I am writing this full of raw emotion. As a long-time and passionate Adelaide Crows supporter, I am devastated by Phil Davis’ decision to leave the club and commit to the Greater Western Sydney Giants.
That’s the short response to the news that will have Crows’ fans gasping and lost for words over the next few days as the news sets in. I’m afraid the long response doesn’t get any more positive than this.
When Phil was drafted with pick ten in 2008, the move was billed as a masterstroke and an absolute drafting coup by Matt Rendell, Adelaide’s head man in drafting and recruiting.
The tall, athletic and footy wise key position player from North Adelaide (the team I follow in the SANFL- that’s right, twice bitten!) was overlooked by other clubs under injury concerns, unrelated largely to the ailments that have left him sidelined for the better part of this season.
He loomed as the perfect replacement when Nathan Bock (in a seemingly trend starting move) announced his defection to the Gold Coast Suns, and was described as our biggest hope in the backlines.
He won nomination for the rising star award, some might say belatedly, after shutting Cameron Mooney out of the Crows inspiring win against Geelong at AAMI Stadium last year, and quickly earned more respect with a no-compromise nature to defending, shutting much older and experienced players out of games, and showing his guts when, while backing up for a mark against Fremantle, ran afoul of the man mountain Sandilands and was concussed (fairly and without malicious I might add).
The name now leaves a bitter taste in my mouth, and leaves my head and heart divided.
With my Crows’ fans cap on, I say the boy is chasing cash and fleeing hard times. GWS will give him a longer contract, bigger pay-pack and the chance to be coached by two of the games greats.
He’ll also reach his prime and maturity at the same time his new club is looking finals bound. Funnily enough, I say the same thing with my rational footy commentator hat on, and it’s all small comfort.
Depending on how you approach his decision and with which hat you wear, the reasons are either completely sane or responsible for a young up and coming star of the comp, or a despicable and lowly act.
Unfortunately, I don’t see my emotions being reconciled anytime soon.
Perhaps the worst thing about the news is the fact that it came almost totally from thin air. I had heard a rumour – and I say one rumour, from one source – but never believed it. Perhaps I have been so caught up with an imagined future without Taylor Walker that I was blinded to the potential of another young star being lured to the Greater West.
But now, I will close with my commentator cap on. Good luck, Phil. GWS will give you a long-term contract, give you a prestigious role as a young leader at the club, a permanent role at either full or centre half back, and a healthy retirement fund.
Just some friendly advise: don’t leave your car parked at West Lakes when you come over in the future. Crows’ fans have long memories, and have been scorned already by some expansionist upstart club.
Don’t expect a pleasant homecoming.
Nathan of Perth
Guest
Natch
Republican
Guest
Nathan of Perth. Not unlike Perth really.
Nathan of Perth
Guest
How someone could bring themselves to leave a place as wonderful as Radelaide I will never understand.
Republican
Guest
amazonfan The 'disloyalty' is driven by the insatiable desire for more of the almighty dollar, culture symbiotically shared by orgs, clubs, players, media and supporters. All I am saying is that there exist alternatives for those i.e. myself who do not want to buy into this sort of culture that flies in the face of true sporting values. If loyalty is something that is bought and sold then there is little point in deluding oneself that tribalism is anything more than a commercial construct. If thats your thing far be it from me to judge. You may like to justify a players disloyalty, based on a clubs unyielding to their demands for what is always more money however this hardly constitutes loyalty no matter how you pitch it.
amazonfan
Roar Guru
The problem is that when discussing loyalty, it tends to be a one-way street. Clubs are often disloyal to their players & coaches, so why should players be loyal to clubs? I don't blame Davis for leaving, not when "GWS will give him a longer contract, bigger pay-pack and the chance to be coached by two of the games greats... he’ll also reach his prime and maturity at the same time his new club is looking finals bound." If fans insist on Davis turning down such an extraordinary offer, even if they would have accepted such an offer in their own line of work, then they should be furious when clubs sack long-serving coaches, premiership players are traded, loyal servants are discarded or offered as trade bait, and clubs treat loyalty as a one-way street.
