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I’ve been thinking a lot about Paul Chapman’s the stellar start to the season at Essendon. I am a big fan of Paul Chapman. I am an even bigger fan of Geelong. It both stings and pleases me to see him do so well at the Bombers.
I really do wish the man well. I know he desperately wanted to stay at the Cats. The man bled Geelong – probably still does, and probably will for the rest of his life.
It is just bizarre to watch him in an Essendon strip and makes me wonder whether he really should be wearing anything other than a Geelong strip.
What does a player need to do before he earns the right to make decisions on his career, or be placed in a category where he has more say than the coach? Is that ever possible?
Look at Chapman’s record with Geelong: 250 games, triple premiership player, leadership group, Norm Smith medallist in 2009 and did everything but win the Norm Smith medal in 2007. A proven big-game player and has scored bags of finals goals. Geelong best and fairest to boot.
Has there ever been a 250-game, triple-premiership player, Norm Smith medallist, club champion who was told by his team he wasn’t part of future plans and was actually asked to leave?
I can possibly think of one: Jason Akermanis. But he was a prat, and his ego forced the coaching staff to dump him. And Akermanis wanted to go, so he doesn’t really count.
Chapman plainly did not want to go and was by all accounts devastated.
How could a proven and loyal performer be cast out from the team? Yes, Geelong are deliberately regenerating, but surely you would need the experienced hands to foster a better transition.
Why is it that players can be vilified for disloyalty to a club (see Tom Scully) but a club escapes criticism for being disloyal to the player? Make no mistake, Geelong were disloyal to Chapman.
Chapman’s form at the moment proves he still had one good season left in him, and would easily have performed better than the young brigade.
A player of Chapman’s stature should be allowed to choose the manner he exits a club he has bled for. It’s not like he coasted through 250 games.
Maybe the AFL can come up with a salary cap exemption to those who have played, for example, 200-250 games at one club so that they can finish off their career with them? The AFL seems to value the idea of one-club players, surely this would be a way of guaranteeing that.
Could you imagine Collingwood doing that to Nathan Buckley when he played? Or Adelaide to Andrew McLeod? Or Brisbane to Michael Voss? The list is endless. Clubs just don’t let ‘sons’ go.
Am I being too sentimental? Was Geelong right to move Chapman on? I’m interested to hear your thoughts.
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