WELCOME TO THE MELBOURNE FOOTBALL CLUB - HARLEY BENNELL

[Hogan2014 390]

2 hours ago, Clintosaurus said:

Still think the contract for next season is the best option. It has been blown out of proportion due to the political nature of anything COVID related.

He’s ignored the rules which the other players have respected, cost the club 50k, risked the whole comp... stop rewarding bad behaviours ffs!

[old dee 23,695]

1 hour ago, poita said:

I was all for the club recruiting Harley at the start of this year, and I think that both the club and Harley have done everything that could have been asked of them until this point.

That said, this is a simply unforgivable error of judgment from a player who has been given multiple chances by multiple clubs over the past decade. We are no at a point where his performances and potential outweigh the risk of keeping him on the list beyond the season. If he can't be trusted to make good decisions now with his AFL future at stake and in a highly controlled environment, how can we possibly trust him over the pre season with a brand new contract and left to his own devices?

This club doesn't have a spare $50,000 to waste fixing this guy's mistakes and the last thing we need as we try to resign sponsors and 40K members is this type of bad publicity.

Thanks for your efforts Harley, but you're done here.

I know what you mean but he has done A great for job for “resign” ing sponsors Poita. 

[old dee 23,695]

There was an extremely low chance of this working but it was worth the risk for the cost sadly the cost just blew out by $50k. Not so sure anymore.

[Pates 9,649]

1 hour ago, Demonland said:

 

Well that doesn’t sound good at all, perhaps goes some ways to explaining why the fine was so high. Even though both players weren’t going to play finals Harbrow was still in the isolated confines of the AFL’s rules and Harley going to his place is a serious breach. 

I’m still on the fence with him, there were always two major challenges with him, mind and body. Burgess has done a massive job helping get his body right but is his mind going to be too much of a challenge. The only thing I’ll say about this is that this doesn’t seem like a “party all night, let’s go to the strippers” situation, it seems like he’s in a difficult headspace. 

I’ll go with the club on this either way, if they think they can make a player out of him that isn’t going to consistently put the club in the papers for the wrong reasons, give him another year and slash a good $30k off what we were originally going to pay him as a way of a pay back to the club. 

I think I’m right in saying that $50k fine goes on the soft cap next year, that may have cost someone their job. 

[kallangurdemon 551]

4 hours ago, PaulRB said:

I assume that the 50k penalty would be coming from Harley's pocket and not the clubs..?

Get real .How would Harley pay a $50000 fine ?He hasnt got enough for a tank of petrol.

[bing181 9,193]

Regardless of what happens here on the football side, just hope Harley can (continue to?) get the support he needs. Self-destructive behaviour like this can take a lifetime to learn to manage. And even then ...

[Demon Disciple 12,011]

7 hours ago, Pates said:

I think I’m right in saying that $50k fine goes on the soft cap next year, that may have cost someone their job. 

If it ends up being Goodwin's, then we should have HB immortalised in bronze outside the MCG

[NeveroddoreveN 1,034]

16 hours ago, Ouch! said:

Pretty certain clubs can't assign the penalty onto the players involved, the Richmond players won't pay that fine, the AFLPA has it written into the terms of their agreement.

I suspect the reason the penalty is so severe is that we are also at the pointy end of the season, and the AFL has had enough of any form of excuse from player or club. They came out last week with warnings to all clubs and players around end of season issues... 

My take: Disappointed with the actions of Harley, but if he's body is good for next year then we offer a contract, I reckon any player currently would be seriously challenged in a hub at this end of the season we've had... especially if they aren't getting games (I mean look at all you Victorian posters!!  ?)  He made a mistake and owned up to it, but prior to this indiscretion seems to have lived up to his end of the deal to date, and I hope he gets a chance to build a solid preseason and play in 2021 in a normal season (whatever normal means!) and maybe he won't get a contract, but there is more value with Bennell on our list than 8-10 other players I can think of...

I think here lies the issue.  He made a mistake and owned up to it by telling little porky pies....NOT by being honest.  He would have been fearing he had blown his career and has scrambled a story together that does not quite add up.   Football clubs are not run by fools, and don't like to be treated as such.  It is a shame but i would say him not telling the truth will hurt him the most here.  Reading between the lines but so much of his story just don't 100% add up.  Most likely gone.

[picket fence 16,992]

Been on the fence for a while on this. Sounds like his extreme personal issues family may well have contributed to his decision making but at the end of the day if he has not been totally truthful, then I think he might be gone.Hnmm challenge for the club and player. 

[Rab D Nesbitt 8,336]

It was just last week that Goodie said in a presser that we have to become more ruthless as a club. The outcome of this might be the earliest indication of that happening. 

[old dee 23,695]

29 minutes ago, picket fence said:

Been on the fence for a while on this. Sounds like his extreme personal issues family may well have contributed to his decision making but at the end of the day if he has not been totally truthful, then I think he might be gone.Hnmm challenge for the club and player. 

It is not the first time for him pf, there is a story in today’s HUN that he was told last week that his father has a very serious health problem. That may have been the trigger. Also mentioned his wife is pregnant again. Has big mental problems it would seem. 

