Callan Ward and Rhys Palmer pose after the GWS press conference to announce the new player signings for the Greater Western Sydney Giants in 2012, Breakfast Point, Sydney.
Greater Western Sydney unveiled their two biggest recruits yet when Fremantle’s Rhys Palmer and Western Bulldogs’ Callan Ward fronted the media on Wednesday as Giants players. However, rather than being a celebration, it was a press conference where the players were filled with nervous tension.
It’s easy to forget Palmer and Ward are only 22 and 21 years-old respectively, so you can understand their anxiety at fronting such a large media throng.
Their decisions to leave the clubs they were drafted by only a few years ago for a completely new franchise would have naturally been difficult calls to make.
However, the scrutiny and stigma attached to those who decide they want to take up the new challenge is something which needs to be relaxed.
Palmer and Ward’s nervous tension prior to the conference said it all.
Of course, the fact that Palmer and Ward were the first cabs off the rank in terms of joining the Giants (Adelaide’s Phil Davis hasn’t been officially announced by the Giants yet) made the occasion a bit more daunting as it attracted plenty of interest.
However, this notion of disloyalty, jumping ship and turning your back on your team-mates only for money is a bit over the top.
The players freely admitted money did play a part, but they also explained they had other reasons for making the move, such as getting out of their comfort zone.
Some people may argue that’s a token explanation but personally I don’t blame them for taking up GWS’s offer and rather congratulate them on having the mettle to make such a call and go through the arduous process.
Veterans Chad Cornes and Dean Brogan have this week been heavily rumoured to be set to link up with former Port Adelaide coach Mark Williams at the Giants and interestingly they haven’t attracted the same level of scrutiny.
That’s arguably because they’ve given their club several years’ service, whereas Ward or perhaps GWS’s other big target, Tom Scully of Melbourne, haven’t.
That’s an interesting reference point in regard to the AFL’s mooted free agency policy whereby players can move on after eight years’ service, but that’s a debate for another day.
The scrutiny, though, isn’t only external for these players, but perhaps more pertinently it involves their club mates and officials.
It was interesting to hear Ward discuss the possibility of not attending the Bulldogs’ Best and Fairest function later this year due to the way he might be received by his now former team-mates and officials.
“It’ll be interesting, I haven’t really spoken to them about whether I should actually attend the Best and Fairest or not,” he said. “I’m under the impression I should. I spent four years there, I played every game for them this year, so I’d like to go. It’ll be interesting to see how they take it.”
I hope that’s Ward just being a bit naïve, but of course he should attend the function.
Yes it is a bit unusual, but surely people at the club are mature enough to handle such a situation. If they can’t respect a player’s considered decision to move on, then that’s pretty disappointing in itself.
Experienced GWS coach Kevin Sheedy added: “I think it (players moving clubs) has been happening for awhile, every time we bring in a new franchise. When we’re trying to grow the game, we have to have an expansive mind as a group of footy fans and people who are running the clubs.”
Of course, Sheedy is going to say that, but it’s a pretty sensible attitude. And really that’s what this whole topic needs, a bit of common sense.
Lazza
Guest
The AFL won't be expanding anytime soon. The next 20 years will be spent helping the 4 teams in Rugby League land and all those struggling Melbourne and Adelaide clubs to survive. It's just as likely that the sport may ditch some clubs if it becomes too expensive and no longer viable. New Zealand would just be a financial black hole and there's only so many balls that the AFL can juggle at one time.
steve howard
Guest
alot of hawthorn players stayed even through hard times ie dunstall platter langford collins jenke pritchard to name afew
steve howard
Guest
would geelong still be in the middle of a dynasty if their players too up offers that would have come?
steve howard
Guest
would hawthorn have dominated the 70's and 80's if players moved clubs?
steve howard
Guest
what about max bailey and hawthorn?
Adam H
Guest
I'm not sure what the big deal is. Each AFL team knows they'll possibly lose a talented player to GWS. They should (AFL TEAMS) stop being so greedy and share the love. Stop putting pressure on young stars. Plus all year we've known who's going to GWS pretty much. Tom Scullys next and Phil Davis has already signed?? Although he jumped the gun and announced it a bit prematurely. Good luck GWS, Grandfinal winners in....2020. GO THE PIES!
Republican
Guest
Tim. The elite tier of our code will continue to degenerate, without a shadow of a doubt. When the almighty dollar is the main criteria in establishing goals what hope is there. The AFL are already well on the way to decimating the game beyond recognition with innovations that compromise the very essence of it's culture. One example is the relatively new obsession with appearing sudo global which will very soon see the codes branding compromised when they expand to NZ. To make this expediently disenfranchising exercise remotely viable they will appease the Kiwi contempt for all things Australian, by naming our great game something that affords NZ'ers ownership of our Indigenous code. Betting is rife as we know and 'clubs' are generic constructs in many respects, as a result of the commercial dilution of historic derivatives; and what about the chunderous guernseys now being donned by sides - in the name of what, god only knows. Our code is not immune from commercial exploitation or to put it more succinctly bastardization, in fact things are only going to get uglier from here on in.
punter
Guest
We all know footballers move from club to club, Dennis Law moved from his beloved Man United to the neighbours next door & duly scored the goal to send Man U down in the early 70s. That was his last game.
