THe Crows and their Contracts

[SA Tricolours]

Both Hudson and Welsh will be 29 next year, both had off-field problems this year, they both pushed for longer contracts than what they were worth, the only team interested in them was the Western Bulldogs.
So no great loss.
It is purely a reflection of players looking after themselves so good luck to them if that's what they want.
The Crows did the responsible thing to let them go.
Provided our young ruckmen and forwards can stay fit for the pre-season and start of the year, then it gives them more opportunity to develop.
We get criticised for having an old team and then get criticised for doing something about it.
And anyway, why keep players who want to go, and especially ones with discipline problems.

 

[AndrewJo]

Who knows what's going on there at AFC - seems to me the management (I use that therm loosely) want saints and robots - not proven good 50 goals forwards. Well, role models aren't going to win you any games. Welsh had 1 incident reported that I have seen and that was a minor one. With the 24/7 scrutiny the media inflict on these guys, obviously he can't have done anything too bad. But we will never know - Welsh is not about to come out and tell his side of the story so we have only got John Reid's word for it. Well, I have lost faith in the lot of them. Torney was bad enough - this is a disgrace.

So because there is 1 incident that you have seen you say obviously he can't have done anything too bad. You are joking of course! You frequent the night clubs that AFL footballers go to? You know about all their indiscretions? You know the guys who smoke pot, snort coke etc. Of course you don't. Try another argument that has some logic. I guaranteee that the Crows board know a bit more about their players' social lives than you do! They are also not likely to post on BigFooty players' indiscretions, or spruke on 5AA or TV.

 

[subaru]

So because there is 1 incident that you have seen you say obviously he can't have done anything too bad. You are joking of course! You frequent the night clubs that AFL footballers go to? You know about all their indiscretions? You know the guys who smoke pot, snort coke etc. Of course you don't. Try another argument that has some logic. I guaranteee that the Crows board know a bit more about their players' social lives than you do! They are also not likely to post on BigFooty players' indiscretions, or spruke on 5AA or TV.

Course I don't - but then I don't care what sportsman do off the field as long as they play good footy - Didn't care what Carey did - Don't give a red rats what Warne did - don't even care about Cousins - but if the AFC are going to use it as a reason, it is up to them to back it up - they have left it open to rumour and inuendos like you have suggested. If you are going to sack someone it must have been bad - well how bad if NO-ONE in the media who thrive on this crap reported it.? I would also suggest that the Crow's board are looking for 'lovely boys ' instead of good footballers. We all saw the Angwin situation coming - didn't we??????? Oh yeah - the highest draft pick we ever had and that turned out well.

 

[Southerntakeover]

Re: THe Crows and there Contracts

Cool Stiffy.

Yes he’s got a big heart and he gives his all for the club, but he’s a protected species by so many on this board. At best he’s a solid player who occasionally has a successful game tagging. However he would be one of the worst taggers in the league and his disposal isn’t damaging. He played about 70 SANFL games before finally cracking it in the big league and it’s a pity he’s not on the verge of cracking 200 SANFL games.

It’s a sad state of affairs when the club’s rebuilding and Shirley isn’t one to bite the dust. The coaches award and his game on Black must have saved him once again.

Im fairly sure ive seen this arguement a few times on Bigfooty. Whilst alot of people have echoed your sentiments, none that ive seen have been able to back it up with actual evidence.

 

[Asgardian]

Re: THe Crows and there Contracts

Reasons he shouldn't:

2. Show some backbone, back yourself in (if you think you are good enough), sign a one year deal, kick 70 goals in 2008 and make them sign you up for some more.

That situation didn't work for Torney, he had a very good 2007 season, but was still delisted.

Welsh's management would have taken notice of that fact.

 

[The Crows Truth]

Re: THe Crows and there Contracts

FFS the club is not going to offer a shit contract to a player they want to keep, that is not going to happen. It is obvious to me that the club weighed up the situation and stood firm by looking towards the next 6 or 7 years.

In all reality it is obvious that we are now entering a rebuilding phase and the list is being overhauled. Ben Hudson, Scott Welsh, and to a lesser degree Marty Mattner were all expendable and not part of the long term plans. They were only given a minimal contract for a specific reason and this suited the clubs best interest. If the club wanted them to stay they would have been offered better deals but they were not in the clubs long term plans so if they left (which they did) the club knew it wouldn’t lead to dire consequences if they took a better offer.

