For the good of the club

[SENsei]

Johnny Member....well said.

+1

[stinger]

for the good of the club???????f*** me...for the good of the sponsors more like it...what about the players..??? what about their good.....and their chances of winning this weekend???....one of their mates has just been shafted big time....they are really pissed off by the sounds of it.........if it was me a player revolt would not be out of the question....maybe they are just considering one too.....

Player revolt? Grow up stinger...

Milne has played one good game this year, has been lucky to stay in the side on form, if we can't beat Melbourne without him we should be asking for a priority pick.

It would an absolute circus if Milne played this week & someone else pointed out, what Iif he played and kicked 8 goals or the match winner... Very awkward.

Football has to come second to this unfortunate situation.

comment on my post ffs...don't attack me just because you don't agree.....no need for the smart arse comment..... would you prefer to see milne and the players association take the club to the supreme court like lovett did......???...because that is what is likely to happen if the club doesn't back down.....

[stinger]

Player revolt???.........pffftt.

The players should stand back a little and look at the complexity of this issue for those running the football club. This would have been an agonising decision for them, but at the end of the day the greater good of the football club has to be at the forefront. Nobody at the club has bad intentions for Milne, but this matter is a damned if you do, damned if you don't situation. With Milne probably already in the last year of his career, does the club jeopardise its position for the next couple of years in relation to sponsors, memberships, and so on, as the heat of abuse and incessant scrutiny engulfs everyone associated with it?

I'll be happy to go to games without that concern weighing on me. The club has been very good to Stephen Milne and has had to bear much of the heat for the immense dramas of 2004. Milne and his senior team mates should understand the club's position, as they know only too well how destructive the constant media hammering, crowd abuse, and the resultant heavy financial damage that done by perceived off field indiscretions. No one will ever forget the Kim Duthie saga, and in that situation, there was no wrongdoing by St Kilda players, yet the insane media circus and its enormous damage to our club and its finances cannot be underestimated.

i understand what you are saying but i believe the players think that the club has let milne down...as gram states he feels that way in respect of himself and milne......


you should read this article...

http://www.theage.com.au/afl/afl-news/s ... 2oje7.html


"Saints at odds over Milne


The decision to withdraw Stephen Milne's right to play football has driven a wedge between St Kilda, its senior players and the AFL Players Association, but the fact remains it was the right thing to do.

A man charged with four counts of rape is innocent, as they say, until proved guilty, but some accusations remain too serious to set aside when the footy comes around on the weekend.

The AFL surely knew it and St Kilda ultimately knew it.


Unfortunately, the club chose to communicate its decision to the Milne camp in a most disingenuous fashion.

Players' union boss Matt Finnis suggested the club put the interests of its brand before the interests of its player.

''The AFL Players' Association is deeply concerned by the decision announced by the St Kilda board this afternoon regarding an imposed leave of absence on Stephen Milne,'' he said.

''We don't consider the decision genuinely reflects a commitment to a player and his family as much as it does other interests of a club.''

That in itself is entirely justifiable, but unfortunately St Kilda's obsession with appearances and its own troubled image saw the

mixed messages that followed. The Saints' initial explanation to Milne's management was that the club psychologist and the coach, Scott Watters, had made the call, even though Watters had stood before the players on Tuesday and declared his support for Milne.

Every senior player believed on leaving that meeting that Milne would play with the coach's support. If the Saints' board and executive in any way misrepresented the coach, then Watters has every right to be disappointed - and the senior players, and notably Nick Riewoldt and Nick Dal Santo, disenchanted.

Interestingly, the club's ultimate statement read by president Greg Westaway did not mention the coach but spoke of ''duty of care'' towards the player and his family, a phrase that infuriated the Milne camp and the AFLPA.

Major sponsor Centrebet was one of several key stakeholders reportedly considering its position with the club, and the vexed issue of Women's Round looming in eight days' time, another key factor.

And the Saints took their time in reaching the final verdict on Milne after learning late on Monday that he was about to face charges from an alleged rape dating back more than nine years.

When the 33-year-old ran out into the training track at Seaford early on Wednesday he did so believing he would be playing on Saturday.

So did the senior players. Captain Riewoldt and Dal Santo did not require, but received anyway, an apology from Milne for so horribly and unexpectedly upstaging their respective 250th milestones. A pall has been cast on the occasion along with the private function those two players have planned following the game.

