Departing players and Best n Fairests

[Gavin Excell]

Been some interesting examples last few days of players leaving under Free Agency and how that's played out at BnFs.

Obviously these can be sensitive occasions and each players circumstance is different.

We've seen Barrass acknowledge this sensitivity but then use the ocassion at the Eagles BnF to acknowledge all the support he received at the club and the bonds he has formed with the playing group and in doing so, probably going a long way to ensuring an amicable departure.

Then we've seen St Kilda take a different approach and ban Battle from actually attending the awards night. They would have their reasons and possibly Battle may not have been upfront about his intentions. But even still in this day of Free Agency you wonder if clubs should try and acknowledge the contributions of all their employees.

And then at Richmond where the departing Baker and Bolton give underwhelming speeches at the Jack Dyer. I get not everyone is an orator but you'd think they'd sense the significance of the moment and at least make the effort to prepare a speech to show their appreciation for what the club has offered them.

At the end of the day, football clubs are organisations and players employees. How they handle departures is probably no better or worse than in some of the workplaces I've been at.

 

[captain blood 17]

Nice troll. Reality is not everyone is comfortable with public speaking. I mean look at Scotts pressers at Geelong. Awkward, arrogant at times, but I'm sure he's a heck of a guy behind the scenes.

 

[threesixpio]

For me the maturity lies more with a club than a player.

Imagine leaving a job after a few years and everyone saying get farked traitor. It’s pretty silly

 

[Gavin Excell]

Nice troll. Reality is not everyone is comfortable with public speaking. I mean look at Scotts pressers at Geelong. Awkward, arrogant at times, but I'm sure he's a heck of a guy behind the scenes.

Agree -as acknowledged above.

It's not everyone's cup of tea. At the same time you can prepare if it's important. They have player managers etc.

At least Richmond encouraged them to attend and acknowledged their contribution.

 

[iameviljez]

Then we've seen St Kilda take a different approach and ban Battle from actually attending the awards night. They would have their reasons and possibly Battle may not have been upfront about his intentions. But even still in this day of Free Agency you wonder if clubs should try and acknowledge the contributions of all their employees.

This is stupidly churlish. Battle has played his heart out for the club, he's played out every contract he has signed, he's exercising a right that he has to change employers. Besides, even if he wasn't "upfront", there's a culture in the AFL of pressuring players to hide their intention to change, and StKilda should be the bigger player in this.

Best and Fairests exist to celebrate player contributions in the year that has been, of which he made plenty. It's not exactly a season launch.

It's also enormously hypocritical. StKilda didn't have any problem whatsoever with the loyalty of Brad Hill, Tim Membrey, Jack Steele, Jack Higgins etc. If Harley Reid announced tomorrow that he wanted to come to StKilda, they'd piss the bed with excitement.

Battle shouldn't have just been invited, he should have been welcomed.

 

[iameviljez]

Additionally, if I were a player considering leaving my own club, it would really put me off joining StKilda.

 

[MarcMaverick]

You invite them regardless. They have given their years to your footy club. I get that its awkward but that's sports, players leave. It'll give your club a good reference too.

 

[captain blood 17]

Agree -as acknowledged above.

It's not everyone's cup of tea. At the same time you can prepare if it's important. They have player managers etc.

At least Richmond encouraged them to attend and acknowledged their contribution.

I think every year there would be an awkwardness at any club. Blokes attending who aren’t getting a contract renewal, players leaving/retiring all that stuff.
After a 2 win season you’d have to expect it being a little flat.
Just imagine if they were acting like rockstars. Would be even worse.
And i really didn’t like the way the Saints conducted themselves.

 

[MarcMaverick]

Like here's the thing, we as supporters can have a whole myriad of emotions ranging from ecstatic to dejected regarding player movements.
As administrators, though, you have to be mature enough to invite them.

 

[bergholt]

For me the maturity lies more with a club than a player.

Imagine leaving a job after a few years and everyone saying get farked traitor. It’s pretty silly

It's not about the other players or staff. They're all employees, they know the situation. Of course they know people leave for better pay or conditions elsewhere.

It's about the members. They're the ones who'll still be here in 20 years when literally no players or staff are left.

Have you ever noticed a player get booed because they left the club on bad terms? They're still mates with everyone internally, but the members hate them.

The B&F is predominantly an occasion for rank and file members, one of the only times they get to come into the club and rub shoulders with the players - if they shell out enough dough. So I can totally understand why it makes sense to not have a departing player rub the members' faces in it.

 

[iameviljez]

At least Richmond encouraged them to attend and acknowledged their contribution.

While the president had a pissy fit and got all passive aggressive about them.

Didn't seem to have such an issue when it was Dion Prestia, Tom Lynch, Tim Taranto, Josh Caddy and Jacob Hopper, funny enough.

 

[iameviljez]

Have you ever noticed a player get booed because they left the club on bad terms? They're still mates with everyone internally, but the members hate them.

I think the average footy supporter has honestly come to terms with modern player mobility - especially now that we are in a situation where players have no choice as to where they are initially drafted. It's not like when Leigh Colbert left Geelong twenty five years ago and got booed every time he came back to play us.

 

[JayJ20]

The B&F is a celebration and recognition of player achievements that year. Last time I checked, Battle was a St Kilda player for the 2024 season. Immature of the club to not allow him to attend an event dedicated to the 2024 season of which he was a part of.

 

[MarcMaverick]

The B&F is a celebration and recognition of player achievements that year. Last time I checked, Battle was a St Kilda player for the 2024 season. Immature of the club to not allow him to attend an event dedicated to the 2024 season of which he was a part of.

And why he was courted by a number of clubs because he is that good. The Saints are lucky to have him play and play well over his time there. And to treat him less than refuse is a blight on the club, that'll spook players, of any calibre, from going to St. Kilda.