[Youngwilliam 381]

We have to understand that professional sports people are not very smart, other than a few rare cases. They get isolated in these boys clubs for up to 20 years and what would be common sense to us is not to them. I know a few big name AFL players in the past have had minders to help keep them off the Back pages for the wrong reason. Maybe Harley told his minder he was off to bed and well the rest is in the media.

We knew the risk we were taking in signing Harley and we should be disappointment how this has turned out. But least of all you should not be suprised.

[Demon3 2,541]

I feel really sorry for Harley, imagine how he must be feeling right now, there will be a massive sense of guilt that he has let the club down, his wife and child down, he gets terminated, he potentially cost himself a year of a $100k salary, and who knows beyond that. Its just monumentally silly. I have sympathy for him, but we cant put up with that. He has to go and i know the club will help him, they do this stuff well but its over for him.

[whatwhat say what 22,571]

is it true that he's not returning phone calls from the club admin?

i can't see him being at the club in 2021

[PaulRB 6,328]

Assuming Harley is fit and on track, this issue should be treated no differently to any other player doing it... I.e. cope the fine learn the lesson and move on. 
If fit and on track, and we believe he can contribute to the team over next few years, then extend his contract, and get him ready for round 5 2021.

storm in a CoVID teacup, and not a hangable offence, stupid yes.

[dazzledavey36 54,098]

I think he is Gawn..

https://coupler.foxsports.com.au/api/v1/article/amp/afl/afl-2020-harley-bennell-melbourne-hub-breach-list-contract-extension-trades/news-story/09799f03b7886b736f1d23a8f9e32a73?__twitter_impression=true

[cantstandyasam 700]

31 minutes ago, PaulRB said:

Assuming Harley is fit and on track, this issue should be treated no differently to any other player doing it... I.e. cope the fine learn the lesson and move on. 
If fit and on track, and we believe he can contribute to the team over next few years, then extend his contract, and get him ready for round 5 2021.

storm in a CoVID teacup, and not a hangable offence, stupid yes.

Agree with this - he made a mistake. He will get a lot out of this "learning" - people are very quick to sack people. It could be that it will be the rocket he needs to really focus on the prize.

[spirit of norm smith 16,195]

Anger

Sadness

Disappointment

Frustration

I feel this incident has really soured the goodwill and good news factor in Bennell getting back and playing. 

And how must Steven May be feeling. He backed Harley and urged the Dees to give him a chance. The players supported him to get through. 

I know it’s going to be a heartbreaking decision.  Bennell has ultimately eroded the trust of the club and probably will pay the price. 
 

BUT WE MUST REMEMBER THE HUMAN SIDE TO THIS. MENTAL ILLNESS IS RISING AND NO MATTER THE OUTCOME, HARLEY NEEDS TO CONTINUE TO GET THE HELP NEEDED TO SUPPORT HIM. 

[Fat Tony 5,216]

As with any player, the question is risk reward. If the coaches and fitness staff really believe he can get back to full intensity running, they will probably forgive him and offer him another contract. He obviously made a big mistake (again) which probably is linked to his inability to get back to his best on field.

We have to trust the club to make the right call on Harley.

[Dee Dee 1,105]

I really feel for Harley’s family, especially for his partner and daughter. They are the ones who will suffer the most from his indiscretion, they are the ones who, if Harley doesn’t have a job will almost certainly be reduced to relying on government handouts and a probable life of near poverty.

This is the real tragedy!

[sue 9,096]

I should preface this by saying I haven't followed this closely and don't know what lies Bennell may have spun etc.  But I note that for whatever reason he did not return to the hub. 

Is it too cynical to think that if a star player from a big club had done this, the AFL would have loudly announced the penalty was reduced because he did not return to the hub and put the season in peril.

[kallangurdemon 551]

7 minutes ago, sue said:

s it too cynical to think that if a star player from a big club had done this, the AFL would have loudly announced the penalty was reduced because he did not return to the hub and put the season in peril.

there is no suggestion that Harley didnt return to the hub out of any altruistic concern for his fellow citizens .He has simply gone AWOL.Im not sure that anyone  still knows exactly where he is .At the end of the day we must own our decisions . if the club does not sack Harley  it will be the laughing stock of the AFL.

[Docs Demons 1,778]

Unfortunately this thread should be changed to BYE BYE Harley. Such a shame. I think the club has only one option and that is to show him the door.

[deelusions from afar 1,768]

If we do keep him then I think it's an indication that the club think he is capable of reaching close to his best.  He was coming from a long way back this year, but if his output in future is likely to be similar to this year then there'd be no reason to keep him.

[Lord Nev 13,512]

1 hour ago, old dee said:

It is not the first time for him pf, there is a story in today’s HUN that he was told last week that his father has a very serious health problem. That may have been the trigger. Also mentioned his wife is pregnant again. Has big mental problems it would seem. 

There's A LOT more context to this whole thing that people here or in the media don't seem to care about. We're in a time where media, social media and forums like this tend to only bother with short and sharp judgments and comments when in reality things are way more complicated. A bunch of family issues, including his Dad's illness, are just part of a bigger picture of what Harley has been dealing with. Not making excuses for his mistake of course, and all the 'hubbed' players are struggling, but people need to try and treat this situation with a bit more patience and compassion IMO.