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I know that he is 27 but he would have 5 years left as a player at the top level. The Hawks are making it difficult for themselves in their pursuit of Nathan Brown . A lot of their other players would also be upset IMO.
Lekkas losing faith in Hawks
02 October 2003 Herald Sun
By MICHAEL STEVENS
HAWTHORN midfielder Angelo Lekkas could join teammate Jade Rawlings in flying the Hawks nest.
Unhappy: Angelo Lekkas is another Hawk looking for a change of scenery next season.
Rawlings told coach Peter Schwab yesterday that he was quitting the club.
And Lekkas, 27, third in the best-and-fairest last year and tipped for a top-two finish this season, is furious at the latest developments.
Lekkas, yet to re-sign, had almost committed to a new deal on the basis that Rawlings was also staying.
Lekkas said last night he was uncertain about his playing future.
"Obviously I will be dealing with Hawthorn, but I think I'll weigh everything up now," he said.
"I'm really frustrated with Hawthorn footy club at the moment.
"There's a lot of players suffering because of bad past management.
"When we were negotiating my contract, I told the club I did not want them to go to the paper and say I'd recommitted because we were still negotiating.
"But they did and it's come out that I've signed and I just haven't done that. That was in the middle of negotiations, so I was really disappointed they did that to me.
"But they've also made players take up to 20 per cent pay cuts and the players were assured if they do that they'd keep Rawlings and myself. "We've lost Rawlings and yet you hear they're talking to players like Nathan Brown who are after so much money. And, like, where's all that coming from?"
His manager Jacques Khouri said last night that all negotiations between the club and Lekkas were on the basis that Rawlings was signed.
"Angelo is a bit insulted with it all," Khouri said last night from Surfers Paradise.
"He's been paid a pittance for a long, long time and now we're just saying let's just up the ante a bit, but they haven't negotiated in the right manner.
"All the negotiations for Angelo were on the basis of Rawlings staying.
"We gave a lot of leeway on that basis, in terms of income and that sort of thing, and now we find they didn't have him (Rawlings) signed in the first place.
"If we had known they didn't have him signed we would have negotiated on different terms altogether.
"We were trying to do the right thing by the club."
"They said, `We're trying to keep `Ang' here, we've got Jade on board and he's taken a pay cut, blah, blah, blah," Khouri said. "I'm really disappointed with the whole situation."
Khouri said he had put off clubs who were interested in out-of-contract Lekkas, the Hawks' second leading goalkicker (37) and a major possession-winner this season.
"We've told them we're not interested because everything's right with the club," Khouri said. "But it just changes and that's really disappointing. I played golf with Nathan Brown not long ago and Carlton were offering in excess of $550,000 (a season).
"Hawthorn are going to come to him and offer at least that sort of figure, when again we were given assurances that no player was being pursued at that level of income because of the severity of the financial problems of the footy club.
"There's really no goodwill there. We'll just have to . . . sit down with (chief executive) Steve Leighton and see what we do from here."
Leighton said last night he did not want to comment until he had spoken to Khouri.
Lekkas losing faith in Hawks
02 October 2003 Herald Sun
By MICHAEL STEVENS
HAWTHORN midfielder Angelo Lekkas could join teammate Jade Rawlings in flying the Hawks nest.
Unhappy: Angelo Lekkas is another Hawk looking for a change of scenery next season.
Rawlings told coach Peter Schwab yesterday that he was quitting the club.
And Lekkas, 27, third in the best-and-fairest last year and tipped for a top-two finish this season, is furious at the latest developments.
Lekkas, yet to re-sign, had almost committed to a new deal on the basis that Rawlings was also staying.
Lekkas said last night he was uncertain about his playing future.
"Obviously I will be dealing with Hawthorn, but I think I'll weigh everything up now," he said.
"I'm really frustrated with Hawthorn footy club at the moment.
"There's a lot of players suffering because of bad past management.
"When we were negotiating my contract, I told the club I did not want them to go to the paper and say I'd recommitted because we were still negotiating.
"But they did and it's come out that I've signed and I just haven't done that. That was in the middle of negotiations, so I was really disappointed they did that to me.
"But they've also made players take up to 20 per cent pay cuts and the players were assured if they do that they'd keep Rawlings and myself. "We've lost Rawlings and yet you hear they're talking to players like Nathan Brown who are after so much money. And, like, where's all that coming from?"
His manager Jacques Khouri said last night that all negotiations between the club and Lekkas were on the basis that Rawlings was signed.
"Angelo is a bit insulted with it all," Khouri said last night from Surfers Paradise.
"He's been paid a pittance for a long, long time and now we're just saying let's just up the ante a bit, but they haven't negotiated in the right manner.
"All the negotiations for Angelo were on the basis of Rawlings staying.
"We gave a lot of leeway on that basis, in terms of income and that sort of thing, and now we find they didn't have him (Rawlings) signed in the first place.
"If we had known they didn't have him signed we would have negotiated on different terms altogether.
"We were trying to do the right thing by the club."
"They said, `We're trying to keep `Ang' here, we've got Jade on board and he's taken a pay cut, blah, blah, blah," Khouri said. "I'm really disappointed with the whole situation."
Khouri said he had put off clubs who were interested in out-of-contract Lekkas, the Hawks' second leading goalkicker (37) and a major possession-winner this season.
"We've told them we're not interested because everything's right with the club," Khouri said. "But it just changes and that's really disappointing. I played golf with Nathan Brown not long ago and Carlton were offering in excess of $550,000 (a season).
"Hawthorn are going to come to him and offer at least that sort of figure, when again we were given assurances that no player was being pursued at that level of income because of the severity of the financial problems of the footy club.
"There's really no goodwill there. We'll just have to . . . sit down with (chief executive) Steve Leighton and see what we do from here."
Leighton said last night he did not want to comment until he had spoken to Khouri.
, but for me would definitely be worth exploring further... my only worry woukd be his age...but a two-year deal with an option for a year may be good. However, Id not want us to give too much away...maybe a 2nd round pick...
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