Of the Reserves.
Comparing footy clubs to private business is a bit of a stretch, I reckon.
And just because someone wants to explore other employment options isnât a reason to sack them.
My partner wanted to move on from her senior local council job in aged care to pursue an investigative type role. Took a few years, and a few knock backs but she still operated at a high level, taking pride in her work and was valued by the organisation. Sheâs now working for the State Government for the Department of Justice.
Would be a good topic to discuss⌠what does an AFL club environment look like, âcause the very human element of the business is varied and complex with concessions being made all the time.
There are plenty departments at work where they couldnât care less but in my department due to IP and security reasons itâs an absolute non negotiable to seek employment in the same industry. Management including myself are fully aware of the consequences and if I were to interview elsewhere Iâd want to have a job lined up or hope that work isnât made aware or Iâd be out.
Thankfully they look after most of us exceptionally well so no need to look elsewhere yet
Comparing apples and oranges. No one cares when Johnny moves from Coles to Woolies. Thatâs life, you do what is best for you and your family. Ordinary people earning normal wages not million dollar footballers.
Footy is different, people spend 60-70-80 years supporting the one club, loyalty, emotions, passion. A captain is meant to bleed for the club, be a mainstay etc. If he wanted to leave he should have stepped down as captain mid year, stated his intentions of wanting out, or signed a 12 month contract initially and renew on the proviso he was happy. He has done everything wrongâŚ.
The club owes him? The club have paid the man a million dollars a season. He has been very well looked after. They gave him his opportunity. They owe him nothing.
I want him gone at seasons end. Get a draft pick and run.
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Youâve mentioned it plenty times in the last few months, but now youâve clarified.
At one point it was a non negotiable.
Then itâs not so common.
So what one small sub-section of a company doesnât make it common place across all work environments. Whether thatâs retail, office business or other.
Thanks for sharing your experience though.
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Merrett was resigned to giving up captaining an AFL footy club the minute he decided he wanted out of the Bombers. He wouldnât have sweated a single bead of moisture deciding to hand back something that he knew was no longer his.
Not brave, not selfless, not humble. Just realistic
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He has. And if youâve been watching, footy is not at all what it once was. Itâs a corporate sporting business enterprise, and before too long youâll cop a night GF, mid season player swaps, wild card finals (oh, youâre kidding, thatâs already a thing?), conferences, and any number of alienating developments on top of the horrid, loud mess of game day experience, the rorting of families, the exclusivity, and the near destruction of our club by a concerted corporate/media effort to âclean upâ the superficial appearance of the game and professional sport in general, which our corporate club invited and threw its favourite son into the jaws of.
But Zach looked over the fence and was tempted after years of shouldering that misery. What a carnt.
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Check out Syd Barker, captain coach of Essendon from 1922 to 1924, who came from North Melbourne VFA in 1921 when we were wooden spooners to lead us as captain-coach in back-to-back Premierships in 1923 and 1924, but who returned to Norf as coach when they joined the VFL in 1925.
Can confirm Iâve held a senior position in 2 different industries where what @Aceman has said is common. So, itâs not highly unusual either.
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âShouldering year of miseryâ! Come on now, I like dramatics as much as the next but really? Zac is a footballer being paid exceptionally well, lets just put it in perspective. If you want to justify his recent actions by giving a dull spool on how the game is being ruined by corporate enterprise so be it.
But there are still many of us (likely older generations) that have a moral compass and believe there is a right and wrong way to go about things.
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I look at this as a classy move by the Bombers.
Let him announce it on his own terms instead of the club doing the obvious. I think we can all agree that his time as captain was over.
I fully expect him to have another stand out year on the field as our best player, then most likely bugger off after that, depending on how we go.
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Wasnât Leigh Colbert Geelong captain when he went to North?
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He was but he hadnât played a game as captain due to injury, it was 1998 or 99, he left the next year.
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Sorry for the âdull spoolâ. Yes Zach is, as you say, a well paid professional in a professional sporting business franchise. Heâs put 12 years into our utterly failed and ruinous franchise and received a brilliant offer from a far more professional franchise with a much brighter outlook. His bid failed and he has now returned to our franchise, relinquished the burden of its captaincy, expressed opinion on and approval of its recent operations as they are in line with his view of professionalism, and will once again be an example on field where all that counts is professionalism and skill. He will, unlike many others, earn his money and please the members of the franchise with his efforts. Suck it up.
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Yes
I think Brad Scott may be in love with Merrett
Kept him in a job single handedly
In my experience in other fields there are restrictions.
Especially when it gets to IP. CEO or client facing leadaerâs for instance wouldnât be able to put in their resignation notice of employment a month before they leave. Six months is more the norm to deal with the transition.
But it isnât so heavy to not allow you seek employment elsewhere.
That is a workers right that is there for everyone. Regardless of wage, job role, status, etc.
But obviously, different companies will have policies to protect themselves. And thatâs fine. And it sounds like the company pays a premium for it, so the incentive isnât there.
But just like you canât compare Merrettâs situation to a common Coles worker, you also canât compare Merretâs situation to a small sub-section of the workplace that does deal with workers in a particular way. Each industry will have its own standards. Even the AFL.
I didnât want to hold on to Merrett once he said he wanted to leave. I thought the Hawks offer was fair and I strongly doubt we get a similar offer next pre-season. If we do, great. Positives can actually come out of this situation. But the last twenty years has kept me grounded that we could actually reach a desired outcome even if we follow other clubs standards (be it trading during draft, S&C methods, training standards, etc). What will be, will be.
The messaging from the club has been perfectly fine given the situation.
They are trying to be proactive and deal with this issue prior to the xmas break and then make the post xmas training sessions without the outside noise. Itâll still ramp up though once the season begins and things donât go as planned. The media will do what they usually do which is give just enough info of whatâs going on to farm for a reaction. And most loud fans will react and create the toxicity thatâll fuel the media cycle even more.
Itâll be an interesting season. If it doesnât go as planned, players will have to learn to be uncomfortable. Itâll probably make some players, itâll also break some players.
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What about Joeâs tieless Crichton? Or the Presidentâs unbuttoned shirt? The NADA t shirt press conference? Stringer the flying bucket hat? Every Hangar needs a runwayâŚ
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