Hamill retires

Brian Collis · Mon 24 Sep 2007 1:09am

http://realfooty.com.au/news/news/injur ... 37650.html

ST KILDA'S veteran forward Aaron Hamill will announce his retirement this week, despite being contracted to play for the Saints in 2008.

Hamill, who did not play at senior level this year, is understood to have reached a financial settlement on the final year of his lucrative contract.

Hamill, who managed only 21 games in three seasons and was grounded this year by a chronic knee injury, was to be paid about $400,000 next year, having negotiated a four-year contract extension early in 2004. In effect, he was then given a new five-year deal.

The Saints have managed to strike a deal with Hamill over the last year of the contract, having brought forward some of next year's contract into this year's player payments, via the injury payments allowance.

So Hamill's retirement will save the club some salary cap room in 2008 and should allow them to acquire a player, although the club is still to re-sign key defender Matt Maguire.

Hamill went overseas on the weekend and left matters in the hands of his manager Ricky Nixon, who was forced to step in and act for the forward after his previous manager, David Allison, became a quadriplegic following a car accident. Allison, who had been living in Queensland, was the manager who negotiated Hamill's controversial exit from Carlton to St Kilda at the end of the 2000 season.

Hamill and Anthony Koutoufides were his best-known clients, the Blues having signed Koutoufides to a five-year, $5 million contract, still the richest in AFL history, in 2001.

Hamill left Carlton and signed with the Saints on a four-year deal worth about $2 million, and quickly became a favourite at Moorabbin for his aggressive style and leadership.

At his best, Hamill was a hard and athletic forward who played much taller than his 184 centimetres. He was noted for his defensive work in the forward line and was particularly damaging when flanked by capable key forwards such as Fraser Gehrig and Nick Riewoldt, and the youthful Lance Whitnall at Carlton.

Recent medical reports had indicated that Hamill would struggle to train properly for some weeks, prompting the decision to retire.

Hamill joined St Kilda at the same time as Gehrig crossed from West Coast and their signing by the new Rod Butterss administration stunned the football industry, happening, as it did, while the club was securing Malcolm Blight for his short-lived tenure as senior coach.

Hamill â€” drafted by Carlton from ACT club Tuggeranong at a bargain pick No. 79 in 1994, played 190 games in his career, booting 239 goals.

bigcarl · Post: # 462290Post **bigcarl** » Mon 24 Sep 2007 1:12am

thanks for the service hammer. bad luck those injuries got on top of you in the end.

Kiedis · Post: # 462291Post **Kiedis** » Mon 24 Sep 2007 1:15am

Saints Premiers 2008 · Mon 24 Sep 2007 1:18am

f****** hell s*** f*** damn it f*** f*** f*** f*** f*** f***

i love that man

his courage at the ball is second to none and its so sad that his career has been cut short...

all the best hammer you f****** gun

Post: # 462294Post **n1ck** » Mon 24 Sep 2007 1:20am

Cr#p.

I miss Sammy already.

A fit Hammer would have made the difference over the long run in 04 and 05 IMO.

All the best mate.

Perhaps with that news about his contract we're making up room in the cap for a big signing during trade week??

Kiedis · Post: # 462295Post **Kiedis** » Mon 24 Sep 2007 1:22am

Saints Premiers 2006 wrote:f****** hell s*** f*** damn it f*** f*** f*** f*** f*** f***

i love that man

his courage at the ball is second to none and its so sad that his career has been cut short...

all the best hammer you f****** gun

preach it brother! i know people were calling for his retirement but im genuinely sad...i just always figured he'd eventually make a miracle comeback

Saints Premiers 2008 · Mon 24 Sep 2007 1:24am

the mini-re-build is complete...

the deadwood has been cut (harsh but true)

sammy became a hinderance on the football club due to the obvious

the love is still there and will be for a long, long time though

mad saint guy · Mon 24 Sep 2007 1:24am

Was an absolute gun for us from 2001-2004, but this is a couple of years too late. His knees have been well and truly stuffed for a long time and he has probably cost us a player like Simmonds over the past few years.

But I'm sure most people wouldn't walk out on earning huge money for running a couple of laps of the oval each year so you can't really blame him.

So does this mean that his contract has been terminated and we have another spot on the list for 2008 or will he remain on the list and receive a payout (even though he was given extra money this year)?

If he has agreed to have his contract terminated and have nothing included in the salary cap, then we have just became a huge chance to snare Hudson or Jolly.

This also may have been a factor in the delay in the Goose/X/Bakes negotiations.

