On August 7, 2019, Adam Treloar discussed in a very raw way both his battle with anxiety and love for the club he chose to join from Greater Western Sydney.
“If it wasn’t for them guys, the love and support from my teammates (I would have stopped playing). I love those guys,” he said on AFL 360.
“I love the Collingwood Football Club, I’m always going to be a black and white man. I absolutely love the place — still have my struggles — but from where I am 12 months ago, I am that far ahead.”
Heart on your sleeve stuff with Adam.
Just over 12 months later, Collingwood’s ultimately indifferent and unfulfilling 2020 season has taken an ugly exclamation point in regard to its treatment of the star midfielder.
Treloar’s wife, Kim Ravaillion, and daughter are set to relocate to Queensland for 2021 as Kim has taken up an offer for contract with the Firebirds in the Super Netball competition.
While Teloar says he is happy to work through the logistics of this and has no intention of leaving the Pies, the trade chats suggest Treloar has played his last game for the club.
With widespread media speculation Treloar is being shopped around as a ‘salary dump’ to all bidders, the silence from the Magpies has been deafening.
If the club wants to keep Treloar, where is the statement? It would be simple: “The Collingwood Football Club will not be entertaining any trade options on Adam Treloar, who is contracted to the club until 2025.”
But no, there is nothing to be heard.
This club is hardly quiet in regard to public statements and weekly marketing videos posted on their website speaking of the love and care for each other. A real happy place to scrape into the eight, maybe, but still a happy place.
Coach Nathan Buckley speaks of this love and care constantly and so do the players. Eddie McGuire calls it singing ‘Kumbaya’ with feelings of love and unity.
Collingwood president Eddie McGuire. (Photo by Quinn Rooney/Getty Images)
Ironically, it was Buckley who helped Treloar choose Collingwood over Richmond in the first place.
Treloar has a long-term relationship with Buckley through the AIS prior to choosing the Pies over the Tigers and making the gaffe that Collingwood had a better list. Ouch.
Three flags later, Adam might be sitting on a wing for the Tigers with a trio of premiership medallions instead of facing being ‘salary dumped’ with zero premierships.
This story has the potential to become yet another PR disaster for Collingwood in a year to forget. For a player who loves the Pies, happened to lead the disposal count last season, was top ten in both stoppage clearance and contested possessions, and is signed through to 2025, what on Earth is going on?
What will the playing group think? What does a contract at the Pies mean? The club has carefully tried to emulate the success of Richmond by creating a happy environment for the playing group and got close with that focus in 2018.
This apparent mismanagement of both salary cap and player could tear it all down in a heartbeat. If the worst of the speculation is true, Collingwood could be headed for disaster in a year when Nathan Buckley is on notice.
Has list manager Ned Guy missed a column on his spreadsheet and overspent? Where is the love and care now? Where’s the touchy-feely video marketing team? Where is a club statement?
Why don’t members know what is going on? Hello? McGuire? Knock, knock. Is anyone there?
Michael
Guest
I have been a Collingwood supporter all my life i have loved Adam trealor he was in my top 3 favourite players i am so upset i might just go for bulldogs if Nathan Buckley ever reads this i hope he really realisers how much Collingwood supporters love Adam trealor i hope we can get him back in 2022 i am writing this crying
Steve Richmond
Guest
Poor Treloar, he will be remembered for saying he was going to Collingwood in 2016 instead of Richmond because he wanted to win premierships????????
Damian White
Guest
What does a player’s popularity have to do with a clubs want to trade them? A contract is only a guarantee of money, not who the player will be playing for or receiving the money from. Whatever noise is happening on social media should not influence a clubs actions in any way.
Peter the Scribe
Roar Guru
At least the lawsuit isn’t in the cap!
Peter the Scribe
Roar Guru
I think the trouble Philby is how many times can you keep extending and back loading? Current contract takes him to 32 and all the fat is coming now. Treloar took a restructure to fit in the disastrous Dayne Beams return of the prodigal son. Apart from making his final year at 32 $2million, what else can they do now?
