Fitzpatrick on Open Mike, Caro, Clarkson

[Bloods05]

The problem is more with McLachlan and how the media, including Caroline Wilson, have unbelievably, apart from Robert Walls, said nothing about the impropriety of the meeting.

And Malthouse.

[Blood Fever]

And Malthouse.

Walls and Malthouse two old school guys who have never been part of the love in.

[Legs Akimbo]

There is and has been for quite some time, a cultural issue at afl house. Gil strikes me as a guy who seeks approval from others. Not a great trait in a ceo.

Fitzpatrick quite the opposite. He was at the apex of a board structure with a fiduciary responsibility but his admissions of how things rolled in this interview is disturbing. All the more so because of his stadium involvement at olympic park. One wonders what sydney's desire to exit that deal had on his feelings about the club.

Turgid, the whole thing.

[barry]

Now that I have watched it, I don't mind Fitzpatrick's answers about buddy and cola.
He had two priorities. Keep Sydney swans strong ( key market) through cola and fast track GWS to a viable concern.

Buddy to GWS achieves both.

The swans were under cola attack after tippet joined. He was defending it by saying they were using it for younger and journey-man players (a slightly wrong view but a way to frame it to minimize attacks). Swans getting buddy killed that argument and empowered the anti cola brigade.
It also left GWS without a marquee player which they still lack today. Players like buddy and plugger don't come around often.

The good thing about buddy to swans though is that it has guaranteed the swans future. They need no longer fear a bottoming out period.

[barry]

.. guaranteed future because a club needs 20 years of solid success to gather enough locked on supporters.

Shows the enormity of gold coast and GWS. But unless they do have that 20 years like the swans have had, their future will always be uncertain.

[Debster1]

Disagree about Wilson. I find her constant and pointed criticisms of the AFL on ?Footy Classified? aggressive, apparently constructive, and always rather courageous.

Give me Caro any day.. I think she thrives on stirring up discussions on Footy Classified - and not just the ?arrow? segment! Love her press stuff too.
Leaves the boys club totally befuddled on many occasions.


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[Bloods05]

Now that I have watched it, I don't mind Fitzpatrick's answers about buddy and cola.
He had two priorities. Keep Sydney swans strong ( key market) through cola and fast track GWS to a viable concern.

Buddy to GWS achieves both.

The swans were under cola attack after tippet joined. He was defending it by saying they were using it for younger and journey-man players (a slightly wrong view but a way to frame it to minimize attacks). Swans getting buddy killed that argument and empowered the anti cola brigade.
It also left GWS without a marquee player which they still lack today. Players like buddy and plugger don't come around often.

The good thing about buddy to swans though is that it has guaranteed the swans future. They need no longer fear a bottoming out period.

I watched a different interview, one in which Fitzpatrick dissembled like a pro, fudged the issue of his conversation with Colless, wasn't even asked about the trade ban, and showed an inexcusable lack of understanding of the CoLA issue. Plus Mike Sheahan went very soft on him and didn't call him to account for the contradictions in his answers. Open Mike is a bit too chummy for my taste. I don't see the point of trying to keep sweet with people as a way of persuading them to go on air. With people like Fitzpatrick, that's just a recipe for blandness.

Also, I don't think the Swans' success is dependent on GWS becoming a powerhouse. I rejoice in the failure of a club that is a soulless creation of a greedy corporation, consorts with the likes of Tony Shepherd, plays like a bunch of self-entitled prima donnas, and squanders all the development money that should have been spent in Tasmania.

[Swanny40519]

I watched a different interview, one in which Fitzpatrick dissembled like a pro, fudged the issue of his conversation with Colless, wasn't even asked about the trade ban, and showed an inexcusable lack of understanding of the CoLA issue. Plus Mike Sheahan went very soft on him and didn't call him to account for the contradictions in his answers. Open Mike is a bit too chummy for my taste. I don't see the point of trying to keep sweet with people as a way of persuading them to go on air. With people like Fitzpatrick, that's just a recipe for blandness.

Also, I don't think the Swans' success is dependent on GWS becoming a powerhouse. I rejoice in the failure of a club that is a soulless creation of a greedy corporation, consorts with the likes of Tony Shepherd, plays like a bunch of self-entitled prima donnas, and squanders all the development money that should have been spent in Tasmania.

Agree 100% Bloods.

Unbelievable that Fitzpatrick did not understand his own rules regarding COLA - but I guess it is not a major surprise.

As was mentioned earlier it was probably more the $ impact of the Swans wanting to get out of the ANZ deal that he was more concerned with.

[barry]

If you frame it in the context of "open Mike" which is a chummy look at history, then you can see his answers targeted the context of the show. It was no royal commission, and he didn't prepare or give details to that level.

The trade ban is the big unanswered question. Was that Fitzpatrick's retribution, or a short term hit to help him keep cola or son-of-cola.

[top40]

Agree 100% Bloods.

Unbelievable that Fitzpatrick did not understand his own rules regarding COLA - but I guess it is not a major surprise.

As was mentioned earlier it was probably more the $ impact of the Swans wanting to get out of the ANZ deal that he was more concerned with.

It truely surprises me to know that Fitzpatrick is a Rhodes Scholar.

[barry]

It truely surprises me to know that Fitzpatrick is a Rhodes Scholar.

Rhodes scholars aren't always based on intellectual capabilities. It's a love of politics that's the key. Tony Abbott was a Rhodes scholar.

[The Big Cat]

It truely surprises me to know that Fitzpatrick is a Rhodes Scholar.

Doesn't surprise me. Tony Abbott is one!

[The Runner]

The challenge Mike has, is that if he goes too hard at his guests, the list of willing candidates will dwindle quickly. I think he did an ok job showing the incompetence of Fitzpatrick, without making him feel exposed.
Swans and Bombers fans should both feel saddened by his responses to their respective sagas. He displayed no conviction or clarity in his decision making, and was incredibly under prepared or uneducated for a Rhodes Scholar walking in to an interview about his past. Although, Tony Abbott has lowered the standard for the alumni.

I can't see the long term restrictions on Sydney being maintained. If Buddy was to go down with a career ending injury, we would have to maintain his place in our salary cap until the end of the contract period. But given Tom Boyd signed the same deal with no restrictions, its not likely to be upheld.

[Bloods05]

Doesn't surprise me. Tony Abbott is one!

Fitzpatrick is a clever man, but profoundly morally compromised. Perhaps there's a clue there as to the criteria.

[Swansongster]

It truely surprises me to know that Fitzpatrick is a Rhodes Scholar.

Don't read too much into a Rhodes scholarship. Often a corrupted system. Keep in mind that Tony Abbott was also in that category.

Do you know what sport Fitzpatrick's scholarship was paired to?