AFL slaps trade ban on Swans

[Conor_Dillon]

Only just quickly skimmed over all the previous posts and the general sentiment is that we're being punished for Tip and Bud which is definitely true, at least in part.

But has anyone suggested that this could also be a huge back-hander from the boys club in Vic about the academy? They know Heeney is a gun, they know Mills is a gun, they know we get them for massive unders.

Really this could have a unifying effect...the club will be burning for success more than ever now...its a bit of Us vs. Them

[mcs]

Only just quickly skimmed over all the previous posts and the general sentiment is that we're being punished for Tip and Bud which is definitely true, at least in part.

But has anyone suggested that this could also be a huge back-hander from the boys club in Vic about the academy? They know Heeney is a gun, they know Mills is a gun, they know we get them for massive unders.

Really this could have a unifying effect...the club will be burning for success more than ever now...its a bit of Us vs. Them

That's the biggest hope out of this. If the club is serious for making up for the GF disaster of 2014, then 2015 should be one hell of a year for us. This is just throwing a huge pile of fuel on the fire that hopefully is already burning.

The essence of it is this. If we have cheated somehow and broken rules, the AFL should come out, make a statement, and make it clear to all -> give the COLA naysayers their moment in the sun and get on with it. If the Swans have played by the rules, the AFL should come out and make a statement saying so - and then have to justify, on proper grounds why we are being punished for undertaking no crime, except for exceptionally good list management.

We all know neither of those will ever occur however....

[WauchopeAnalyst]

Where is Richard Colless, we need him NOW!!!! I am sure that Richard still has plenty of fire in the belly and we need him to take on Eddie and puppett Gillon.

[top40]

As absurd and as wrong as this directive is I actually think there is an upside.

Fair-minded football fans, and there are actually more of them than the idiots who make the most noise, can now see the bare faced bullying of our club and the pandering to the Melbourne "elite".

The best thing is for us to act with dignity in this instance, keep our powder dry and keep the moral high ground.

From a football perspective a year of talent banking from the Draft and saving some cash to re-sign players like Lloyd, Rampe et al to front loaded deals in 2015 may be a blessing in disguise.

However, I now feel the following are non-negotiable

(1) If the Academy System and any reasonable benefits from it are attacked I expect our club to bring down the Draft. We know it is an illegal restraint of trade that the Boys' Club of the AFL keep to ensure the existence of commercially unviable clubs like the Western Bulldogs, St Kilda, Melbourne and North Melbourne. If they want to play hard ball then bring it on. I expect us to be able to withdraw from the first three rounds of the draft in return for three Academy concessions and no less.

(2) If this stunt is repeated I expect a full legal challenge under the law of equity

The next few days will be interesting - I think it is time for people like Gerard Healy to get off the fence and start defending their club

The Swans must seek legal advice about this. In the absence of any breach of the rules, I seriously question the AFL's right to impose on the club without a proper reason what is clearly a restraint of trade in accordance with the Trade Practices Act.

[ernie koala]

I think the issue is bigger. AI sounded like he was not too fussed about this trade period I think his concern is more about how the AFL is operating

Given the Swans were apparently keen to trade in Patfull.

Who, IMO, would of been a fantastic addition to bolster our backline.

And who knows what other trades may have bobbed up during this trade period.

I'd like to think the Swans are very fussed about being banned from this trade period.

[Melbournehammer]

The Swans must seek legal advice about this. In the absence of any breach of the rules, I seriously question the AFL's right to impose on the club without a proper reason what is clearly a restraint of trade in accordance with the Trade Practices Act.

The governance of sporting organisations is rarely tip top. But I would doubt restraint of trade would get up. If you are interested in legal issues I recommend you read the decisions of nswrl v quade and quade v nswrl regarding the chucking out of wests (my old team from my boyhood days) from the nswrl. there is a fairly large area for - clubs and voluntary associations can just make it up as they go along

[CureTheSane]

I'd like to think the Swans are very fussed about being banned from this trade period.

Certainly not outraged by the looks of it.

Dare say this will smoulder out over the next couple of days...

[Plugger46]

Ireland said they'd known about it for about a month so I think the Patfull connection is just lazy journalism.

Utter disgrace and even more baffling that it's taken til day 4 of trade week to come out. To not inform the AFLPA is just astounding. Did these peanuts decide to do this over a session at their local?

Unless there's something we don't know about here, I'll be very disappointed if the club just cops it.

[southsideswan]

I posted that there was a comment that Swans putting together a deal for Griffin. OK I understand there are a hundred rumours and some are actually correct but most are just ideas, failed attempts or just wrong. But what if this has some truth. He looks like going to GWS, which the AFL would think was ok but would HATE the idea of him going to Swans.

Not saying I believe it as it does not make sense but interesting. It would certainly stir up the AFL to react like they have.

[AnnieH]

The AFLPA are not happy, Jan.
The whole thing just stinks of Eddie.

Swans should call the QCs in on this one... just to show the AFL that they can't do this @@@@ and get away with it.

It's bad, mkay.

[ernie koala]

I posted that there was a comment that Swans putting together a deal for Griffin. OK I understand there are a hundred rumours and some are actually correct but most are just ideas, failed attempts or just wrong. But what if this has some truth. He looks like going to GWS, which the AFL would think was ok but would HATE the idea of him going to Swans.

Not saying I believe it as it does not make sense but interesting. It would certainly stir up the AFL to react like they have.

There was also rumours about the Swans going after Ryder.

It was this that Mike Sheehan (on the couch), commented that the Swans had been warned off him.

[CJK]

This just sounds like entrapment;

'Here's a gun my good man'
'Oh, Ok. Thanks Mr Officer.'
'OMG he's got a gun'
~SHOOTS~
*dead*

[swansrob]

I hope we go back to back in 2015-16, then land the biggest free agent in the game at the time ahead of 2017.

[floppinab]

The perception that the Swans were somehow abusing the COLA seemed to stem from the fact that we could recruit a marquee player (Tippett) immediately after winning a premiership. .

In amongst the noise there is a view that suggests we have purposefully deflated the base contracts of players, knowing they would inflate up to their market value with the addition of COLA. The view is that it is this that has allowed the "extra" cap space to pull in the superstars. When you read the AFL's statement on this issue, the only way that I can reconcile what they are saying is if you take that view as being correct. Clearly the Swans refute this and have said all along they've negotiated in good faith and the COLA has then come on top.
Would've liked to have been a fly on the wall in the discussions between the Swans and the AFL on this one.

[Reggi]

I think AI and AP are doing the right thing. Agitating by supporters will help them no end as well as the fact that the whole football world seems confused.

Getting in front of the AFL commission will ensure they understand that bad faith has developed.

Would expect many of the commissioners excluding old Jellyback would view this very dimly.

Beginning of the end for Mclachlan and Evans, both whoear incompetent