He's a self-inflated attention seeker. Make him fight for every penny because he has contributed zilch.

20 minutes ago, Fifty-5 said:

It was initially reported in The Age that he was declared fit to play in the last 5 rounds of 2016 but chose not to.  Then The Age reported that he believed he had been unfairly restricted from playing so that he couldn't reach his contract renewal point and was threatening to sue.

Sure if that report was correct, but elsewhere he claimed it was not his choice.  So what's the truth?  Going by what he claims (which may or may not be true), he is not inconsistent. That's all I was saying.  As usual we don't have the facts, but it allows us to pop out of football hibernation for the odd rant.

Regardless, it is pretty clear he is no longer really required and I think we all agree on that (or is that dangerous groupthink? ) . As to the rest of it, I trust the club management to do the right thing for the club and the fair thing for HL whatever that is.

Edited November 24, 20168 yr by sue

It sounds a lot like these "concussion issues" were used as a convenient excuse for H to not bother showing up to the club most of last year. Shows a real lack of dedication because there's hundreds of other things he could be doing around the club even if he wasn't fit to play games.

Instead he was off grieving the death of people he didn't know. Plus he had that extended trip to Africa didn't he, where the club wasn't informed why he wasn't back when he told them he would be.

this could all be easily resolved if someone would just go and resurrect muhammad ali

4 hours ago, Whispering_Jack said:

This is all about Heritier finding a way out of playing a game that he's lost interest in and doing so with as much coin as possible. 

If he wants to get out with dignity he should make sure that the resolution is swift and he bows out silently rather than in the blaze of publicity created by the ridiculous accusations made about the club's treatment of his concussion issues.

 

Sadly can't happen now, integrity vs ego and $.  He can take no high ground now.

Sometimes you think someone might be a [censored]-head and they do something that reminds you that you are an excellent judge of character.

The Fresh Precious of Mel-aire 

I'm going to burn my copy of the Prince's self help book.

13 hours ago, Fifty-5 said:

It was initially reported in The Age that he was declared fit to play in the last 5 rounds of 2016 but chose not to.  Then The Age reported that he believed he had been unfairly restricted from playing so that he couldn't reach his contract renewal point and was threatening to sue.  That's the inconsistency.  But I'm with ManDee - you can't believe everything you read - I think there's a fair amount of media speculation going.  Mahoney has indicated this in the most recent AFL site article.

I think it's fairly safe to conclude, as others have here, that HL's AFL career is over and that he is trying to maximise his payout.

Smart move from the club if true

20 hours ago, SaberFang said:

It sounds a lot like these "concussion issues" were used as a convenient excuse for H to not bother showing up to the club most of last year. Shows a real lack of dedication because there's hundreds of other things he could be doing around the club even if he wasn't fit to play games.

Instead he was off grieving the death of people he didn't know. Plus he had that extended trip to Africa didn't he, where the club wasn't informed why he wasn't back when he told them he would be.

He certainly didn't "buy in" to being a member of a club.  Contributed nothing and is owed nothing more than the minutiae of his contract. No bonus.  No "farewell party", or gold watch  

Re the Africa trip - did he keep in touch with the club as to his whereabouts? Just thinking of the Whitfield situation and ASADA testers, and them knowing where he was. 

9 hours ago, Emerald said:

I'm going to burn my copy of the Prince's self help book.

Self help is about right -  he wants to help himself, not the team. 

It sounds like he is going to leave both his clubs on bad terms. 

Coincidence?

1 hour ago, Redleg said:

It sounds like he is going to leave both his clubs on bad terms. 

Coincidence?

I think it was the great NRL coach Wayne Bennett who said "you always take yourself, wherever you go."

There was a good reason that Collingwood let him go i.e too much trouble. 

1 hour ago, rjay said:

I think it was the great NRL coach Wayne Bennett who said "you always take yourself, wherever you go."

I like that.

Someone posted that we are only going to use 2 of our 3 Rookie picks. If HL retires, we will then have a space on the main and rookie lists. I wonder what is in their thinking.

3 hours ago, Redleg said:

I like that.

Someone posted that we are only going to use 2 of our 3 Rookie picks. If HL retires, we will then have a space on the main and rookie lists. I wonder what is in their thinking.

Hope it gets sorted sooner rather than later 'Red'...so at least we have a choice.