Republican
Guest
The question we need to ask ourselves is whether or not we espouse to this lack of loyalty in sport. There are many who clearly don't care and are more than happy with the illusion that is created by the commercial engineers of elite sporting brands. Third party payments are nothing new, the Force in WA getting a slap on the wrist for their indiscretions to be sustainable in a non Union demographic and now the Melbourne Rebs. They have been given the ARU's blessing to go off shore to recruit as well as pillage from the local Union states of Qld, NSW and the ACT with the help of Melbourne's corporate muscle no doubt. So who would support this sort of farce that is only melbourne by name, plenty it would seem. You either accept it is a business as do those of Ian Whitechurches persuasion by brushing up on such crucial elements as 'enterprise bargaining'' or turn your back on elite tiers that have naught to do with tribalism in reality, despite the best efforts of those commercial engineers that prey on the prosaic, by supporting those leagues of a more modest amateur status.
mds1970
Roar Guru
I agree. Not wanting a player to leave your club is reasonable, but threatening to damage his property is not on.
Oli Y
Guest
Woah, threatening his car because he just went where the money is? Sure, boo the lad when he comes back to West Lakes but seriously? This is professional sport, the kid's going to go where he's going to earn the most money in his max 15 year career. I never understand AFL fans and their UTTER over-reactions about players transferring between clubs, It's not a "despicable act", he's not dishonored your first born, he's not cast a plague on your house. He's just left to find a better job with better pay. It's not show-friends, it's show-business. You should learn something from football, players come and players go, the club is always bigger.
mds1970
Roar Guru
Two years is the standard contract. But Davis has announced that, with his contract about to expire, he won't be signing a new contract. Under the AFL rules, he can't actually sign with GWS until Adelaide's season is over, and he's still a contracted Adelaide player until they've played their last game. Players can sign contracts to extend their term at their current club before the old contract expires, but they can't sign with a new club. But what he can do, and what he has done, is announced his intention to sign for GWS and give notice to Adelaide that he won't be re-signing with them.
mds1970
Roar Guru
When new clubs start up, they will try to sign up experienced players. You're never going to go in with a full list of debutants. Adelaide, when they started up in 1991, signed up Bruce Lindner from Geelong, Tony McGuinness from Footscray, Mark Mickan from Brisbane, Grantley Fielke from Collingwood and others.
Walt
Guest
If there is a silver lining, the GWS can only take one player from each club, and that player wont be Taylor Walker.
Matt F
Guest
2 years is only the minimum contract length for a draftee, however it's very rare for clubs to sign draftees up for longer as it's a big risk for the club if the kid doesn't work out and, if the kid is a star, he won't be earning as much in the 3rd year as he would have if he re-negotiated after 2 years. Having said that, the only reason GC and GWS are allowed to do this is because Adelaide, along with all the other clubs, agreed to these terms so they only have themselves to blame. As for Phil Davis, I'd imagine a fair few of his (now-ex) teammates would be wishing they got the offe instead, along with most players in the comp, as it's almost impossible to turn down that kind of cash. As annoyed as i would be if this were a Swans player you can't blame anyone for accepting that kind of offer
Ian Whitchurch
Guest
Mattay, Go read the Certified Bargaining Agreement - it says the *minimum* length of a draftee's contract is two years. Now, AFL contracts are, well, contracts and therefore guaranteed, so you need to take a punt that the kid isnt a spud. On the other hand, he could safely have been extended when it was clear he was the replacement for Bock. He wasnt. You hear a lot about a player needing to show commitment to the contest - just like Melbourne with Jack Watts, Adelaide didnt show commitment, and now they are going to pay the price for being second to the contest.
Mattay
Guest
All draftees sign a standard 2-year contract.
Ian Whitchurch
Guest
If the kid was that good, why the heck was he on a short rent-a-player contract that let him become a free agent ? If you dont want your good kids to leave, dont let them become free agents.
tigerland
Guest
Crows in for some more hard times. If scully leaves Melbourne they will be too. I can't see the AFL's reasoning in allowing the best young players from weak and rebuilding clubs to leave to GWS and condemn their former sides to 5 more years of cellar dwelling and creating a larger gap between top 4 and bottom 4. I predict next year the teams in the top 4 will probably lose 6 games collectively and the bottom 4 will only win 6 together. Surely it would be fairer if only teams in the top 8 were vulnerable to poaching.