Tippett!!

[Jeffers1984]

When do we find out about Adelaide's punishment?

[SPC]

As do I.

I'm finding it pretty bizarre that Swans fans are turning on Tippett now. For what?

Tippett came out of contract with what he thought was a binding agreement to go to his club of choice. He weighed up his options and chose the Swans. When questioned, he mentioned the club, the culture and the excellent chance of winning a flag. We should feel proud as a supporter to hear players from other clubs say that. Indeed, if every player in the AFL came out of contract tomorrow and were allowed to nominate a club to play for, I'd be willing to bet a fair bit that the Swans would be the most nominated club hands down for exactly those reasons that Tippett expressed. Luke Hodge's first sentence in his GF speech spoke volumes "You're not only a well respected side, you're a well liked side"....

So now, it has dragged on way longer than anybody would have liked, Tippett has said NOTHING since he informed Adelaide of his wishes, but some Swans fans want to stick it to him??? Stick it to Adelaide and his management, but until the investigation proves that Tippett was complicit in the dodgy dealings which happened 3 years ago, I just view him as a good player who wants to play for the club we love.

As Benny said, the money issue and whether he is worth it is a seperate argument, but Tippett doesn't deserve to be pitchforked because he has asked an amount that it appears at least 4 clubs are willing to pay and a fair few more would if they could fit it into their salary cap...

Agree 100%. Tippett made it clear to AFC prior to his last contract that he wanted out of Adelaide (the city) but gave them a few more years when they clearly would do anything to get him to stay, under a very clear understanding that he was going at the end of the contract. What I still cant believe is how poorly AFC have handled this.

The trade was ready to be lodged after already dragging on too long, they get a first round pick + a player with some potential for a guy they had agreed in writing they would let go and not another (official) word would have been said. Then one of the many AFC management clowns comes back from hols, stops the deal because he is worried they will be found out (3 years too late) and falls on his sword. How could you possibly turn something like this into more of a lose / lose situation?

I think the frustration for RWOers is that a good forward has chosen to come to us and now its dragged on and turned messy. No fault of the Swans, no fault of Tippett. AFC have turned this into a huge mess and we just have to wait to see how it plays out, but I dont think we should be having a go at a player who wants to come to us and we (Longmire etc) are very keen to get here, just because he didnt want to live in a city he was conscripted to as a young kid.

[707]

Well said Triple B, I think that is a very good summary.

I live in Adelaide and the first negative things I've really heard about Tippett (the person) started when he said he wanted out of Adelaide. People there just don't understand that whilst they love their Crows saturated city, not everyone does, including Gunston who ran away last year. So to vent such viscous anger at Tippett is quite appalling but then we see those same Crows suporters at every Adelaide game.

So what has happened so far?

Tippett despite being paid plenty by Adelaide does what a lot of people thought and says he wants out.

He surprisingly nominates Swans as his preferred destination.

He says absolutely not one word to anyone whilst this massive storm erupts over dodgy contracts.

He gets courted/coveted by lots of other teams.

The AFL take an eternity to investigate what has happened and impinge on Tippett's rights by stopping his trade to the Swans, stopping him entering the Delisted players trade period and continuing to let the thing drag on.

So any playing of the man (Tippett) is unjustified.

Opinions on whether we want/need him should and have been freely allowed.

But come on AFL, finish your investigation and deal with it how you see fit as there's a ND looming on the horizon. Whilst your at it, fix up the Tankers too! But soon because there's a ND looming, oh I already said that.

[boroboy]

Tippett?

As do I.

I'm finding it pretty bizarre that Swans fans are turning on Tippett now. For what?

Tippett came out of contract with what he thought was a binding agreement to go to his club of choice. He weighed up his options and chose the Swans. When questioned, he mentioned the club, the culture and the excellent chance of winning a flag. We should feel proud as a supporter to hear players from other clubs say that. Indeed, if every player in the AFL came out of contract tomorrow and were allowed to nominate a club to play for, I'd be willing to bet a fair bit that the Swans would be the most nominated club hands down for exactly those reasons that Tippett expressed. Luke Hodge's first sentence in his GF speech spoke volumes "You're not only a well respected side, you're a well liked side"....