Can anyone honestly say that they can see another club outbidding us for Ben Rutten, Scott Thompson, Nathan Van Berlo, Nathan Bock, ect, ect. Players we want to keep for the long term future? HELL NO.

It’s not like we have allowed a multitude of younger player to take better offers from other clubs, we have lost a few 28 year old who have a limited life span in this game.

If we were still a premiership threat, Hudson, Welsh and Matter would have stayed but we are not. They were allowed to leave because we are looking towards the future.

excellent post old son

 

[Crow-mo]

Re: THe Crows and there Contracts

Sorry, Hudson is an ordinary Ruckman, if he was a champion ruckman we would have offered him 3 years or we would have gotten more for the trade.

um... ok

 

[Drummond]

Re: THe Crows and there Contracts

But if his name was Meesen and he played for Norwood, you'd be writing him up as a champion even if he plodded disiterestedly around the oval looking like a lumbering ox who never looked like even being a half-arsed AFL player ........

Remember the PM I wrote you on Meesen during the season Drummond?? Wasn't far off the truth, was it.

C'mon Drummond, a bit of perspective please mate.

Shirley earns our respect, we don't invent it.

Just record a game and play it back focussing it on Shirley and you just might get some insight into why many of us - his team-mates and coaches included - appreciate his contribution to the team.

I admit Shirley is not as bad as I make him out to be. His work in the centre square and at the stoppages does deserve credit and without him our already suspect midfield would be worse off. I guess it’s just that he’s another of our average to good players who don’t have match winning capabilities. Of course there’s nothing wrong with that and even the greatest teams require and have players like that, but it’s just that we have a few too many. Shirley isn’t a bad player, far from it; I just grow tired of having so few players who can win games off their own boot.

 

[scooter600x]

Excuse me guys, who on your list will be turning 28 this year? Just like to know what players we're getting in advance.

Sorry about that. It's a serious question, really.

Are you guys going to be in the same position next year where players in their late 20's are going to be targeted by other clubs?

 

[Vader]

Excuse me guys, who on your list will be turning 28 this year? Just like to know what players we're getting in advance.

Sorry about that. It's a serious question, really.

Are you guys going to be in the same position next year where players in their late 20's are going to be targeted by other clubs?

The list of players aged 26-29:
Ken McGregor - currently 26yo DOB 29/01/81 ** contracted to end of 2009
Robert Shirley - 27yo 9/6/80
Kris Massie - 27yo 30/5/80
Michael Doughty - 28yo 5/8/79
Brett Burton - 29yo 4/5/78

There has been a big cleanout of this age group this year (not before time IMHO) - Torney (had turned 30), Perrie, Bode, Hudson and now Welsh.

Do you see any of these players being targeted by other clubs? McGregor tried shopping himself around this year and failed to get any nibbles. Shirley & Massie are good-average players with no upside, Doughty is just plain average, Burton has commenced the big slide.

We also have 5 players aged 30+, 3 club legends (McLeod, Goodwin, Edwards), plus an AA defender (Bassett), plus Biglands. Would expect 2008 to be Biglands last year on Adelaide's list, Edwards, Goodwin & Bassett would be an even money bet as 2008 departures (albeit through retirement, not another club).

 

[crowman_23]

The list of players aged 26-29:
Ken McGregor - currently 26yo DOB 29/01/81 ** contracted to end of 2009
Robert Shirley - 27yo 9/6/80
Kris Massie - 27yo 30/5/80
Michael Doughty - 28yo 5/8/79
Brett Burton - 29yo 4/5/78

There has been a big cleanout of this age group this year (not before time IMHO) - Torney (had turned 30), Perrie, Bode, Hudson and now Welsh.

Do you see any of these players being targeted by other clubs? McGregor tried shopping himself around this year and failed to get any nibbles. Shirley & Massie are good-average players with no upside, Doughty is just plain average, Burton has commenced the big slide.

We also have 5 players aged 30+, 3 club legends (McLeod, Goodwin, Edwards), plus an AA defender (Bassett), plus Biglands. Would expect 2008 to be Biglands last year on Adelaide's list, Edwards, Goodwin & Bassett would be an even money bet as 2008 departures (albeit through retirement, not another club).

Would expect Edwards and Biglands to both play their final seasons this year.

It will be Doughty and Massie's last season with the club I would think, Shirley will need to have a good season to remain. Personally would have got rid of McGregor this season, but if he's contracted 'til the end of '09 I guess he's staying.

