If entertainment was the purpose of the AFL trade period, the line that it should be far, far shorter might hold. Because with the current, 11-day window, desperate journalists are forced to rehash the same tired stories over and over.
AFL Trade Radio replayed Tex Walker’s Tuesday morning interview with Triple M almost hourly this week, as though we might hear something new each time.
“I give full credit to Jake because he rocked up every day,” Walker said. “He bought into our program, he trained hard, he set high standards. That’s all I can ask of a player. Right to the end, he gave us all he had.
“I didn’t have a crack at him, I was pretty honest because I don’t like people leaving our footy club.”
Sounded like the same message all day to me, yet some only heard Tex’s other quote:
“It was pretty much to do with money. He said he had decided to leave the footy club and I said, ‘mate if that’s the decision you want to make two days out from losing a grand final, I think our footy club is going in the right direction’. I pretty much said to him he’s choosing money over success.”
Walker earns far less at the Crows than he would on the open market. Set to become a free agent in 2018, in June he extended his contract until the end of 2021, again for well under his market value.
The Age quoted him saying four years ago, “I’m not a big fan of free agency. I think it takes a lot of loyalty out of the game.”
Despite personally walking the talk, Tex woke on Wednesday morning to reports he was a hypocrite, a goose and a buffoon who maybe shouldn’t be captain.
[latest_videos_strip category=”afl” name=”AFL”]
But let’s reflect on what happened. Walker was asked to share what he’d said to Lever over the phone when informed the latter wanted to leave. In answering that question, the skipper aired his views on Lever’s motives. It is fair to question Walker’s judgement in being so forthright, yet no one could doubt that he was expressing his heartfelt opinion.
It is irrelevant how Jimmy Bartel chooses to define ‘success’, what matters to Walker is that his team are on a premiership journey. If it takes financial sacrifice to get there, he believes in making that sacrifice. Given this deeply held faith, Walker can only see Lever’s departure as choosing money over success.
That Melbourne may win a premiership before the Crows is not the point – Walker believes they won’t and, feeling as he does, expressing his view on the matter is not buffoonery, it’s honesty.
He did not say anything to the media that he had not said directly to Lever himself, he did not ask more of Lever than he gave of himself, and he did not say anything he did not believe to be true.
That said, Walker is a goose – for trusting the footy media to handle his forthrightness without hysteria.
Would we get such overreaction if we did not have so many AFL commentators on high alert, with Trade Radio broadcasting from dawn to dusk, along with the major sports radio shows, despite very little visible progress each day?
Glaciers move quicker and even the Socceroos look exciting compared wall-to-wall coverage of a trade-free trade day. Unsurprisingly, the news vacuum gets filled with opinion, conjecture, click bait and fake news released to sway trade debate.
Wouldn’t it be better to knock it off in three days?
Imagine the excitement, every day chock-a-block with trades! And if this were the main game and the AFL rules committee got their hands on it, no doubt we’d see a tighter schedule.
However, as much as we try and turn this into compulsory viewing, listening and reading, and as obsessed as fans are by the outcomes, the purpose of trade period remains to facilitate the transfer of players from clubs they don’t want to be at to ones they do, and from clubs that don’t need them to ones that do.
The stakes are high, affecting careers and livelihoods, families’ welfare, and teams’ competitiveness.
Trades involve contracts, medical testing, negotiations between 18 clubs spread over five states, countless players – many overseas – and their managers. Inconvenient and boring as this may be for press and fans alike, this takes time.
Should we really rush it for our own entertainment to the detriment of the process itself and the purpose it serves?
HuzzBuzz
Roar Rookie
If Channel 9's treatment of Lisa Wilkinson's departure is the benchmark - as you imply, then Adelaide's treatment of Lever is relatively mild.
Mattician6x6
Guest
Doesn't matter how it's put cat, in the eyes of Adelaide sympathisers we are all on the deliverance country level of intelligence, with irrational hatred of the AFC and pull my finger level of humour.
Pedro The Fisherman
Roar Rookie
Hopefully you don't have to wait too many years for a good laugh. Life can be sad...
Pedro The Fisherman
Roar Rookie
Pretty sure all of those half a dozen other clubs think that they are extremely close to the ultimate success. Just another Adelaide beat up on a slow news period!
Cat
Roar Guru
You're missing the point. Even if he stayed at Adelaide, he is not guaranteed any (further) success.