So now, it has dragged on way longer than anybody would have liked, Tippett has said NOTHING since he informed Adelaide of his wishes, but some Swans fans want to stick it to him??? Stick it to Adelaide and his management, but until the investigation proves that Tippett was complicit in the dodgy dealings which happened 3 years ago, I just view him as a good player who wants to play for the club we love.

As Benny said, the money issue and whether he is worth it is a seperate argument, but Tippett doesn't deserve to be pitchforked because he has asked an amount that it appears at least 4 clubs are willing to pay and a fair few more would if they could fit it into their salary cap...

Great post.

I would have thought KT's behaviour throughout the whole episode would demonstrate he's exactly the type of player we would want.

I find some of the comments on here (including comments that some wouldn't cheer him as a Swans player) just staggering. In fact some comments are quite simply embarrassing - more in line with the behaviour of others clubs supporters who we are quick to denounce.

There's a saying be careful what you wish for. Those who don't want KT will more than likely get their wish-just don't complain if/when he becomes a great player at GWS.

[AnnieH]

OMFG.
Still going?

Going, going, gone....... (please!!)

Has this thread broken the record for the biggest RWO non-moment ever?

[DeadlyAkkuret]

Re: Tippett?

To be fair Annie, it's a pretty big "moment" and worth the discussion it's created.

[Melbournehammer]

Tippett would massively improve us. And if we get him and managed to keep him he has the potential to replace lrt and/or goodes in our forward line.

In relation to his character - seriously who on this site wouldn't seek to maximise their income given the opportunity. Professional athletes should be entitled to maximise their income and the restrictions such as drafts, trading, salary caps are all to the benefit of the league and at the expense of the players.
Tippett himself has suffered significant injuries playing the game. I have no problems whatsoever with him seeking at the end of his contract to go the club of his choice and at the pay of his choice. The fact that his former club made bad decisions and failed to comply with the rules should not be held against him. Clubs are only too willing to move players on at the end of their contract.
I was concerned at the trade stage of what we would have to give up and I simply didnt want to lose any of Parker, rohan, Reid etc during the trading period. I don't think we will actually get him now because of where we sit in the draft but I don't have any problems with how he has acted.

And I think it is reasonable to take the view it is a big thread but justifiably so - we are proposing to pay him about 10-11% of the salary cap...

[CureTheSane]

I think maybe 10% of the posts on this thread have been the ones complaining that it exists

I remember a player who was drafted by a club he really didn't want to go to and he reluctantly played for them until the time when he could make a hasty exit.
Anthony Rocca.

Nice to be the desired club rather than the shunned club.

Maybe it's time for another club to learn the Swans' lesson and draft a player who's heart isn;t in it.
Doubt the Swans will take that road again....

[ScottH]

I think maybe 10% of the posts on this thread have been the ones complaining that it exists

I remember a player who was drafted by a club he really didn't want to go to and he reluctantly played for them until the time when he could make a hasty exit.
Anthony Rocca.t

Nice to be the desired club rather than the shunned club.

Maybe it's time for another club to learn the Swans' lesson and draft a player who's heart isn;t in it.
Doubt the Swans will take that road again....

You can add S Grant to that list and iirc D Gasper.

[Triple B]

In Grant's defence, he did stay an extra year before going back home, but it is true he wanted out in the end. Mum (single) and brother moved up with him when he first came here and as it turned out, Mum was the main reason he ended up moving back after she became romantically involved with a football identity who based himself back in Melbourne after being in Sydney for a while.

Gaspar definately had a hardon to get to Victoria, even tho he was a WA boy...

[rojo]

You have got to hand it to GWS they are on the ball! A follow up to yesterday's article in the Telegraph with Phil Davis his former team mate saying how great it would be to have Tippett in their team, today an article with Jon Patten saying how great it would be to play with KT and how he and Jeremy Cameron would look forward to sharing the forward line with him, plus the Sheedy patter of course. The message seems to be, Dear Kurt, you are so going to love being part of our team! I wonder who it will be tomorrow?

