Kangaroos approve Laidley deal

[rooboy_90]

Kangaroos approve Laidley deal

Michael Gleeson | October 11, 2007



THE embarrassing farce that was the process of re-contracting Dean Laidley to the Kangaroos will be resolved as early as today after the Roos board last night finally approved a new two-year contract.


The contract offer to the board came after a lengthy meeting between Laidley and AFL chief executive Andrew Demetriou yesterday, in which the out-of-contract coach wanted assurances from the league of its commitment to the Roos and its position on the club's future.


Demetriou is understood to have assured him that the AFL was supportive of the Roos and the pair discussed the possible relocation to the Gold Coast at length.


The meeting came about at Laidley's instigation. The AFL is in a rare situation of control with the Roos, given the financial stake it has in the club with significant annual funding.



"He wanted to get some comfort about the direction in which his club was heading and he wanted to know where the AFL stood in terms of their support for the Kangaroos," Demetriou said.



"It was just a general chat, which we have done several times in the past."


The Kangaroos confirmed the board last night agreed to a contract offer on terms that had been negotiated with Laidley's manager, Ricky Nixon. The club returned a copy of the contract to Nixon last night and it is now expected to be signed before Laidley leaves for holidays at the end of the week.


The contract the board approved was a straight two-year deal not conditional on the club playing finals in order for the second year to be activated, although there are incentives built in.


The contract includes an agreement that the club makes an assurance in the middle of next year of its planned salary-cap spend for 2009. Further in mid-2009, the second and final year of this contract, Laidley wants a clear indication of the club's interest in re-signing him to a new deal to avoid a repeat of this year's messy handling.


Roos chief executive Rick Aylett told The Age this week the club had made a commitment to increase its spending in the salary cap and its resourcing of the football department over the next two years. The Age understands there will be at least another $500,000 spent in the football budget in the next year.


Laidley has fielded offers recently of senior assistant coaching roles at Carlton and at least one interstate club, believed to be the Brisbane Lions, should the contract talks with the Roos falter.


Should the contract be signed, and given the way negotiations have been conducted that is no guarantee, it will end a protracted process that has embarrassed the club and the coach.
--------------------------------------

Think this needed its own thread. Look at the bolded section.

 

[Event Horizon]

The meeting came about at Laidley's instigation. The AFL is in a rare situation of control with the Roos, given the financial stake it has in the club with significant annual funding.



"He wanted to get some comfort about the direction in which his club was heading and he wanted to know where the AFL stood in terms of their support for the Kangaroos," Demetriou said.

This is the most embarassing thing I've read this week.
So to get assurances about the direction of the North Melbourne Football Club, Laidley went to Demetriou. Let me clarify this - he did not go to the president, CEO or any other member of our administration - he went to Demetriou.

I am tempted to firebomb the club now, without even bothering to wait for the end of the whole relocation saga. These clowns have brought the club to its knees. This proud fighting club. I have no hesitation in calling them (the board) clowns as that's being kind to them.

 

[Holycrap]

Kangaroos approve Laidley deal

Michael Gleeson | October 11, 2007


......Should the contract be signed, and given the way negotiations have been conducted that is no guarantee, it will end a protracted process that has embarrassed the club and the coach.

Embarrassed the club and coach? Both friggin parties need to pull there friggin heads in .... l'd friggin say it's the most amateurishly negotiations that any modern club has ever done....worst than the Pagan-Blues saga.

Signing up new members...the friggin AFL don't give a damn whats going on cos they have an each bet regardless of the outcome yet, these clowns have absolutely confirmed to the football world how divided the North Melbourne Football Club (Not the ****in Kangaroos Football Club) has become....coach who defied all expectations yet won't sign him? A coach that wants his footy department to be at least on a level playing field with the the other 10 teams in Melbourne, yet they stall?

How the friggin hell are we to attract players and sponsors when the both these parties have aired their dirty laundry in friggin public with the likes of Caro having a friggin field day!!!

Utterly pissed off because these dik heads are buying a ticket to GC.

F@rkin interest of the NMFC...whose friggin interest is it Rick?

I'd rather the club fold in Melbourne rather than relocate to the GC under a friggin different name and new friggin identity...f@rkin GC can get their own friggin name.

While l'm at this rant....Golden Greek...u friggin played for this club and the blood of this wonderful club will be on your hands - malaka!

 

[The Other Dean]

While l'm at this rant....Golden Greek...u friggin played for this club and the blood of this wonderful club will be on your hands - malaka!

Are they those sticky sweets ? Oh hang on, that's baklava. Sorry, carry on.

Love the passion in your post, Holycrap. Glad to see you're living up to your name there. That's some colourful use of the English language. And I agree with a few things you said, as well. Our current administration seems to go out of its way to consistently provide worst-case scenarios and generally mishandle any important, club-affecting decision. (Apparently they're great at ordering lunch at The Lobster Pot though. So that's something.)

But sadly, our current board's bungling seems innate, and it has reached dangerously serial proportions. (If it hadn't reached them already.) Debacles like this simply leave us wide open, yet again, for a media head-kicking, and for the AFL to tighten the screws just a little further.

I swear, I hope we're leveraging off this ability to provide such easy cannon fodder by pursuing Target for a sponsorship deal next year. Their logo would look quite appropriate on a North guernsey right about now.