Chris Johnson

[Jarka 767]

but if there is one thing I hate is a fundamental lack of loyalty.

'Loyalty in football' is an oxymoron. Both clubs and players will do what they think is the best thing for themselves when offering/extending contracts.

[beelzebub 23,390]

'Loyalty in football' is an oxymoron. Both clubs and players will do what they think is the best thing for themselves when offering/extending contracts.

Unfortunately this basic tenet is lost on those with their ideals set above the clouds

[Mono 455]

...................To think we wasted 5 years and a top 20 pick on him

We might have wasted 5 yrs on him, but he was picked at 36 in the (dreadful) 2003 ND as a father/son pick. Nothing wasted there.

[Rhino Richards 1,467]

'Loyalty in football' is an oxymoron. Both clubs and players will do what they think is the best thing for themselves when offering/extending contracts.

Correct.

I dont begrudge either for doing that.

However the eulogies on "loyalty" on this thread particularly over such an ordinary player is silly.

[Guest fatty]

..............

I've been probably one of his biggest supporters on this site, and I really felt he was hardly done by due to an unfair lack of opportunity.

Bailey clearly wanted him around, because he gave him plenty of game time and the club offered him a new contract. What a slap in the face it is, that the first opportunity he gets he runs for a bit more money. So again, a pathetic thing to do, especially given his strong ties to this club.

Perhaps my opinion is a little strong or a little harsh, but if there is one thing I hate is a fundamental lack of loyalty. Had we got rid of him two years ago, like everyone wanted, he'd be playing for some D grade club. To think we wasted 5 years and a top 20 pick on him

Jaded,

You are, without doubt, over-reacting. CJ is an under-25 player who was shopped around and was offered a 1 year contract. From his perspective, I'd be [censored] off too. The club loses nothing out of this. I'm only sorry he didn't take Silvia with him.

[Hannabal 4]

To think we wasted 5 years and a top 20 pick on him

Try 36

[Nasher 33,617]

Try 36

...in a draft that will surely go down as the worst in the modern era.

I'm a little surprised at the massive overreaction from some. I can't see this as any more than a pretty average employee seeking better employment opportunities elsewhere.

[Redleg 41,933]

It may have been the best financial option for CJ, but in the last couple of years when it was the best option for us to get rid of him, we didn't. We stuck by him, and it was only because Bailey gave him his due opportunities this year that he was even able to have the choice to leave (nobody wanted him before that).

I've been probably one of his biggest supporters on this site, and I really felt he was hardly done by due to an unfair lack of opportunity.

Bailey clearly wanted him around, because he gave him plenty of game time and the club offered him a new contract. What a slap in the face it is, that the first opportunity he gets he runs for a bit more money. So again, a pathetic thing to do, especially given his strong ties to this club.

Perhaps my opinion is a little strong or a little harsh, but if there is one thing I hate is a fundamental lack of loyalty. Had we got rid of him two years ago, like everyone wanted, he'd be playing for some D grade club. To think we wasted 5 years and a top 20 pick on him

You may not be aware that we offered him for trade this year and last and no one was prepared to give us anything for him. As mildly disappointed as I am I understand him grabbing more money at a club that appears to want him at this moment.

Luckily as well this club has no salary cap and he will no doubt earn a lot more away from football in their environment department, working under the club Captain.

[Jaded No More 68,975]

Try 36

My apologies. For some reason pick 20 came into my head

And yes, it was a dud draft but we can't forget it gave us our next captain and champion of the club. We definitely scored with that one.

By the way my anger is not directed at the fact that we lost an ordinary player, as it will make zero impact on our team, my anger is directed at having spent 5 year developing someone who ran away the second someone offered him a bit more money, resulting from our new coach FINALLY giving him game time.

[Guest fatty]

My apologies. For some reason pick 20 came into my head

And yes, it was a dud draft but we can't forget it gave us our next captain and champion of the club. We definitely scored with that one.

By the way my anger is not directed at the fact that we lost an ordinary player, as it will make zero impact on our team, my anger is directed at having spent 5 year developing someone who ran away the second someone offered him a bit more money, resulting from our new coach FINALLY giving him game time.

You still don't make any sense. He came off his best year and the club still didn't value him enough. Yet you accuse him of being disloyal.

As I already said, CJ has every right to be [censored] off with the offer put before him given he has contributed 5 years to the club and he gets a one year offer in return. Its up to him what he chooses to do with it. In this case, he walks. Big deal.

As PicketFence pointed out on Demonology, its Chris $#%#$% Johnson, VFO.

[tarzan16 40]

Johnson would know full well the state the club is in, and he completely disregarded it. Even a late pick would be some consolation.

I wouldn't mind so much if he wanted to go home to WA, and it seems much more logical given the picks they have. I really don't see how Carlton could be so confident about landing Johnson, unless they're willing to part with a late pick in the national draft, which begs the question, why couldn't that have been traded to us?

Johnson should have made his mind up much earlier, and informed the club of his decision before the trade period.

I do think Johnson was well on his way to becoming a good player, and he filled a role. A good kick on half-back is a great advantage.