 

[ash23]

Re: THe Crows and there Contracts

Where do players like Doughty, Shirley and Jericho fit in then? These hacks are no where near the quality of Welsh, Torney and Hudson, yet they remain in our list. This is complete incosistency from the Crows and it is the main reason why the list changes this year are impossible to comprehend. From the outside it looks as though NC and co have no idea.

I watched a couple of Jerichos games this year when he played for us and he was good, wasnt the best but everytime he got the ball he actually didnt waste it, not sure bout doughty and shirley, doughty isnt to bad and shirley didnt play that bad for us this season

 

[Vader]

Would expect Edwards and Biglands to both play their final seasons this year.

It will be Doughty and Massie's last season with the club I would think, Shirley will need to have a good season to remain. Personally would have got rid of McGregor this season, but if he's contracted 'til the end of '09 I guess he's staying.

Definitely agree with Edwards, Biglands, Doughty and Massie.

I'd be thinking Burton would be an 80% chance of departing at the end of 2008.

McGregor signed a 2-year deal about a month ago, after shopping himself around (unsuccessfully). Seemed (and still does) a bizarre decision by the club, given that they only gave Gill a 1-year contract extension. Has Gill been a bad boy off-field? Certainly haven't heard anything to suggest that this may be the case.

I just have a niggling suspicion that Goodwin might decide to retire at the same time Edwards does. The two of them have played pretty much their whole careers together, and with Roo already gone (and the fun allegedly sucked out of the game by NC) his motivation to play on may wane somewhat. Just guessing here.

Would not be surprised at all if Macca is our only player aged 28+ next year.

Note, these are all my own personal opinions. They have no basis whatsoever on any inside knowledge.

If you thought the cleanout of 2007 was big, 2008 is set to be massive. This year we lost 3 players from our "best 22" - Welsh, Hudson and Torney (Roo's performances in 2007 did not warrant selection in the best-22, though I would have included him if we were discussing 2006). In 2008, we're potentially looking at losing 6 plus 2 regulars who are borderline best 22 (Doughty & Massie).

 

[crowman_23]

Re: THe Crows and there Contracts

I watched a couple of Jerichos games this year when he played for us and he was good, wasnt the best but everytime he got the ball he actually didnt waste it, not sure bout doughty and shirley, doughty isnt to bad and shirley didnt play that bad for us this season

Your kidding right? Jericho IMO is a joke and how he continually remains on our list despite blokes like Torney getting the cut is beyond me. I understand the whole age issue but it's about time people in charge down at the AFC realise Jericho will never deliver. Stuff potential, he is weak and will never be a half decent AFL player.

Doughty is very average. Don't see him surviving next year, in fact if we are serious about blooding youngsters he will struggle to get a look in at all next season. He's just an average player, nothing overly wrong with him, but will never tear a game apart or has the gamebreaking ability we want.

Shirley is simply a tagger. A reasonable tagger, but nothing special. Does his job each week, is hard at it, doesn't give up. Can't complain too much with him, but is easily reaplced by a youngster IMO.

 

[Portia]

Re: THe Crows and there Contracts

I would think the main side effect of this policy would be a 24 year old wanting to make sure they get a truly kick arse contract offer, or look around for another offer. They won't expect more of the same after that 24-27 contract.

 

[AndrewJo]

Re: THe Crows and there Contracts

Your kidding right? Jericho IMO is a joke and how he continually remains on our list despite blokes like Torney getting the cut is beyond me. I understand the whole age issue but it's about time people in charge down at the AFC realise Jericho will never deliver. Stuff potential, he is weak and will never be a half decent AFL player.

Doughty is very average. Don't see him surviving next year, in fact if we are serious about blooding youngsters he will struggle to get a look in at all next season. He's just an average player, nothing overly wrong with him, but will never tear a game apart or has the gamebreaking ability we want.

Shirley is simply a tagger. A reasonable tagger, but nothing special. Does his job each week, is hard at it, doesn't give up. Can't complain too much with him, but is easily reaplced by a youngster IMO.

Interesting reading posts from last year. Doughty has made them eat their words. After Shirley quietened Judd there was ample praise for him. Jericho will be next to show a few people he can play. Pity he was injured as he would have had a few games by now.

 

[Vince Van Mackay]

Well Well our ruckmen do have more talent in their fingers than Hudson has in his body, look who was right.