Saints Premiers 2008 · Mon 24 Sep 2007 1:25am

we now have a stack of money left in the kitty from our 5 retirees

interesting times ahead

Kiedis · Post: # 462301Post **Kiedis** » Mon 24 Sep 2007 1:28am

ey wasnt he on 98 or 99 games for us? man that's annoying

mad saint guy · Mon 24 Sep 2007 1:33am

Saints Premiers 2006 wrote:we now have a stack of money left in the kitty from our 5 retirees

interesting times ahead

Just guessing

Gehrig - 400k
Hamill - 400k
Voss - 200k
Thompson - 130k
Clarke - 100k

Total - $1,230k

Make 4 of those draftees (45k on average) and factor in a bit of a pay rise for Goose and X (30k each) and we've got almost $1 million spare. We should have a real go in trade week.

This also means that we have gotten rid of 7 players. We won't draft any more than 4 kids, so I think we'll be going after a few recycled/mature age players. I hope Stefan Garrubba is one and Cam Faulkner is a possibility.

Saints Premiers 2008 · Mon 24 Sep 2007 1:34am

Post: # 462307Post **n1ck** » Mon 24 Sep 2007 1:49am

Hope its Jolly.

Wouldnt mind a Hamish McIntosh though

midas_touch · Mon 24 Sep 2007 2:23am

It was inevitable, but it is still rather sad that the career of a great player has been cut short due to injury. At his best, Hamill added another dimension to our forward line, with his relentless forward pressure and attack on the football. He was the true definition of an enforcer.

Thanks for the wonderful service you gave to our club, its a shame that your dodgy knees have no longer allowed you to stand up to the rigors of AFL footy. You will be missed.

markinUSA · Post: # 462312Post **markinUSA** » Mon 24 Sep 2007 2:25am

Thanks Aaron for everything. You always gave 100%, and we all loved you for that. You were an inspiration - lots of people say "We walked a bit taller when Aaron Hammil was in the side".

Best of luck always.

4ever_saint · Mon 24 Sep 2007 2:56am

wow. i woulda thought for sure he'd play on.

next year is going to be so weird with so many players gone.

i am utterly gobsmacked

spert · Post: # 462326Post **spert** » Mon 24 Sep 2007 7:48am

A top player for us when he could get on the field.. thanks to AH

fingers · Post: # 462330Post **fingers** » Mon 24 Sep 2007 7:57am

Sad when injuries take a player out. I hope the club keeps him on in some form - I think he has a lot to teach the young kids.

Unforgiven · Post: # 462332Post **Unforgiven** » Mon 24 Sep 2007 8:27am

Sounds like he is doing the right thing by the club as well. Well done Sammy

saintsrus · Post: # 462333Post **saintsrus** » Mon 24 Sep 2007 8:29am

Thats sad but a relief at the same time, cant wait to see the Carlton supporters grin today at work

As mentioned we must go hard in the draft now theres room

st.mart · Post: # 462336Post **st.mart** » Mon 24 Sep 2007 8:51am

Why would there be that much room......

Do you not think that Kosi, Riewoldt, Dal had an increase in pay for 2008...

All of those would have got and extra 100-200K

Sam Gilbert's contract expired, Aaron Fiora's, Matt Maguire's has, X & R Clarkes....

Max Hudghton has gone to the Vets list saving a bit more - 100K

Next year.....Lenny Hayes, Sam Fisher, Brendon Goddard, Jason Gram it is never ending

IMO - we can afford 1 more player in the pre-season draft....

vacuous space · Mon 24 Sep 2007 8:55am

mad saint guy wrote:Make 4 of those draftees (45k on average) and factor in a bit of a pay rise for Goose and X (30k each) and we've got almost $1 million spare. We should have a real go in trade week.

I doubt we'll draft four kids if we're active in trade week. Our last pick last year was 59, and last year was supposedly the deeper draft. If we trade pick 9/27, that'll leave us with 59 as our third pick again. We might use pick 75 on a mature age recruit, but probably not a kid.

3 kids at the draft, 2 elevations, 1 mature recruit and a trade. That covers the seven.

saintly · Post: # 462338Post **saintly** » Mon 24 Sep 2007 9:00am

supposedly we will trade fevola to carlton for pick 9.

hope not. rather keep the first round draft pick. but this rumour is growing.

The Fireman · Mon 24 Sep 2007 9:09am

I wanted to see him play again, gun. The game is losing players like this and it is and is the worse for it

Good luck with what ever you do Sammy.
We have been hit with the bad luck stick once again.

chook23 · Post: # 462340Post **chook23** » Mon 24 Sep 2007 9:12am

at his best his aggression was real weapon....

sad and I think at times he thinks to himself why did I lift my knee and chose to make contact (hip).... with Johnson (geelong)

rather than pick the ball up....loved the body contact though

In his prime was a great leader

Hamill retires

Hamill retires

Re: Hamill retires