Crow flying towards Whitten Oval

Crow flying towards Whitten Oval
The Age
14/11/07

WESTERN BULLDOGS coach Rodney Eade may have been thwarted in his search for a marking forward during last month's trade window, but Scott Welsh seemingly is destined for Whitten Oval via the pre-season draft.

Welsh walked out on Adelaide yesterday for what is believed to be a two-year offer from the Bulldogs, who have been negotiating with the 28-year-old for several weeks.

While he must get past Richmond, Carlton and Melbourne to join the Dogs, who have the fourth pick in next month's draft, the Tigers indicated yesterday that they would not stand in the way. Carlton and Melbourne are believed to have interest in others, all but assuring Welsh of a passage to his third club, having started with the Kangaroos, where he played in their 1999 premiership team.

Richmond football director Greg Miller said it was "doubtful" Welsh would be offered a home at Punt Road.

"We think he's a good player," Miller said yesterday, "but it's one area where we are well placed. Brett Deledio played that small forward role well late last year and Nathan Brown is back, as well."

While the Dogs identified the ruck as their most pressing area of need in a post-season review, which led to another Crow, Ben Hudson, crossing to Whitten Oval during trade week, finding a foil for the prolific Brad Johnson also was a priority.

To that end, Eade chased Melbourne's Russell Robertson without success and the club also was linked with Port Adelaide's Damon White.

Welsh, while not a conventional tall marking forward at 188 centimetres, has had a 12-year career on the strength of his aerial game and nose for a goal.

He started his AFL career with the Kangaroos in 1996 and, after playing 36 games for the Roos, he returned to South Australia to play for Adelaide in 2000.

He quit his second club yesterday after playing 129 games and kicking 270 goals over eight seasons.

Welsh kicked 49 goals in 21 games this year to become the Crows' leading goalkicker for the fourth time and he kicked 58 goals in 23 games in 2005.

"The club is disappointed the negotiations couldn't be resolved," Adelaide football operations manager John Reid said.

"The basic fundamental difference was Scott being offered a one-year contract by the club and him requiring a one-year contract with trigger points to a second year related to performance and behaviour. Unfortunately, the behaviour issues this year were significant to the point that the club believed Scott needed to have a season where there were no behavioural issues at all before it would negotiate another season."

The Crows ordered Welsh to have behaviour counselling after he was involved in an incident outside a city nightclub in September this year.

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Originally Posted by BulldogBelle

"The club is disappointed the negotiations couldn't be resolved," Adelaide football operations manager John Reid said.

"The basic fundamental difference was Scott being offered a one-year contract by the club and him requiring a one-year contract with trigger points to a second year related to performance and behaviour. Unfortunately, the behaviour issues this year were significant to the point that the club believed Scott needed to have a season where there were no behavioural issues at all before it would negotiate another season."

The Crows ordered Welsh to have behaviour counselling after he was involved in an incident outside a city nightclub in September this year.

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So Welsh wants 2 years but will accept a clause saying if he's a bad boy he only gets 1.

The Crows say he's been a bad boy and will only give him 1 year, but if he's good for a year they'll give him another one, we promise.

So what's the difference?

Clearly the Crows intend to give him the flick at the end of next year regardless of his behaviour. Considering how they treated Jason Torney, who would blame Welsh for walking?

Jade = pick 6 and $600k per annum

Welsh = PSD pick (which may not have used) and maybe $250k


Not a bad short term idea/project.

I seriously don't know why so many people have a problem with recruiting Scott Welsh.

He'll be on very little, will provide a handy foil for Brad Johnson and is a proven successful goalkicker. He's been Adelaide's leading goal kicker 4 times for heavens sake.

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Originally Posted by westdog54

I seriously don't know why so many people have a problem with recruiting Scott Welsh.

He'll be on very little, will provide a handy foil for Brad Johnson and is a proven successful goalkicker. He's been Adelaide's leading goal kicker 4 times for heavens sake.

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I quite agree with you. Everyone is crying out for a tall forward and when we look like getting one and only going to cost us his salary I would have thought they would be jumping for joy.

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Originally Posted by mackem

I quite agree with you. Everyone is crying out for a tall forward and when we look like getting one and only going to cost us his salary I would have thought they would be jumping for joy.

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I am happy we are getting a proven goal kicker, but he is no tall (188cm, same as Hahn)

Ah yes, but he PLAYS tall..........

The problem is, in our forward line he'll get teamed by the oppositions best tall defender just about every week.

If he can play 20+ games and kick 40+ goals though, I'll be very happy.

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Originally Posted by Griffen#16

The problem is, in our forward line he'll get teamed by the oppositions best tall defender just about every week.

If he can play 20+ games and kick 40+ goals though, I'll be very happy.

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Which means Johnno wont!

True, I'm more so thinking that guys like Murph will really benefit. Johnson rarely would match up directly on the oppositions tallest defender, but it certainly will allow perhaps some easier opponents for some others. Although, Akermanis was meant to do the same this past season.

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Originally Posted by Sockeye Salmon

Which means Johnno wont!

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Nor, for that matter, will blokes like Skipper, Tiller, McDougall, Minson (if he plays down there) or any potential draftee.

Some people see him as a short term stop gap, but in reality, we pretty much need a short term stop gap while we develop our own forwards. Same principle for Hudson in the ruck.