Milne was told after training that he was being placed on indefinite leave. The decision devastated him and his family, with senior teammates and the AFLPA considering their position on Wednesday night and how best to influence a resumption of Milne's football in the twilight of his career.

Milne's management had believed the emergency Tuesday night board meeting would clear Milne to play, a decision that required AFL ratification.

The AFL's position on Wednesday was that St Kilda had made the final call following a subsequent board telephone hook-up early on Wednesday. Several AFL commissioners had put forward their positions as key officials, including Gillon McLachlan and cultural strategy manager Sue Clark had the previous day.

The view from the Milne camp was that St Kilda CEO Michael Nettlefold and several board members had shifted their initial positions.

Nettlefold and his fellow director Jack Rush are both on holiday. Rush, a potential future president of the club, was chairman of the AFL's Grievance Tribunal when the Andrew Lovett case was heard in 2010.

Sport is just a sideshow to this unfortunate and devastating story but in the wider context of football's relationship with society the St Kilda Football Club has done the right thing in removing Milne from the field of play.

Several key St Kilda directors changed their minds about Milne playing from Tuesday night to Wednesday morning and the board also had concerns that the AFL Commission would not back the call to play Milne.'



...this matter is far from settled and is likely to turn uglier...for all concerned......

[stinger]

Player revolt???.........pffftt.

.

you can say or print pffftt as many times as you like...but there was a player rebellion underfoot...take my word for it....or caro's i don't much care either way.....



"Milne will return: Saints avert player rebellion

Date
June 20, 2013 - 5:37PM

Caroline Wilson

EXCLUSIVE

St Kilda has thwarted a potential player rebellion by assuring its senior group that it had every intention of clearing Stephen Milne to play, potentially within the next four weeks.

A deputation of senior players including Milne, his captain Nick Riewoldt and Jason Blake met a group of club directors early on Thursday seeking urgent clarification of Milne's status as a St Kilda player.

Coach Scott Watters also held talks with the board members in a bid to learn their position on Milne's future after telling his players on Tuesday he would back the 33-year-old.

Milne is understood to have had his fears allayed that his playing career was finished. Placed on indefinite leave by the club after being charged on Tuesday with four counts of rape, he released a statement saying he would be contesting the charges. Milne's first court date has been set on July 5 with a committal hearing not expected for some months.


Club president Greg Westaway confirmed the crisis meetings. He told Fairfax Media: "We had enough regard for the players to make sure they fully understood the process that we went through in reaching the decision that we did."

Asked if he could place a time frame on Milne's potential return Westaway said: "That's a matter for the coach and for Stephen's welfare."

Milne, along with concerned senior players and with the strong backing of the AFL Players Association, held talks with Westaway, football director Andrew Thompson and board newcomer Ian McLeod, the managing director of Coles. Westaway was due to hold talks with AFL chief Andrew Demetriou on Thursday night.

The players had been disenchanted after the club appeared to shift its position on Milne after several directors had a change of heart on how to handle his immediate playing future. Some within the club also believed subtle pressure had come from the AFL.

With that crisis averted but the AFL closely monitoring St Kilda's handling of Milne following the police charges, club chief executive Michael Nettlefold is understood to have cut short his holiday and was returning home from Italy in time for Saturday's clash with Melbourne. Riewoldt and Nick Dal Santo are due to become the 10th and 11th St Kilda players respectively to reach the 250 game milestone.

While Milne and his team-mates appeared comforted after the board meeting that the Saints has every intention of ending Milne's enforced absence within the month - and perhaps by round-15 after Women's Round for round 15 - the final decision on Milne's selection and playing future could come from the AFL which has reserved the right to take action on the player pending further developments.

The AFL Commission met on Wednesday night to consider its position but in the short term backed the move by St Kilda to remove Milne from playing for an indefinite period. In 2009 Adelaide suspended Nathan Bock indefinitely after he was charged with assaulting his girlfriend. Bock returned to the senior team after one week.

Milne released a statement through his management Stride Sports.

"Stephen is taking the legal matter very seriously and has engaged lawyers to represent him to contest the charges," said his manager Tom Petroro. "Like every citizen, he is entitled to the presumption of innocence. It is requested that the privacy of Stephen, his wife and his family be respected during this time."