UK Steve
Guest
Lucas Neill knocked back the chance to join a top club (Liverpool) but instead went to a struggling club (West Ham) for the money. Robinho left Real Madrid for Man City and I'm pretty sure it wasn't for the weather. To Football Fan: you don’t think that soccer players moving teams is a huge issue? Seems like you have forgotten the death threats that Steven Gerrard received when it looked like he might join Chelsea. How about the balaclava clad men that showed up at Wayne Rooney’s house when he handed in a transfer request. What about the response of Barca fans when Luis Figo joined Real Madrid?
Tim
Guest
I just hope that our game never descends into the farce that is american football.
Alfred Chan
Expert
The different recruiting strategies between the Gold Coast and GWS will be very good to watch over the next few years. GC recruited to be competitive in their inaugural year by aiming for established players at their peak where as GWS's strict big money policy was only thrown at payers under 24 with considerable development to do. I think GWS will really struggle next year moreso than Gold Coast did. In the games they won, their marquee player (Gary Ablett) was fantastic. Tom Scully will be nowhere near as good as Ablett next year but the two will be making a similar amount of money. Gold Coast were also very selective in playing bigger bodies, albeit not fully matured, The like of Sam Day, Rory Thompson, Tom Lynch, Charlie Dixon and Zac Smith would have been given much more time to develop their bodies if they were drafted to any other club. GWS however are not interested in recruiting matured bodies which is why I think they will be less competitive than GC. This is also why there is so much speculation as to the compensation clubs will get for losing players to GWS, It was much easier for the AFL to rank the GC recruit because each was at the peak of their career. They weren't going to get any better. With the GWS kids, the AFL have to play god an asses how good these players will be. Obviously Melbourne and the Bulldogs will say Scully and Ward we're going to be the future captain of their clubs but this is simply to pressure the AFL, which I doubt they would subject themselves too. We must not forget Melbourne did the exact same with two year ago with Brock McClean when they dealt him to Carlton. They continually mentioned how respected he is amongst the players and was the captain in waiting. Carlton fell for this and gave up a first round pick for that Melbourne knew was an injury plagued fringe player.
TW
Guest
The GWS recruiters have indicated that up to 12 senior experienced/retired players will be picked up. The two players (Cornes and Brogan) from Adelaide will be offered very short contracts it seems. They will be linking up with their previous Port coach Mark Williams now at GWS. GWS are allowed to recruit 16 players over a two year period but appear to be approaching the move differently to the Suns. GWS Twitter was very pleased/surprised with the media turnout/cameras in Rugby inclined Canberra for the announcement of the Phil Davis signing. The AFL really do know to get the media co-operating sometimes.
Ian Whitchurch
Guest
If you dont want players to be free agents, dont let them go off contract. Melbourne played bruise-free football with Tom Scully - they could have tied a top draft pick up for more than two years, but they were weak and refused to back their scouting departments judgement and signed him on a two year deal so they didnt have to pay him if he was a spud. They were weak, they played bruise-free football, and now they are going to pay for it.
Simmo
Guest
pretty sure Kevin Sheedy may have offered the Nigerian man an international contract to demonstrate how the game's growing
IanSB
Guest
Carn the Eagles!!!
Republican
Guest
Tony They may not be privately owned but the almighty $ still dictates where their bottom line loyalty lies; has for yonks.
John Alexander
Guest
The players 'defecting' is 90% of the story. Everybody was sure that Ward was headed to GWS, so the focus of the story in the media has to be on the fallout in order to make the story interesting. Not difficult to find a few supporters of any club who are willing to call a player greedy, overrated etc.
Redb
Roar Guru
I think the limited free agency is a terrific starting point, its a fair bet that if the player is not happy the fans will be happy to see them go anyway. The true marquee players say Buddy, Hodge & Rioli for Hawthorn will be well looked after and these are the players fans of the club would hate to lose.
Kasey
Guest
I think the AFLPA are smart enough not to take the AFL to court over the structure of the league, with its artificial leveling devices such as a salary cap, a draft etc, they would be killing the goose that lays their golden egg. For this reason I do not believe the AFLPA will advocate industrial action if their dispute with the AFL continues. Someone will blink and in the end neither side gains if a season of footy is lost to strike action. Both sides appear to be in their ambit claim(in public) phase and will likely come closer over time via minor compromises. A less restricted Free Agency is a bone the AFL can throw to the PA when they deem the time is right.
Phil
Guest
I don't understand why people make such a big fuss when a player decides to change clubs. Many players have changed clubs in the past and will continue to do so in the future and it doesn't matter what sport they play.