Peter the Scribe
Roar Guru
So says Sam Edmund Col. Buckley has refuted it. I’m over it tbh. Whatever is the truth it’s been poorly handled. I submitted my Treloar article last Monday because I was already furious (editors kept it a few days) and here we are a week later and it’s worse.
Col from Brissie
Roar Guru
Pete, just read that Buckley has told Treloar that the senior players don’t want him at the club. Obviously not as popular as you said.
Peter the Scribe
Roar Guru
Damian, the club are getting smashed in social media forums for both the silence on the Treloar situation and now the rumours of Rising Star Jaidyn Stephenson being put on the table, a player the club chose ahead of Aaron Naughton. Treloar and Stephenson are very popular players and the Treloar situation is compounded by his much acknowledged mental health issues. Treloar has also only recently signed for 5 years so this is different to putting Tom Phillips on the trade table.
Peter the Scribe
Roar Guru
Michael, by now you would also have heard the rumour of the club trading Jaidyn Stephenson?
Philby
Guest
Yes...good article from a true supporter - it must have been tough to write. What stands out to me, despite the club's silence, is that this salary squeeze is quite major - and someone has seriously stuffed up the spreadsheet. I wonder too, if options other than having a loyal player out to dry have been canvassed? If he really wants to stay, are renegotiated terms possible - with a later years backloading, for example?
Peter the Scribe
Roar Guru
Magpie Greg, are you basically saying because his partner is earning way less money than Adam, she should do the right thing and defer to her man and let him pursue his dreams while she puts her own interests second? I thought that sort of cave man philosophy died out a long time ago. She has reasons for wanting to play in Qld not money related. Adam is one of the most professional players at the club and it’s a 2 hour flight. https://www.google.com.au/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=&ved=2ahUKEwiLtbHk99_sAhXIzTgGHfWPByEQxfQBMAB6BAgDEAM&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.smh.com.au%2Fsport%2Fnetball%2Fyou-have-to-meet-me-halfway-kim-ravaillion-and-adam-treloar-content-with-netball-comeback-in-queensland-20201030-p56a6p.html&usg=AOvVaw2JCjC3sK9kQbfe5HV-sDvN
Peter the Scribe
Roar Guru
Michael, the club appears to be trying to be everything at once and even McGuire stated this year “it’s not all about premierships”.
Damian White
Guest
Dusty is just about the most damaging kick in the game, Treloar is probably the worst of the elite mids. Chalk & cheese.
Damian White
Guest
What a rubbish article. Contracted players get traded or ask to be traded every year. Collingwood, like every other club, make list list management decisions based on the information at the time. Things change from season to season. It’s a professional sport and players realise that they can be delisted, trades etc. Why would the club need to make a statement when we have informed Adam of our intentions?
Michael from Tootgarook
Guest
Yes unfortunately it does. The McGuire/ Buckley regime is in firm control. We will have several more years of failure until change is able to take place. The egos involved won’t let them to accept responsibility for the last 9 years of failure and do the decent thing and leave.The treatment of Adam Treloar is just a symptom of our malaise and as a long time Collingwood supporter I am sad at what our club has become. At best we are a poor imitation of corporate Carlton - this is not us.
2dogz
Roar Rookie
Elaborate please Greg? A thousand miles?
Magpie Greg
Guest
If his partner has put her $100K a year career ahead of AT's $900K a year career then that is a decision Treloar made whether directly or indirectly. She could have played netball in Melbourne but instead chose to go to QLD which we know will affect AT's ability to focus on his football which is understandable. There is a lot more to the background of this and the club is keeping quiet about for a number of reasons. This article misses the mark by a thousand miles.
Peter the Scribe
Roar Guru
Could Craig Kelly challenge Eddie?
Peter the Scribe
Roar Guru
I think maybe that means the club is after draft picks for Logan McDonald
Peter the Scribe
Roar Guru
Robbie he was a pretty young kid when he made the gaffe about the Pies better list. He had just decided on the Pies then.