Read more: http://www.theage.com.au/afl/afl-news/m ... z2Wjxc1Uch

[matrix]

So he wouldn't have cut short the holiday if this didn't come about and wouldn't of been there to see a club champion and a club great get to there 250 game milestones???

That's how it reads

Surely not......
If so then pretty poor imo.

[tweedaletomanning]

So he wouldn't have cut short the holiday if this didn't come about and wouldn't of been there to see a club champion and a club great get to there 250 game milestones???

That's how it reads

Surely not......
If so then pretty poor imo.

Any other CEO I would have thought, unbelievable , but nettlefold, anythings possible.

[SainterK]

So he wouldn't have cut short the holiday if this didn't come about and wouldn't of been there to see a club champion and a club great get to there 250 game milestones???

That's how it reads

Surely not......
If so then pretty poor imo.

Was thinking the same thing M.

Also I see nothing to suggest a player revolt, in fact if you believe Caro, she said ends with saying the players are satisfied with where it sits right now.

[stinger]

So he wouldn't have cut short the holiday if this didn't come about and wouldn't of been there to see a club champion and a club great get to there 250 game milestones???

That's how it reads

Surely not......
If so then pretty poor imo.

appears so....

[stinger]

So he wouldn't have cut short the holiday if this didn't come about and wouldn't of been there to see a club champion and a club great get to there 250 game milestones???

That's how it reads

Surely not......
If so then pretty poor imo.

Was thinking the same thing M.

Also I see nothing to suggest a player revolt, in fact if you believe Caro, she said ends with saying the players are satisfied with where it sits right now.

there was one underfoot according to my source...or i would not have posted on the subject....

[spert]

I hope the players are satisfied- they should put up and shut up in this situation. Milne has been formally charged with a terrible crime, and should not be playing until the courts make a ruling. We don't need the tail wagging the dog like the bad old days at St Kilda- this is where strong leadership from the top is vital/

[stinger]

I hope the players are satisfied- they should put up and shut up in this situation. Milne has been formally charged with a terrible crime, and should not be playing until the courts make a ruling. We don't need the tail wagging the dog like the bad old days at St Kilda- this is where strong leadership from the top is vital/

why is the young filth player still playing then...???

[matrix]

I'm guessing the filth decided he could?????

[spert]

The filth have a strong network in the media and police, and have the resources to hide nasty things...say no more

[Devilhead]

Round 16 is v Carlton on the Saturday night at Etihad

Reckon he would prefer to fly out straight to Perth after the court hearing late Friday afternoon - would still arrive Friday night

Either way he still might not have a choice

He isnt going to be allowed to play straight after womens round. That would be the worst look ever. Lets face it, he has little hope of ever playing again which is very sad for him and all of us who dont even get to say bye and well done.

http://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/afl/s ... 6665916676

[saintbrat]

http://www.geelongadvertiser.com.au/art ... inion.html

Nowhere was this more evident than on social media, where people felt empowered to air their beliefs and prejudices unchecked and unfiltered without any ownership of ramifications.

Some resorted to name calling; many called for Milne's sacking. There was little regard to protocol or process. There was an air of celebration and a lot of "I told you so".

It is a very Australian trait to place our sporting heroes beyond reproach, just as it is a cultural pastime to delight in the fall of a tall poppy.

In a fortnight when blatant sexism and the degradation of women has been prominent in the media, many saw the developments in the Milne case as another platform on which to preach.

But there is a world of difference between the disrespectful mockery of a Prime Minister by her peers and police charges over a serious crime. And to lump the two under the "men are pigs" heading is to seriously demean our legal process.

Yes, Saints fans are hurting. But the pain isn't a fraction of that being experienced by the true victims in this mess. At this point in time, only two people know the truth of what happened in 2004. And as far as I can see, there aren't any winners.

[cwrcyn]

Okay, so the players went in to bat for Milne, and want him playing ASAP. I hope they give him a big cuddle before the Collingwood game, because it'll be an absolute circus and the abuse he'll get from that crowd will be like nothing anyone has experienced before.

[saintbrat]

.... Collingwood game, because it'll be an absolute circus and the abuse he'll get from that crowd will be like nothing anyone has experienced before.

I knew I'd find a spot for this story
http://www.news.com.au/lifestyle/health ... 6666756209