[Ruck'n'Roll]

In relation to his character - seriously who on this site wouldn't seek to maximise their income given the opportunity. Professional athletes should be entitled to maximise their income and the restrictions such as drafts, trading, salary caps are all to the benefit of the league and at the expense of the players.

The questions about his character, is not about his right to maximise his income. No one denies that. The question is whether (or how far outside the rules) he is willing to go to maximise his income.
FWIW Doesn't the absence of legal challenge suggest that the players association recognises that the salary cap is to the benefit of both the league as a whole (and particularly the Swans) AND the players (as a group).

[Melbournehammer]

i am pretty sure you will find, at least with respect to the afl, that the salary cap restricts the earnings of players. if you look at us sports the athletes frequently receive circa 40-50% of total game earnings. The afl players get less than 30%.

Sports without salary caps at all - see for example the english premier league have a much greater percentage of total revenue going to athetes, however as their economic model is broken (as a consequence of owners apparently willing to run at considerable losses) they are not great examples.

The whole purpose of a salary cap is to ensure a competitive balance and thereby maximise the possibility of any team winning any game and the league. however they do restrict earnigns for top grade players. arguably they improve the earnings of lesser players and those at lower clubs, although it is often hard to tell. for example port will probably be at the bottom end of their total player payments but are we seriously saying that they will be competitive ?

and revenue sharing generally is a better model for ensuring overall equalisation - for example wealth taxes where clubs are required to pay amounts to lesser clubs - Major League Baseball operates according to this model and the New York yankees are currently trying to offload alex rodriguez in part because he cant hit in the post season and in part because his contract will ensure that they have to tip in a larger part of revenue as a tax into the MLP pool.

the position of the aflpa is much more complex than you might think. AFL players - and to a lesser extent australian sports professionals generally, are much more loyal to the concept of the club than exists overseas - i think this is largely a two way street which is a consequence of much greater restrictions on trading players mid season than exists overseas.

With respect to tippett and his management - I fail to see why it says anything at all about a player that he says "I will sign for you but if I decide to go at the end of my next contract you have to make it easy for me to go." In fact i'd go further and say that he is absolutely entitled to say "I'll sign for you but this is the condition of my agreeing to stay." No-one put a gun to the club to tell them to agree. They could have said no, or no its against the rules. They didn't - they agreed to what in my mind is a perfectly reasonable request from a player signing a contract. The rules restrict his freedom of contract in a way that no other person is allowed to do on the basis that professional athletes are part of a league. When Silvio Foschini (as an aside did you know his son plays soccer for melbourne victory) refused to come to sydney to play the VFL told him he couldn't play for the club that had chosen him and who he was prepared to play for - and regardless of whether you think the swans were damaged by the incident - the reality this was this was outside the rules as they existed at that time but clearly contrary to the restraint of trade doctrine.

there is an episode of seinfeld where the characters recognise that the players change, the ballpark changes, the manager changes but the thing that remains is the stripes - and to my mind that is what is relevant. I hope the players make the best living they can from the game and dont begrudge them any opportunity to move.

Irespect the crows fans for being peeved that tippett left without letting them have the trade they wanted and to maximise who could come into the club, but i think the players have every right to move where they want and on what terms they want at the end of the contract. After all the club will be looking at them without too much of a semblance of loyalty at the end of the contract when they cease being useful to the club.

[Rod_]

If Tippett goes to GWS it will be a great coop for them. And open the doors for us to poach all the round one selections next year we want to target. target Jeremy Cameron and offer him some real $ to come to us or one or their other better players... This will create the cross city rivalry that Sheeds wants.

Just thinking and all...

Rod_

[Nico]

In Grant's defence, he did stay an extra year before going back home, but it is true he wanted out in the end. Mum (single) and brother moved up with him when he first came here and as it turned out, Mum was the main reason he ended up moving back after she became romantically involved with a football identity who based himself back in Melbourne after being in Sydney for a while.

Gaspar definately had a hardon to get to Victoria, even tho he was a WA boy...

The night Grant got drafted it showed the family home on the telly. Mum was devastated and didn't want her boy to go there. It occured to me he would be out of Sydney quickly. I wasn't aware he stayed on an extra year. I don't know that the club would let any mum move up again unless it was for an agreed short term at settling in point.