To the top wrote: ↑Fri 20 Sep 2019 8:57pm
Jack Steven is CONTRACTED to St Kilda for the 2020 season.
So he either plays at St Kilda at the required leval, does not play (and St Kilda take action for breach of Contract) or Geelong make an offer which is TOTALLY acceptable to St Kilda.
If he chooses to not play or merely makes up the numbers at Sandringham in 2020 that will be the end of his AFL career and his earning capacities because 2 years out or virtually 2 years out plus then being 31 years of age in 2021 would indicate a very hard road back to AFL football, particularly at an elite level and where that elite level is why Geelong seek him (after one interrupted season, not two)
They are the options Jack Steven has as a CONTRACTED player.
IF Geelong are so keen, they play ball at St Kilda's behest, exclusively.
Steven has questions to ask himself courtesy of executing a CONTRACT, and not delivering under that CONTRACT in 2019.
St Kilda has, to date, supported Steven
But it should not be screwed by Steven in unison with Geelong.
You play hard ball - and you send a message to players and to the competition.
St Kilda is not a benevolent fund.
St Kilda FC comes first before ANY player.
Because St Kilda FC is perpetual.
Players are temporary.
Hardball may have worked 20 to 30 years ago but the landscape has changed, the message you want to send is the club owns the player and that is not well received by the modern day player. You’re hung up on a clown from the 60’s man
The players don’t play for the jumper, they don’t respond to fire and brimstone, they embrace a culture of support players coming and going, that is the modern club environment.
That is the new elite sports environment. I have family involved in elite sport and just had someone move interstate to pursue greater development opportunity. The incumbent club and coach were not upset at losing the competitor, instead supported and facilitated the move and sent a senior coach interstate to provide a hand over at the new environment.
The message the modern day player wants is to play at a club who will work with you to provide a solution that benefits the person above all else when it comes to internal support, trades and club movement. In your model we would be giving up 3 first round picks for the contracted Brad Hill if Freo played hard ball.
If Steven wants out, get a fair market deal and move on.
The make them pay, bend them over deals do you no long term good. A second round pick looks a good return. Rutagelea straight swap will do me as we seem to be in the market for a ruck/forward. Haven’t seen enough of Constable to understand why he is viewed as the next Patrick Cripps on this site.
Steven served the club well, but if he wants out its see you later and thanks for your service.
Your methods went out with hair bands and flailed trousers TTT, it’s the new age of love, support and players wellness above all else.
If the events of last week taught anything it is that mental illness needs to be treated extremely seriously and holding Steven to his contract is not the right thing to do by the person.