Gold Coast coach Rodney Eade has backed Lachie Henderson’s decision to tell Carlton he wants a trade, despite AFL chief Gillon McLachlan’s strong feelings on the matter.
Henderson’s move to tell the Blues he wants out at the end of the season and their subsequent decision to immediately cut ties with the key forward has proved a contentious issue.
McLachlan made his position on the matter clear when he delivered a stinging rebuke on Friday.
“I really don’t like him saying he wants to go somewhere else (with) three rounds to go,” McLachlan told 3AW.
“It’s unnecessary, it’s undisciplined and I’ve just got no idea why people feel the need to do it, I really don’t.”
Henderson, who has been linked to a move to Geelong, said that it hadn’t been an easy decision and defended his choice to tell the club of his intentions in an effort to maintain honest communications.
Eade went through a similar scenario while he was coaching the Western Bulldogs in 2010.
It was widely believed that Jarrod Harbrow was a recruiting target for Gold Coast, then building a squad for its first season.
Harbrow did end up switching clubs at the end of the 2010 season.
“I know there were other coaches saying ‘Get rid of him straight away’, but I took the other view that the player … is contracted to the end of the year,” Eade said.
“He’s a valued member and he’ll play his year out.
“If a player told me now, ‘Oh, I want a trade’, I’d still play him, especially if they’re showing the right attitude.
“They’re contracted for 2015 so why tip them out? That’s what they’re (Carlton) doing, that’s fine, I’ve got no issue.”
Henderson also has an ally in Sydney ruckman Mike Pyke, who took to Twitter to voice his support after Brisbane sensationally told former skipper Jed Adcock there was no place for him at the club next year.
“Learnt this week that club can tell player he’s not wanted but player can’t tell club,” Pyke tweeted.
“Can’t everyone be happy with (four) weeks notice.”
Tin Man
Guest
I'm with Rocket on this one. If a player decides during the season that he going to leave at the end of the season do we ask him to lie to the club for the rest of the year. Sidenote: I really hope one of Rocket's assistants is nicknamed Groot.
Andrew
Guest
A very average team without much depth and player walkouts doesn't look like a team tanking to me Nordborg, it looks like a team not good enough to compete with the rest and as such is on the bottom. Teams like St Kilda and Bulldogs and Melbourne haven't been on the bottom due to tanking, they just weren't that good it's just Carlton's turn.
Col from Brissie
Guest
So Nordborg you think Carlton should play a player who has told them he does not want to play for them. How do you think the other players feel knowing that they would be playing alongside someone who is not committed to them? How do you think Carlton supporters would react towards a player who has said I don't want to be here. What does it say to the players in the reserves that would kill for senior selection that they don't get a game, but a player who hasn't committed to the club gets played before them. So Nordborg how do you rate the Carlton team. Is it top four, top eight or is it a bottom four side. Guess what Nordborg someone has to finish on the bottom and this year it might be Carlton, or it might be Brisbane or it might be Gold Coast but according to you the team that does end up bottom did so because they tanked not because they were the worst team.
Nordburg
Guest
Has anyone thought that this was a perfect way for Carlton to hind the fact that they are tanking? -- Comment from The Roar's iPhone app.
James Higham
Roar Rookie
AFLPA does not agree with AFL. Also, it remains to be seen what Geelong does.