He sat down and told the club 2 months ago what he wanted and they gave him nothing!! Bailey wouldn't even talk to him!! Bailey not innocent in this, or the club!

[Dappa Dan 2,188]

Hang on. Didn't Bailey say they offered him two years?

[mo64 5,881]

My apologies. For some reason pick 20 came into my head

And yes, it was a dud draft but we can't forget it gave us our next captain and champion of the club. We definitely scored with that one.

By the way my anger is not directed at the fact that we lost an ordinary player, as it will make zero impact on our team, my anger is directed at having spent 5 year developing someone who ran away the second someone offered him a bit more money, resulting from our new coach FINALLY giving him game time.

If you've been put up for trade, the coach obviously doesn't love you that much.

Can't understand why Bailey is having a whinge about him seeking opportunities elsewhere, and why we changed our offer to 2 years. If you put a player up for trade, you obviously believe that you have better players to cover that position. And in our case, I would have thought that Petterd, Morton and possibly Grimes, are better options than CJ.

[Rhino Richards 1,467]

He sat down and told the club 2 months ago what he wanted and they gave him nothing!! Bailey wouldn't even talk to him!! Bailey not innocent in this, or the club!

He is a fringe C grader that another Club would not even do a token trade for.

Glad MFC is focussing on the important stuff.

[rusty_kingswood 0]

'Loyalty in football' is an oxymoron. Both clubs and players will do what they think is the best thing for themselves when offering/extending contracts.

I have to dissagree to a point.

Tell that to players like...Harvey, Buckley, Archer, even Robertson and Neitz.

Yes its a different era of football these days, but there are plently of players that would bleed for their club.

[praha 11,253]

I will boo him till my throat is sore when (if) we ever play against him. I can't wait till we are flying at the top of the ladder, and we come across teams like Carlton and Collingwood that have picked up these young players for nothing.

[dazzledavey36 55,853]

i really dont mean to be a [censored] but carlton probably will have success first in the future before we do.

[Rampaging Demons 1]

while disappointing, shows that we will not have guns held to our heads...

will not be the difference between us winning a premiership!!

the grass is not always greener!!

[jabberwocky 2,301]

You still don't make any sense. He came off his best year and the club still didn't value him enough. Yet you accuse him of being disloyal.

As I already said, CJ has every right to be [censored] off with the offer put before him given he has contributed 5 years to the club and he gets a one year offer in return. Its up to him what he chooses to do with it. In this case, he walks. Big deal.

As PicketFence pointed out on Demonology, its Chris $#%#$% Johnson, VFO.

That is garbage. What did he contribute exactly?

I think if you examine this a little deeper you may discover that it was the MFC that persisted with CJ without him delivering any real contribution on the field until this year.

Like many of the posters I would have liked to see CJ stay and start to pay out on the investment that our club has put into him. He has chosen to go elsewhere. Goodbye.

[Bay Riffin 1,493]

edited

Maybe Bailey felt like the people making 120 posts in this thread, let down by someone who has had more than enough faith put into him by the MFC.

Good to bl00dy well here someone is getting fired up, and trying to create some competitiveness and desire to play for the jumper. Lets face it, the boy got offered a contract for showing glimpses in the latter stages of his 5 years when all the while taking home a nice salary.

Reading some big footy posts, opposition supporters are thinking he is a t0sser for doing what he did.

I am sure the playing group will get over a rant by the coach about a defector.

[Swampfox 190]

Some of guys must be kidding

4 pages of posts ?

For a Bordeline at best AFL player ?

Please lets talk about something that matters

[Tigers Dayz 2]

Some of guys must be kidding

4 pages of posts ?

For a Bordeline at best AFL player ?

Please lets talk about something that matters

Read the 4 pages, or don't read the 4 pages, but don't whinge. Off you go then Swampfox.... start talking about something that matters.

[Jarka 767]

I have to dissagree to a point.

Tell that to players like...Harvey, Buckley, Archer, even Robertson and Neitz.

Yes its a different era of football these days, but there are plently of players that would bleed for their club.

Ask Woewodin, Heffernan, J.Kennedy or Ryan Ferguson about the result of their loyalty they showed their club and you'll hear a completely different tune. Hell, 60 to 80 players are delisted every year, very few a happy with that decision.

With the salary cap clubs can't afford to be loyal, either a player can perform and they'll be offered a suitable contract, or they can't and they're forced to retire/delisted/traded. It's very rare that a player will end his footy on his own terms.

It's nice to think that platers will 'bleed' for their club but all those players you mentioned first played many years ago when the game was completely different. It's now a professional sport, they're taught this from a very young age even before their u/18's year.

[Rhino Richards 1,467]

It's now a professional sport, they're taught this from a very young age even before their u/18's year.

......Typically by blood sucking two faced player managers. People who think its a discussion only between the player and Club and its centred on loyalty and bleeding for the jumper are fooling themselves.

[QueenC 74]

Hang on. Didn't Bailey say they offered him two years?

Yep that is what it says here......

Bailey speaks out on Johnson loss

Our preference was to always keep Chris Johnson as a part of the Melbourne Football Club.

To do this, we offered Chris a new two year contract, but unfortunately he wanted to play for another, rival AFL club, and subsequently asked to be delisted.