rpfc

Poor Tom. I hope this isn't a popular reaction. And when he stood up in his press conference he said he hasn't had contact - his reps have now - and that he won't consider offers untill the end of the year - he evidently won't. And don't forget that we gave his reps our offer and that is what mitigated the situation with Blucher gettin GWS to formalise their offer the way we have. We are in a fight to keep a player - we are we so weary of a fight? Did we not think after we got all this talent that they wouldn't be targetted? Let's put on our big boy pants and keep the kid.

You're right. Or maybe not. I said I wouldn't speculate and then gave the words of another. The issue is with the anonymity of Wolfmother. But we are happy to push twitterers and Facebookers and have no way of verifying them... And while he is nameless, he claims Tom as his source, where the journos don't name theirs... I would say you have a point, but that it isn't incredible.

I don't think that is the case - I just see it as a 'are you really hiring Ric Charlesworth/Kevin Sheedy/Tom Hafey?' measure. I cannot speculate what is in his head - ie. his view of Bailey. I will let others who know him to do that. I believe Wolfmother has chatted to him about it and he seems impressed with Bailey. Anyway...we will see.

Strangely enough, yes. I would put an injured 19 year old Tom Scully on more coin than our 'senior' players. Essendon, Fremantle, and Richmond games co-incided with McKenzie and Scully coming back. If we are to make the finals this year, I think Tom Scully will have a huge say in our last 8 games. Says quite a bit, if you agree...

Blucher hasn't confirmed the money amount. That's a best guess by Sheahan and Clark. It would then not be a stretch to see that best guess mirror the other best guesses that have made so much news over the past 6 months...

And I would say that his input in 2010 and 2011 is worth more than the $150k that he will be paid... It all evens out in the end. $3m over 5 years seems pretty manageable to me...

It's waiting to see who is coaching him, not waiting to tell us who he wants to coach him.

Never! Eager to defend a kid. Anyway, back on topic, Darwin is hot. Sweat much? Gloves? Check.

I wouln't have thought so - you can frontload a $1m and have be $500k for the remainder. I would say that Tom as 22, 23, and 24 year old would be worth $600k... We had Cam Bruce on similar from 08-10. And this is a false economy with GWS, crap happens. Martin is on quite a bit at the Tigers, but will soon be worth it I would say.

It is a massive decision, and whatever is in his mind, he has the right to think it through, surely? The MFC is a great place to be. It's Serenity. But don't tell me that there are not things to consider... Who will coach the Dees in 2012? Who will lead the team? These questions would stop any employee in their tracks. Heart or great heart. Have a look at how he plays - rather than speculate about what is in his head. He plays like a bloke that loves the jumper and would do anything to move the club and team forward an inch.

I actually feel less tense posting in this thread... So what is going on? Davey a chance this week? Surely not?

And those claiming that people who only take articles with actual quotes (you know, news articles) with any veracity are living in 'la la land' or 'kidding themselves' sound a little trite considering the lengths that these same posters infer into this story at the drop of a percentile (Schwarz, Barrett) or a passed-on whisper from Voldemort (someone that cannot be named).

Because the MFC gave their 'this is the best we can do' contract. That is, apparently, what kicked this off. Velocity have always maintained 'not until September' and so now they have the two contracts and Tom will decide in September. When it all comes down to it - it's a 19 year old making an important decision and he wants to make it in September.

Well, ok, does RR think Tom is suffering from the human condition of lying when it came to his press conference? When it comes to whether Tom has already signed for GWS?

Or we can put our big boy pants on and have both running around in the red and blue in a couple years time...

Without sounding arrogant - and it can be tough - I don't think recent events have done anything but vindicate what Tom has been saying all along, and by extension what I have been saying. I would think that this sorry chapter has exposed the BS that these footy journos play in. I am biased - I know some of them - and I know that, like anyone, they can be thoughtless, rushed, rash, and stupid. But if we went out on a limb like these journos do - we would be in trouble in our jobs. They don't have that problem. Example: Hutchy is consistently wrong abou things, and a sensationalist. The players hate him. How does he go? His business grows because of it and he is a veritable football-celebrity. There are no repercussions for being wrong, that is why Schartz is so willing to go 'on record' with BS.

lol No it isn't. He is a journo, and he isn't an eighth as good a journo as he was a player... 'Isn't it amazing journos go on record with BS' lol

So the recent news was a farce? We had actual quotes from Velocity. Not rumours from unnamed sources. Not the 'word,' not whispers, not 'talk around the traps'... Huh? Schwab could have spent the evening catching up on the Harry Potter movies and their would still be these articles in the paper. I don't even recall many of these articles even mentioning Schwab. What do they know? I have heard all these contradictory rumours when it comes to these so called 'football insiders' that even if you were to believe them - you would still be up against it understanding what the frack is happening. I will believe actual quotes from the actual people involved. Tom and his management, Cameron and Dean, and whatever statement gets walked back from those at GWS. You can believe nefarious and agenda-ridden rumours all you like.

Here we go again. I recognise that tree...

Wow. Brainstamp. I will write something when this post sinks in...

I'm sure that Tom hasn't given it much thought. I know that if I was playing footy and was a s dedicated as Tom - I would be pretty focused on that, whether it be training, recovery, PR engagements, or the endless meetings. Tom has some reservations about signing for the MFC without giving it proper consideration, I'm confident that when he gives all offers proper consideration he will choose to stay. The players can suck it up, if the numbers are true, he will be well paid and he will be paid that way when he is 25. So it will even out if he becomes what we all hope he becomes. And it is a contract that the club sees as one that doesn't break their wage structure. We need to keep all the talent we can at the club and having some 'clear the air' sessions with the players on the contracts is a some price to pay to keep said talent.

Why bother mentioning that article in that post? And stipulate what you think people are not saying - I'm assuming that's what you mean by the 'above board' comment. I see you have mentioned Tom 'has not seen the details of the GWS offer' as a lie from Blucher. I would say, 'so what?' He sees the contract. What is so great about that? He has to see both and make his decision at some point. Who cares if it happened three days ago or in September?

Moving past the Collingwood nonsense - HO007 has said it's not a chance so that tells you everything... Now we have the outside the club 'just let him go because you're not supposed to have nice things' brigade has started up with Martin Blake doing a great job of making The Age look like the Hun. We should take the picks and be done with this. What a pathetic defeatist attitude. We have got to the point where we have confirmed he isn't committed to GWS and immediately people are telling us to 'not bother anyway.' What do we do when the other talented youngsters get targeted? Just let it happen? We will sign him for a contract that we can afford and we will do it again for Trengove, and we will encourage our connections to get involved with 'legal' 3rd party deals, and we will put on our big boy pants - do what the big clubs do and keep our talent. Whenever someone says to you "just let him go" you say "listen you condescending [censored], big clubs fight for their talent and that's where we want to be so go write another story about someting you have on 'good authority.'"

It's tacit, RR.

So my position can be dismissed as rose coloured glasses?