not actually spoken to anyone this week, players coaches, anyone. So I will be hoping to catch up with a few of the players after the match.”
As for catching up with Voss, he added: “I don’t think so.”
Later on a radio interview he went on to pronounce his relationship with Voss was finished.
Voss put Bradshaw up for trade pursuing Brendan Fevola and as a result of that portrayal, Bradshaw felt his affiliation with the coach and his former premiership teammate was untenable.
While Lion Michael Rischitelli or Hawk Campbell Brown had no problems moving on and overcoming being thrown into the trade mix, for Bradshaw this was enough to abscond from Brisbane and ruin a friendship.
One side of me says, get over it Daniel, football is a business and sentiment should be left at the door from the day your drafted, while the other side says how could Michael Voss be so impertinent towards a player who has given such amazing service to the football club?
It also provides a possible insight into Michael Voss.
Will his obstinacy as a coach threaten the Lions culture? Voss in many ways sold out a well-respected club great to bring in a temperamental and petulant individual.
As a player, Voss was as uncompromising, fearless and determined to succeed as any we’ve seen in the past decade.
But now as a coach, should we be questioning if his strengths on the field in fact have become his biggest weakness off it?
Maybe I’m wrong, and only time will tell if Fevola or Bradshaw was the better trade, or maybe this really is just a part of football, but listening to Bradshaw and observing the soap opera that follows Brendan Fevola around, you have to wonder if indeed character is more important than ability alone.
As it stands right now it’s hard to split them and the impact they’ve made on their respective teams.
But as we approach a new dawn in the AFL with free agency and new franchises poaching talent, fans, clubs and most importantly uncontracted players should think again when it comes to club loyalty, because, let’s be honest, it simply doesn’t exist.
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Thoughts, Crows fans?
Poor Luke had best get used to this!
A bit lucky for the Lion?
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