As I mentioned earlier, this feels different RE: Rankine, this isn't a young player leaving cause the environment is awful or there is no hope at the Suns. He is leaving because a massive bag of money has been put infront of him that is too good to turn down.
I don't think too many rational people think that Rankine leaving is a sign the Suns are in trouble again, there is enough nuance to understand the differences between Lynch/May wanting out, and Rankine leaving for a payday.
Think it's both. Hope it's OK to post here.
Just my 2c worth in all of this.......We've had more players , and I mean top players, prized out of our club, than any of the other 17 AFL clubs since GC and GWS came in. Imagine how we felt, going through this time after time, in Danger's case, a future Brownlow medallist, over a couple of years of speculation, massive media speculation.....it was ****ing unbearable, for ages. Bock was AA when your club offered him massive cash to leave, he was a massive loss. That was really bloody painful, losing him. Then don't forget Kurt Tippet, Jake Lever (premiership player), Jack Gunston (multiple premiership player), Alex Keath, Phil Davis (Captain and AA player, and grand finalist), Charlie Cameron (bona fide star), Hugh Greenwood, Jarrod Lyons, Brad Crouch (former club champion), the list goes on and on.......... So we know your pain in this more than anyone.
Reality is, that Rankine isn't sounding like leaving the Suns due to poor culture or anything like that. I'm really happy your club looks to be really getting it together. And he clearly likes it there. But he has been a die-hard crows supporter for his whole life. That's not just made up. He trained with us before he was drafted, for a reason. He ****ing loves the crows and it seems now like he's ready to play for us. He instructed his manager to not even take any calls from Port Adelaide, according to Rucci. That's a clear message. There's a reason he has always been touted as coming home, it's because he loves it here. And none of you actually know the realities of his family situation, regardless of the slamming comments I've read on this board. But he obviously wants to be near them, as do many other AFL players, like Dangerfield and Gunston said to us when they left. I've read all of this board's pain over him possibly leaving, and I bloody feel for you all. Our club is doing its darndest to get him while it's still possible. Is it overpaying? Of course. Because that's what you have to do to get the players you really want. Compared to the dozen or more who have recently left us, he's one guy we can actually see as a strong chance to get back. It sucks when you are the target club. But it's not uncommon in AFL these days and as we have had to do so many times, it's beyond any of our control, so you re-set, and move on. We've had to do it endlessly, and we then actually made a GF in the process.
I have no doubt he really likes the gold coast and I'm sure he's very much torn. So time will tell, over the next few weeks, as to what he decides.