David EdwardsMichael Slips Past Trade Net
November 29th 2006 11:35
As the trading season is now in full swing for the AFL, a major story has appeared that involves a multiple premiership player, a retirement, and a comeback in different colours, all within a few weeks.
For those who are new to the story, we are talking about former Brisbane Lions player Mal Michael. Michael played for the Brisbane Lions during their hay day as a strong defender and mobile player. However it seemed to everyone around him that the game had took a toll on him, and six weeks ago, announced his retirement from AFL, citing he “lacked passion to continue full-time in the AFL”.
I guess a six week holiday can really re-charge someone’s batteries.
Going from retirement, Michael announced that he was making a comeback to the game, and in Essendon colours. The most interesting part about this was he was going to be selected in the pre-season draft, hence changing clubs with no trade dramas going on beforehand.
Essendon have backed this claim, and have gone on to state that they will selected him in the draft, and that Mal Michael will begin training for the club in mid-December. Bombers coach Kevin Sheedy commented on picking up the triple premiership winner, claiming that he would be “a very important player for us for at least a couple of years.”
Naturally Brisbane are up in arms over this. Not only have they lost a quality player, who they would have accepted if he was just leaving the game, not the club, but also they have lost him to a rival club without getting a single cent in compensation.
And it seems that the Lions are going for the jugular. They have already commented to the AFL, claiming that Mal Michael should be not eligible for the pre-season draft in the same year that he announced retiring from the game.
This seems to be a no-brainer for the AFL. Michael is obviously routing the system, and by doing this he is really making a mockery of how the draft is suppose to be ran. True, he might have had a change of mind, but the first place he should have gone is to the Lions, or even the AFL, to see his options.
If the AFL allow this, then they will have to fix this loophole immediately. If not, it will just allow any player who is not satisfied with their current role at any club to ‘retire’, then be picked up elsewhere to play next season. We are entering into dangerous territory, where we might see a timewarp and head back to the shady dealings done in the 70s and 80s for players all across the code.
Michael has cheated the system, anyone can see this. If he really does want to play again, then that is completely fine, no one can resist the lure of the comeback. But he should, in right, be forced to opt out of this draft and be picked up. If not then Brisbane would have be royally screwed, and it will open a floodgate of player’s changing hands in the years to come.
Until next time, sports minds.
For those who are new to the story, we are talking about former Brisbane Lions player Mal Michael. Michael played for the Brisbane Lions during their hay day as a strong defender and mobile player. However it seemed to everyone around him that the game had took a toll on him, and six weeks ago, announced his retirement from AFL, citing he “lacked passion to continue full-time in the AFL”.
I guess a six week holiday can really re-charge someone’s batteries.
Going from retirement, Michael announced that he was making a comeback to the game, and in Essendon colours. The most interesting part about this was he was going to be selected in the pre-season draft, hence changing clubs with no trade dramas going on beforehand.
Essendon have backed this claim, and have gone on to state that they will selected him in the draft, and that Mal Michael will begin training for the club in mid-December. Bombers coach Kevin Sheedy commented on picking up the triple premiership winner, claiming that he would be “a very important player for us for at least a couple of years.”
Naturally Brisbane are up in arms over this. Not only have they lost a quality player, who they would have accepted if he was just leaving the game, not the club, but also they have lost him to a rival club without getting a single cent in compensation.
And it seems that the Lions are going for the jugular. They have already commented to the AFL, claiming that Mal Michael should be not eligible for the pre-season draft in the same year that he announced retiring from the game.
This seems to be a no-brainer for the AFL. Michael is obviously routing the system, and by doing this he is really making a mockery of how the draft is suppose to be ran. True, he might have had a change of mind, but the first place he should have gone is to the Lions, or even the AFL, to see his options.
If the AFL allow this, then they will have to fix this loophole immediately. If not, it will just allow any player who is not satisfied with their current role at any club to ‘retire’, then be picked up elsewhere to play next season. We are entering into dangerous territory, where we might see a timewarp and head back to the shady dealings done in the 70s and 80s for players all across the code.
Michael has cheated the system, anyone can see this. If he really does want to play again, then that is completely fine, no one can resist the lure of the comeback. But he should, in right, be forced to opt out of this draft and be picked up. If not then Brisbane would have be royally screwed, and it will open a floodgate of player’s changing hands in the years to come.
Until next time, sports minds.
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