Rival clubs show interest in uncontracted Dog - and other updates

[bornadog]

OUT-OF-CONTRACT forward Stewart Crameri says he's negotiating with other clubs as he's yet to be offered a new deal by the Western Bulldogs.

The 29-year-old has played just two senior games this season after succumbing to a troublesome hip injury, while he missed the Bulldogs' 2016 premiership triumph with a one-year anti-doping ban for his part in the Essendon supplements scandal.

Crameri has played only 42 games in the red, white and blue since being lured from the Bombers with a lucrative four-year deal at the end of 2013.

Arriving for his exit meeting at Whitten Oval, Crameri told Channel 10 his future is up in the air.

"I've had a little bit of interest (from other clubs), and I'll work through that with my manager and go from there, so I'll see how things play out," Crameri said on Tuesday.

"The doctors have ticked off (my hip injury), so I can't wait to start pre-season and have a 2018 campaign not to forget."

"I can't wait."

When asked about the futures of Crameri and fellow forward Travis Cloke last week, coach Luke Beveridge was non-committal on whether the veterans were in his plans for next season.

Cloke is contracted for 2018, but the former Magpie has battled with mental illness and struggled to find enjoyment with his football at times in his first season with the Dogs.

"We're working through all of that decision making at the moment, and Stewart is one of the players that is uncontracted but there is ongoing talks with his management and other (players')," Beveridge said.

"Obviously (Travis is) a mature player who's had a very, very strong career, but his heart's got to be in it, and we'll talk to him about that."

The Dogs are unlikely to make any list changes until the club's VFL team's season is over.

Another Bulldog who also didn't have the best of years is Tom Liberatore, and with the gun playmaker well down on previous year's output, there have been queries over whether the premiership star still has the hunger to play at the highest level.

In May, Beveridge wondered if the 2015 club best and fairest was as "physically prepared as he was last year" after dropping him to the VFL for a month.

Asked how the Bulldogs could return to flag calculations next year, Liberatore said the Dogs needed to return to the trademarks that underpinned their premiership success.

"We just need to get that flair back we had in 2016," Liberatore said on Tuesday.
"We've just got to play at a level where we have a bit of trust in each other, and that will help us get back to our best."

Another interesting subplot heading into 2018 is who will take on the captaincy after the retirement of Robert Murphy.

Easton Wood led the Dogs to the flag in the injury absence of Murphy, and he is likely to vie with superstar midfielder Marcus Bontempelli for the coveted job.

There have been murmurs coming out of the club that both men could assume the role as joint captains.
Wood said no decision had been made yet on who will replace Murphy.

"Today we're going through our review (of the season) and looking back on the year that was," he said.

"The whole leadership side of things we'll get to at a later date."

[westdog54]

I may be missing something here, but where is the part where Stew says:

he's yet to be offered a new deal by the Western Bulldogs.

[1eyedog]

Yeah I don't understand this.

[ledge]

If his manager is looking around , doesn't sound like he will be with us next year.
The bombers have destroyed his career along with a few other players like Jobe who just couldn't get back into the pace of the game .
Friend of mine went to a sports night and Dunstall was disgusted with what the bombers got away with . Likened it to being hit by a wet tissue.

[G-Mo77]

I really don't care. If he'd taken our legal advice and not his former clubs he may have been part of something special. I've never warned to him because of this and if he takes his footy elsewhere I won't even give it a thought. WellI will, what we get for him would be the only interest I'd have.

[Twodogs]

If his manager is looking around , doesn't sound like he will be with us next year.
The bombers have destroyed his career along with a few other players like Jobe who just couldn't get back into the pace of the game .
Friend of mine went to a sports night and Dunstall was disgusted with what the bombers got away with . Likened it to being hit by a wet tissue.

I'm pretty annoyed about it too. Essendon should have been sanctioned to Carltonland by the AFL not allowed to keep their #1 draft pick, have the rules changed so they could keep the top up players they wanted to keep, obviously pay their returning players outside the SC to retain them and all the other little leg ups the AFL have been giving them.

I really don't care. If he'd taken our legal advice and not his former clubs he may have been part of something special. I've never warned to him because of this and if he takes his footy elsewhere I won't even give it a thought. WellI will, what we get for him would be the only interest I'd have.

I don't think we will get much for him. He might even go via the PSD. Do they still have the PSD?

[WBFC4FFC]

I'm pretty annoyed about it too. Essendon should have been sanctioned to Carltonland by the AFL not allowed to keep their #1 draft pick, have the rules changed so they could keep the top up players they wanted to keep, obviously pay their returning players outside the SC to retain them and all the other little leg ups the AFL have been giving them.



I don't think we will get much for him. He might even go via the PSD. Do they still have the PSD?

Have heard be is interested in the Dee's, given Goodwin and Macartney link (from his Bumbers days originally).