Confirmed: Mitch Clark to Melbourne

[JuDDysthacaptain]

melbournefc Clark has agreed to terms on a four year contract with the club. More details to follow in the morning.


From: MFC Twitter



Complete backflip!

 

[mysainters]

Not sure why Freo needed him anyway.

Makes you wonder if Brisbane will make a really big play for Tippett now with that pick.

 

[PykeDream]

That's right on midnight in the Eastern States right? Jesus that's a huge backflip. I think this is a good thing for both Freo and Melbourne. Not for us though - chances of Tippett leaving have just doubled with Brisbane's new draft pick currency - particularly seeing as this deal has been confirmed before it was expected to - leaves Brisbane nearly two days to negotiate with us.

 

[juzz_e]

Wow. He is going to risk being a massive whipping boy on that kind of money you'd think.

 

[Angelus]

Scwabbolly strike again.

Fremantle officials are saying that the offer made by Melbourne for Clark would have make him the highest paid player at the club. More than Sandilands or Pavlich.....

 

[cryptor]

Didn't he say just the other day that he had no interest in anything but returning back to play for a team in WA? What'd I miss??

 

[wadeallday]

Can someone say... Karma?

 

[BadSeed]

Gee Whiz, I guess there was no way they could match the offer, but surely the big thing about family and ONLY freo, not West Coast would have had him going straight to Freo?

One has to wonder how low the terms were Freo offered him, I mean maybe 100-200k over 4 years isnt a big gap, but must of been a large gap to have him completely change his mind and go to Victoria. I thought the WHOLE reason he was leaving was to get to Perth?...

Strange choice, though he did seem over the whole deal, maybe he felt Freo didn't value him enough if they werent prepared to get a deal done early? Save him the hassle of a million questions daily? Maybe it has to do with Ross Lyon taking over? Who knows.

And surely Freo can't be too pleased if he aggreed to realease that press release stating FREO ONLY then one day later change his mind????

 

[ndot]

pretty embarrassing for fremantle

 

[Eth]

Didn't he say just the other day that he had no interest in anything but returning back to play for a team in WA? What'd I miss??

About $800k a season, probably.

Fremantle stated that if they were to match Melbourne's offer he would be their highest paid player - ahead of Sandilands and Pavlich. I'd think they'd be on $800k each as well.

 

[rgauci]

The rumour was Freo offered about 1.5 mill over 3 years. A very sustantial offer. Melbourne first offered 2.1 mill over 4 years. Given the offer he initially chose to stay with the Fremantle deal.

Melbourne offered a revised deal, obviously more which made him change his mind. Either way, it's a freaken lot.

 

[JonoNash]

He's on more money than Travis Cloke.

 

[Poseidon]

Another seemingly desperate club paying overs for an above average to good player.
Good luck to Clark.

 

[Eth]

He's on more money than Travis Cloke.

Mind you, Cloke could earn over $1 million a year if he were playing for a bottom side.

 

[dumb]

homesick, or just wanted to get out of bris?

 

[Football Pope]

Didn't he say just the other day that he had no interest in anything but returning back to play for a team in WA? What'd I miss??

Threatening the draft..then realising 24 hours later Melbourne could use their picks prior to Freo in both drafts no matter what $'s he nominated.... Then it dawned on him, with that amount of money he can move the whole family to Melbourne.

 

[Truckosaurus]

Wow, Freo just can't catch a break in 2011.

 

[Rod Stroker]

Another seemingly desperate club paying overs for an above average to good player.

Agree. Dees have indeed over paid.
And if they reckon he's the answer to their forward problems then he's going to struggle against the best defender each week.

 

[summerthebat]

pretty embarrassing for fremantle

How so?

Every player has his value, are you saying Melbourne paid the right price for Mitch Clarke?

 

[BABYBOMBERS2007]

Good on Clark So much for wanting to go home - I suppose he just wanted to get out of Brisbane and/or get more money. Though Brisbane surely had good money for him. So I guess he just didn't want to play for Brisbane.

 

[westoz_surfer]

hahaha ...big fail for Freo !!

They should have got this deal nailed in the first couple of days....

Instead it went on and on and on and on..... and his price went up as another suiter smelt an opportunity....

 

[The Speaker]

hahaha ...big fail for Freo !!

Yep, massive fail, they get to use two first round draft picks. How silly of them.

 

[GFC123]

Massive change of heart from Clarke. But to all who are saying it's for the $$$, Clarke didn't want Fremantle to miss out on getting him then having to go in to the pre-season draft to get picked up by most likely GWS, who he doesn't want to play for. Obviously Freo couldn't offer Brisbane what they wanted and couldn't match Melbourne's offer as they have said they were not willing to make Clarke their highest paid player, which is very understandable. Clarke obviously didn't want to stay at Brisbane so really his only move was to Melbourne, or entering the pre-season draft which like i said before he didn't want to do.

 

[wadeallday]

Yep, massive fail, they get to use two first round draft picks. How silly of them.

Because 16 and 20 picks are sure things...

 

[Rob]

Pretty happy with the outcome to be honest. Clark isn't a $500k a year player, let alone an $800k a year player, and I was getting nervous that we'd blow both our top 20 picks on him.
Would have been a good trade on our terms, but clearly Melbourne see something in him that I don't. Or it's just the Schwabolly connection doing what it does.