Time to remember that AFL players are no different to employees in any medium to large size operation.

I am sure everyone knows of a former employee who had employment issues and left threatening to sue etc. Nothing much really.

The only issue for us fans is whether he cuts it as a player (seems the vast preponderance of opinion is NO) and what the timing of his departure does to our salary cap and drafting position. ( I fear that we may lose out in this area at least in the short term.)

You may recall that he was put on the long term injury list with only 6 weeks to go in the 2016 season. As the season had less than 8 weeks to go this required the express approval of the AFL under their rules. This approval was given. It is readily apparent that the club has a strategy to deal with a difficult employee (no different to the usual HR issues in any organisation.)

Overall what I am saying is there is no need for the vitriol that is shown in many of these posts.

Time to move on and think of summer or whatever one calls it in Melbourne !!

I think what addles me, and possibly others is 'being taken for a ride". This applies whether in one's personal life, or at work etc and for mine it annoys me also by extension to that which I incorporate into my life. My primary sporting following is football and of that the MFC.

I was genuinely quite happy when we got Harry. Here , to my thinking , was  a player with a bit of verve, some flair, someone who took the game on, a premiership player.

I thought we got something here. He'll add some pizzazz . Yes he's an 'odd' one but as long as that doesnt affect his ability to add to Melbourne what does it matter.

Well it has mattered.. The IF and WHAT of medical matters has as far as I can tell ( externally ) been met and dealt with in a very prudent, cautious and professional manner.  As far as I can tell these issues have nothing to do with his ability to perform his function as a player.

From where I sit he seems to have lost it, the desire to play that is.. Seems all caught up in his "own world " matters

As they of his own doing he can take on board all that results from his decision(s) not to participate.

He's definitely an Oddball ol' Harry and makes the guy driving the tank in KH seem quite rational and dependable.

As with anyone parting company with the Dees, good luck and make the best of what you have where-ever.

I say that even though I reckon he's having a lend of us to be frank

So with greater time to reflect Harry , I offer you this from your great man :

"It isn't the mountains ahead to climb that wear you out; it's the pebble in your shoe."

Get that pebble out or better yet, go buy some new shoes 
 

I remain confused 

Is he still on our list?

If so, why?

Surely a classic definition of list clogger, given not only his lack of commitment but also his antagonism. 

I think Heritier for most of his career defined himself as an outsider who got his motivation and drive from resisting what he rightly saw as a racist and denegrating culture at Collingwood. His exit speech and various racist nick names he had there, plus the whole name change etc... indicate his struggle to redefine himself, oft by seeing himself as some kind of persecuted righteous warrior (a.k.a Ali).

so he arrives at the MFC, is warmly embraced with respect and as a result finds his mojo waning as his normal motivational tools of casting himself as a outsider proving wrong or defeating his real or imagined foes, fails to gain traction.

Its an interesting predicament as he'll be torn between a habitual desire/pattern of casting the outside world as his persecutors, and developing a whole new way of defining and motivating himself that comes from within, ie taking full personal responsibility. 

I wish him well, I suspect it's a tough gig being him at the moment. 

Paul...much of that makes sense but i do suspect its only as tough for him as he creates it so.

He is, therefore he is

Of course it's his creation. However, elements of it may be beyond his conscious control, hence the struggle and confusion.

Us on the sidelines trying to turn it into a right - wrong game to sate our desire to be righteous supporters, misses the subtlety of the situation and blinds us to the insights we can glean from it... and the opportunity to be compassionate to another's suffering. 

 

1 hour ago, monoccular said:

I remain confused 

Is he still on our list?

If so, why?

Surely a classic definition of list clogger, given not only his lack of commitment but also his antagonism. 

He has a contract mono!

I assume that both sides are trying to work out the best deal for them and so a dead lock at present.

You would think it is fairly simple  in that he has been fit to resume playing for months but refuses to do so. That would appear to make the contract void but in the world of AFL that is seldom the case.

I think he will be on the list for some time yet and give the MFC nothing.

We will just have to be patient till a resolution is worked out.

I think Cassius would be rather disappointed in Harry.

Just get on with it lad 

How is he not in breach of his contract ?

2 minutes ago, beelzebub said:

I think Cassius would be rather disappointed in Harry.

Just get on with it lad 

Let alone Mr. M Ali!