AFL slaps trade ban on Swans

[Jeynez]

discussion on SENs the crunch, robbo on swans side and I think kingy was too, but Derms only comment was I will play devils advocate and talk about COLA brushed aside questions re Dawks and recruiting of Gibson, Lake, McEvoy, Burgourne, Frawley, and I think I may have missed a couple. Nobody said did the Swans go over the cap which I assume was scrutinized greatly.
Getting sick of derm on Fox as well.

I also heard that the Hawks were in the mix for Treloar...
I'd can already hear the Vic Bias trying to explain the difference between the Hawks recruiting Frawley, O'Rourke and potentially Treloar after winning consecutive flags, and us with Tippett and Buddy.

[DA_Swan]

Great to see Pridham call it as it is - it was a good follow up from the Richard Colless blast - at least we are not just rolling over - will be interested to hear the AFL response - the silence will be deafening !!!!

[707]

No response from the VFL should result in a response in court from us very quickly and get an injunction to stop the ban before this years trade period.

Good to see some journo's finally getting on board which is about bloody time given the shambles that is the VFL at present.

Great to see continuing bad press for the current regime at the VFL.

[liz]

Hawks are also being associated with Yarran.

[707]

Hawks are also being associated with Yarran.

Is that right? Well we can expect to VFL to grease the rails so that Yarran definitely gets there!

Just thinking that our attack on the trade ban has been carefully thought out, first Colless phone call revelation, then Pridhams "blast" in front of four VFL Commissioners last night. Maybe we do intend going legal if the VFL don't drop the ban? From a laymans point of view, the VFL are on very shaky ground and despite the threats we would get for daring to go to court, the VFL wouldn't want that ugly affair played out in the media during the finals. Thinking that we would get a fair bit of support from the media if we did challenge, they appear to be getting on board.

[DamY]

Is that right? Well we can expect to VFL to grease the rails so that Yarran definitely gets there!

Just thinking that our attack on the trade ban has been carefully thought out, first Colless phone call revelation, then Pridhams "blast" in front of four VFL Commissioners last night. Maybe we do intend going legal if the VFL don't drop the ban? From a laymans point of view, the VFL are on very shaky ground and despite the threats we would get for daring to go to court, the VFL wouldn't want that ugly affair played out in the media during the finals. Thinking that we would get a fair bit of support from the media if we did challenge, they appear to be getting on board.

You'd think they'd want it to go away, considering the WADA case as well

[i'm-uninformed2]

I suspect there is some urgency to this renewed push.

Given the odds are still on Jetta going home (agree or not, just hold with me for the principle here) we'd be keen to swap for a player to add to our depth, rather than a draft pick that'd get chewed up in accessing Mills.

Which of course illustrates the absurdity of the rule. If he leaves, we only get one choice on coping - a draft pick (or some spud less than $350k). Any other club in the same situation gets total flexibility.

[Mel_C]

The thing is that people still think that we used all of COLA to pay for Buddy and Tippett when it is actually spread over all the players. The AFL have never come out and strongly refuted this. So people think that we have exploited the rules and therefore deserve the ban.

The good thing now is that most of the media know the ban is an injustice and are just as outraged as we are. And they are calling on the AFL to come out and explain the exact reason why the ban was given.

[Mug Punter]

If we cannot get the trade ban lifted then I hope that the club takes this to the courts.

It seems like it goes against all principles of equity and I'd love to see the truth come out here.

[crackedactor]

For the record

If we cannot get the trade ban lifted then I hope that the club takes this to the courts.

It seems like it goes against all principles of equity and I'd love to see the truth come out here.

Andrew Pridham was given the kicking a goal award for mentioning this unfair trading ban in front of 4 commissioners on a Melbourne Radio station!! 1116 SEN! The presenter was stating how it is extremely unfair with no basis for the sanction. Yes on Melbourne Radio!!!

[annew]

Andrew Pridham was given the kicking a goal award for mentioning this unfair trading ban in front of 4 commissioners on a Melbourne Radio station!! 1116 SEN! The presenter was stating how it is extremely unfair with no basis for the sanction. Yes on Melbourne Radio!!!

On 3aw today thee was a passing comment by Richo that Sam Maclure from 3 aw said the ban will be lifted - not sure I am confident of this.

[Sandridge]

Caroline Wilson on the ABC program Offsiders this morning virtually said, "Watch this space" as far as the trade ban goes. She, too, mentioned the possibility of legal action.

[Nico]

Andrew Pridham was given the kicking a goal award for mentioning this unfair trading ban in front of 4 commissioners on a Melbourne Radio station!! 1116 SEN! The presenter was stating how it is extremely unfair with no basis for the sanction. Yes on Melbourne Radio!!!

Mark Fine on SEN said Pridham was his new AFL hero.

To be fair, SEN people have largely been on our side on the ban. Not sure that Brereton even has an opinion on it.

No one seems to mention that this Academy/FS idiocy was a trumped up idea after the draft ban, to well and truely shaft us.

All along wondered whether this was a Gillon McLaughlin idea as it seemed way too complicated for his mind.

[Mug Punter]

Mark Fine on SEN said Pridham was his new AFL hero.

To be fair, SEN people have largely been on our side on the ban. Not sure that Brereton even has an opinion on it.

No one seems to mention that this Academy/FS idiocy was a trumped up idea after the draft ban, to well and truely shaft us.

All along wondered whether this was a Gillon McLaughlin idea as it seemed way too complicated for his mind.

The AFL's chickens are well and truly coming home to roost at the moment.

I applaud the fact we have kept our powder dry until now and I am sure that we have tried to use reason over the last year but it is time to stand up to the bullies at HQ. Let the trust come out.

I saw GWS being referred to as the AFL's Vietnam in the paper today, how I laughed at that. We tried to warn them about the Sydney market but they would not listen. And I'd call Gold Coast their Iraq

In a way I am glad that the COLA has gone now. We stand on our own two feet and there is nothing they can take away from us now. Maybe the rental assistance but we should fight that tooth and nail. And they can't take away the academies because they must work for expansion to work.

Ultimately there needs to be at least two less Melbourne based teams in this comp and it could be argued that that is too many. But they cannot kill off a Melbourne team whist bankrolling Gold Coast and GWS to the tune of tens of millions each year. And they need the 18 teams for their TV Deal.

The AFL Commission has morphed out of a state body, the VFL, to effectively control the game now but it is essentially still a Melbourne based organisation. Only a truly representative body with Melbourne based board members in the minority can fix this mess. I can see some huge issues for the AFL over the next decade

[DamY]

The thing is that people still think that we used all of COLA to pay for Buddy and Tippett when it is actually spread over all the players. The AFL have never come out and strongly refuted this. So people think that we have exploited the rules and therefore deserve the ban.

The good thing now is that most of the media know the ban is an injustice and are just as outraged as we are. And they are calling on the AFL to come out and explain the exact reason why the ban was given.

At the end of the day, the Swans DO (did) have more cap than other clubs and I don't think that is fair. Whether it's spread across the other players or not, it still results in an unfair advantage because we have an additional $1m or so to spend that other clubs do not have (besides the expansion clubs). Sydney can say you may get $800,000 at Richmond but we can give you another 9.8% on top of that (which may or may not happen - it's quite difficult to determine. I understand on the other side, you have more opportunities for additional earning opportunities for VIC, WA and SA clubs compared to QLD and NSW based players. But I can understand the agitation from other clubs too.

COLA has served its purpose, it has stabilised the "go-home" factor that the club suffered in the 90s and currently has an attractive and (generally) winning culture for highly-paid players and rental assistance for rookies and young players.