Daz
Roar Pro
Interestingly today in another setting Karl Stefanovic demonstrated what professionalism is when a work colleague departs suddenly. He was graceful and professional. He thanked Lisa Wilkinson for her efforts, her time. He didn't mention that she wanted more money or other reasons why she was leaving. He could have mentioned that she chose money over success (ratings wise) but he didn't. Taylor Walker should have demonstrated the same professionalism when discussing a work colleague publicly. He didn't. That is all.
stevedeanski
Roar Pro
This is a great article well done! You hit the nail on the head with this point: "That Melbourne may win a premiership before the Crows is not the point" As far as Tex is concerned, Lever walked out on the chance to sacrifice himself ($) for a crack at team success. Tex is far from a wordsmith but it is clear this is what he meant. Everyone getting caught up on bartel's comments and the fact that melbourne might be good next year is missing the point. cheers
Mattician6x6
Guest
You have made mountains out of molehills, which is the result blah blah blah does imply I am following blindly what the media tells me but your obviously a lot cleverer than me Rick. I will execute that better judgement your unable to( need to get a little self discipline may I recommend yoga, tai chi or even mindfulness as a starting point for such self reflection ) and let sleeping dogs lie.
Rick
Guest
OK Matti, it's against my better judgement but I'll try to explain. Firstly nowhere did I state or assume that you care strongly, remember you jumped on the end of my reply to someone else, so on that point you're incorrect - strike 1 Secondly you claim I isolated "one line" neglecting "all else written and that I "stated it was an obvious factual representation..." in fact my reply was to the last paragraph, not alluding to the remainder of the piece was inconsequential. I also did not state that "it was an obvious factual representation of his point of view", so again you are incorrect - strike 2 Thirdly this debunks your theory of tunnel vision and highlights your penchant for making no sense - strike 3
GJ
Guest
Any thoughts? Motlop: I really want to win a premiership, and my decision to go to @PAFC was based on that#NABTradeRadio
Mattician6x6
Guest
You are assuming I am blindly following the media and therefore unable to come to any view that is not dictated to me and then try to dictate what my motives are...ok You claim I'm not making much sense, how so Rick? You isolated one line neglecting all else written and stated it was an obvious factual representation of his POV when the statement was full of words like maybe and possibly. which shows tunnel vision you only see what you want to see. Again you assume I actually care strongly about all of this, I don't at all. You read into it what you wanted once again.
Rick
Guest
Look matti, you're not making much sense, you propose that I have tunnel vision but fail to explain how, you back up someone else without an explanation other than it suits your beliefs and you imply I barrack for Adelaide which is also wrong, being that I in fact support West Coast. You have made a mountain out of a mole hill, which is the result in wanting to believe any pathetic piece of news orchestrated by the self serving media to suit your opinion....but please stop making incorrect assertions on other writers to justify your beliefs.
Kelly Andrews
Guest
If Tex, or Adelaide, assume they are extremely close to the ultimate success then I'd say they have zero chance of actually achieving it. They are nothing more than one of many clubs in contention and when round 1 comes around in 2018 the fact they made the GF in 2017 means nothing. They will be as close to the ultimate success as half a dozen other clubs.
Mattician6x6
Guest
Wow sorry rick again I will say he did not state it as a fact unlike Adelaide and its fans who are stating lever and Cameron wishing trades are doing so for money and nothing else. It was reasoning and explanation as you jumped the gun, read what you wanted and went on the offensive with extreme tunnel vision. He stated it as a possibility, last time I checked possibility didn't mean set in stone but I guess as you tried desperately to cast me as a uneducated fool by using black and white definition without any ability to see the grey I should not be surprised. Its nice you've all clarified what I've cone to believe anyway, Adelaide fans expect to operate with a set of rules that only applies to them and if challenged try desperately to cast the supposed perpetrator of this unjust behavior as a pol pot styled despot of the highest order.
Rick
Guest
Hi Matti - firstly “maybe” is not a prefix, a prefix is a number of letters used to change the meaning of the root word. Such as un + clear = unclear, un is the prefix. Secondly your second sentence full of words to describe your reasoning - implies, unsure, maybe, possibility - I mean really!!! that’s your argument? you must jump at every shadow you see or imagine you see. Thirdly your last sentence makes no sense, yes it his point of view, who else wrote the piece and I didn’t say he stated anything as fact. Take up tai chi or yoga, it might help.
Mattician6x6
Guest
And I am simply pointing out that you need to accept all manners of delivery as each individual is different and their use of language does not need to be derided because you don't like what they are saying or how they are saying it, to pop up and reiterate with no evidence that someone is name calling is trying to get a response in a passive aggressive manner which I can only assume is for you to dress up your judgemental thinking as justified.
Basil
Guest
It is you that is assuming that I am casting judgement from my "Ivory Tower" with my "passive aggressive" approach. I am merely bringing out the point that intelligent debate can be achieved without deflecting from the argument by use of name calling, assumed titles, and character judgement. If an argument is strong, these methods do not need to be taken.
Paul D
Roar Guru
Yeah that cracked me up too. Spot on
Mattician6x6
Guest
*have been*
Mattician6x6
Guest
OK AD I will rephrase for your delicate sensibilities, Adelaide and members of its fanbase gave been acting in a overtly emotional and sulking manner that is as unbecoming on adults as it is on children going through the maturation stage colloquially known as the terrible twos. I hope that clarifies in a more seemly manner for you all.