Tweet
That is one way to say a big @@@@@@ you to all the media. Kudos Horse
-
-
But it also shows that it has become enough of a distraction that it warranted an entire article on the Swans' website. I think the comments in the article were good, particularly by Macca. Like the comments on RWO, the players know that they have to perform on the field to quell the bad press.Comment
-
I am usually as positive as they come to the Club and always back the judgement and decision making of the coaches and board alike. I have always dismissed the talk of disunity and disharmony as the media needing a story.
BUT...I have been feeling uncomfortable with the number of stories related to certain players and also to some reported discontentment among certain playing ranks. There is no doubt that the loss to GWS has only served to fan the flames of negativity but lets be honest...the team did not appear to be in the right headspace come round 1. In the Daily Terror today, apparently the West Coast Eagles players could not believe the 'disharmony' amongst the Swans playing group on the night at Blacktown on Feb 27th.
We have been used to only positive news coming from our club and no doubt this news of disharmony, car crashes, player fights seems 'UnSwan Like'.
The only way to dispel the rumour mill and innuendo is to play solid 4 quarters of hard Swans footy v the Pies. A good result will douse the flames, however, another poor performance will not only have a season off to a very rocky start but also feed the growing media throng bursting to see the Swans fall from grace.Swannies for life!Comment
-
Just to put things into perspective:
With all the talk about Buddy's enormous 9 year 10mil contract, it's interesting to note that Clayton Kershaw, number 22 of the LA Dodgers, in the video on the Swans website has a 7 year contract at around $33 mil a year! So Kershaw alone, in one year, earns more than 3 times what Buddy will over the entire life of his contract.Comment
-
The Big Cat got it right in Post #1 - "".....an oversupply of footy writers..""Comment
-
Not sure if these Buddy stories are correct!
If there is some truth in the fact that Buddy is not fitting in culturally at the Swans, should Jarrad McVeigh take some accountability for this occurrence?
He was the only player consulted in 2013, about the prospect of the Franklin recruitment according to Andrew Ireland!
He came back and said the Franklin recruitment could work!
If there is some disharmony in the playing group, then McVeigh needs to own the decision and bring everyone together! We all had heard how Buddy liked to live. We recruited him knowing that! We can't therefore expect Buddy to change his ways!
McVeigh needs to tell the other players to live with Buddy and his ways and move forward! McVeigh was part of the recruitment process and is part accountable for this decision!Comment
-
It's hard to imagine that a player consulted about getting a star from another team would try to veto the move. It wouldn't look good if your employer thought that some player would help win a premiership, but you rejected the idea. Certainly the negatives about Buddy were discussed prior to asking Macca his 'opinion' which was probably just a formality. Macca seems to a pretty open an honest bloke, so perhaps these issues also were discussed with him. But the reality is that Macca's approval was more a formality than a true consultation.
If the story emerged saying something like: 'Buddy transfer to Swans rejected by McVeigh. Says we don't need a party boy at the club.' Then Buddy goes on to kick a 100 goals and wins a premiership for his new team. It wouldn't look good.
The Swans have taken risks with other big name players (Lockett and Hall) and it's worked out. It's really hard to second guess their judgment regardless of the results. Hopefully this one is a winner as well.Comment
-
I've just read the following excellent and so sensible comment on The Roar sports blog. Thought I would share it.
"March 22nd 2014 @ 10:26am
EddyJ said
The whole ?Buddy? thing is just getting very weird. An entire nine year contract and the at least 198 AFL games in the future that Lance Franklin could possibly play, are being based on one game. The Swans performance against the Giants was poor, but good teams do have bad performances occasionally, even in Round 1 (Hawthorn in 1991 lost the opening round by 86 points, but ended up premiers. Sydney lost the opening round by 90 points, but made the grand final in 1996. Port Adelaide, 48 point loss in round 1, premiers in 2004). Over the past 31 seasons, 13 premiers lost the opening round. And if the loss was against an established team such as Western Bulldogs, we probably wouldn?t think too much of it.
It?s reached a point where unless Franklin kicks 13 goals per match, has 40 kicks after being teamed by four opposition players, boots the winning goal after the siren after his team has been down by 50 points in the last quarter, and emulate St George?s NRL experience of winning 11 premierships in a row, he?ll be deemed a failure. I can?t recall Chris Judd being under this amount of scrutiny when he moved to Carlton in 2008, even though his season salary was on par with Franklin?s (in real terms).
It was actually a bit sickening listening to the earnestly sounding AFL broadcasters during the week peddling rumours about the ?run-in? between Ryan O?Keefe and Franklin, and supposed ?trouble? brewing at the Swans. More scuttlebutt based on whether Franklin?s sports car was insured or not after being involved in a car accident ? as if that?s the most important thing in the world for the media to focus upon, and ? shock of horror ? that Daniel Hannebery was driving the car, and Franklin was not! Therefore, Franklin and Hannebery are now ?party boys? (whatever that means), are a bad influence on the team and it?s the end of the Swan?s ?no dickheads? culture.
All based on one game! If this is any indication, it?s going to be a very very long season (and a boring one)."Comment
-
Thanks Meg.
And much too sensible, EddyJ.He reminds him of the guys, close-set, slow, and never rattled, who were play-makers on the team. (John Updike, seeing Josh Kennedy in a crystal ball)Comment
-
It's said that "where there's smoke, there's fire". However, all of this smoke is blowing out of some very dubious backsides.
The speed at which stories move online today means that the majority of media sources quoting them make no effort to validate facts in their haste to get their story out before they get overtaken by the next. So-called facts are re-quoted over and over either without credit or by crediting the last media source. The volume and outrageousness of stories about someone grows exponentially with their celebrity ... e.g. Michael and Janet Jackson were the same person, Elvis is still alive.
Like it or not, we have recruited the biggest celebrity in the AFL. Even if we win the next 7 games and Buddy kicks 13 every game, I'm not expecting crazy stories to lessen. I'm just going to enjoy the ride.CIA Agent to Policeman: "Have you ever had anti-terrorist training?"
Policeman: "Yes, I was married once."Comment
-
Is Buddy the biggest recruit to the swans since Tony Lockett?
I had a quick look at the stat's for 1995. I knew the contribution that Plugga could make and I had high expectations of Lockett. In his first Swans game, he kicked 6 goals in a losing game to Western Bulldogs (we lost by 17).
This is after taking Peter Caven out at the end of 1994! We welcomed him with open arms!
Buddy - forget the first game. Get on the scoreboard, and watch the Swans fans forget the GWS abomination!Comment
-
Brilliant Goods78. Good comparison with Peter Caven as this is similar to Buddy's physical treatment!!
Both outstanding players, but I think Buddy will go down in history as the last player in the AFL to kick 100 goals in a season 2008. I can't see it happening again with the strength of today's defensive pressure!
Buddy is a better athlete than Adam Goodes and would have been more potent than Dunstall and Lockett if he had their forward space to work with!
I can hear the song being played
There is only one "Party Franklin"Comment
-
More fuel on the fire of speculation that player unrest at the Swans is high - NOT. News of another Swan extending his tenure. That brings it to four since the signing of Buddy. I don't think any of us thought McVeigh was going anywhere, but confirmation of his re-commitment is good to read, regardless.
New deal to make Jarrad McVeigh a Swan for life - AFL.com.auComment
Comment