Ward says GWS big chance to beat Dogs

[bornadog]

And when another employer offers you 4 or 5 times what you get at your place of employment you go... I would think that 99% of players of Callan's age would have taken the deal.

Don't hate the player... Hate the system.

Nah, I hate the player now that he has left us.

[SonofScray]

And rightfully so BAD.

[Remi Moses]

I'd like to see Someone from the side give him hell all afternoon.
He's not with us anymore so give the "he's a great bloke" crap away!
Sick of hearing "He's just another player" crap

[Remi Moses]

And when another employer offers you 4 or 5 times what you get at your place of employment you go... I would think that 99% of players of Callan's age would have taken the deal.

Don't hate the player... Hate the system.

Umm so the likes of Thomas, Hurley and others are 99% of players?
Rubbery figures! I want to see as a key player, Ward get niggled to death .

[Scraggers]

Sam Reid named in the GWS side as well ... Hope they both have a extremely bad day on Saturday.

[Greystache]

I'd actually be ok with Hargrave having a brain snap and planting one right on Ward's chin. It probably wouldn't achieve much and Hargrave would get weeks but I'd still be ok with it.

[jazzadogs]

I'd actually be ok with Hargrave having a brain snap and planting one right on Ward's chin. It probably wouldn't achieve much and Hargrave would get weeks but I'd still be ok with it.

Then we'd probably have some of our young guys have a go at Shaggy!

[Eastdog]

What a shame he left us. Ward was highly fancied to captain our club and was a becoming a great player. What is disappointing is that we developed him and now all the work we did is going to be used by GWS.

[azabob]

Then we'd probably have some of our young guys have a go at Shaggy!

What do you mean our young guys?

Rob Murphy is the biggest culprit when it comes to giving Ward a free ride in the media, and that frustrates me no end.

[chef]

And when another employer offers you 4 or 5 times what you get at your place of employment you go... I would think that 99% of players of Callan's age would have taken the deal.

Don't hate the player... Hate the system.

Can we hate both?

[SonofScray]

What do you mean our young guys?

Rob Murphy is the biggest culprit when it comes to giving Ward a free ride in the media, and that frustrates me no end.

Exactly. It is the leadership group that made the calls to send him their best and 'no hard feelings' type stuff. Why? Because they are robots, they've studied the text book on AFL leadership and just spit out all the cliches. The Club approves it because we have to be ultra conservative so as to not get off side with the AFL.

What it has bred is a culture where words > deeds.

I hope that is what Mac can change on field and that Galick and an incoming President can adequately address in the future.

[Sedat]

Don't hate the player or the system. Hate the footy operations manager who offered Ward an embarrassing, sub-par contract extension offer in mid 2010 (when Ward was out with OP) that prized the door ajar for GWS to swoop 12 months later.

[immortalmike]

And when another employer offers you 4 or 5 times what you get at your place of employment you go... I would think that 99% of players of Callan's age would have taken the deal.

Don't hate the player... Hate the system.

I'm sorry but it's atitudes like that, that make it easy for a young player to make the decision to be a mercenary. As has been stated numerous times on this board, playing football is not like any other job. When you go to work you don't have 30,000 people cheering for you or little kids idolizing you. Football is about passion, emotion, and loyalty, some young players (and supporters) don't get that but many do. Don't give the former an easy way out.

Before this article I hated Ward's decision more than anything, especially in light of the decisions made by Swallow, Martin, Pendlebury, Higgins, etc. Now I'm really starting to dislike the guy as well. The funny thing is Cement brain actually thinks the supporters will be forgiving, I wonder where he got that impression...?

Don't hate the player or the system. Hate the footy operations manager who offered Ward an embarrassing, sub-par contract extension offer in mid 2010 (when Ward was out with OP) that prized the door ajar for GWS to swoop 12 months later.

Would you have also been complaining about that same operations manager offering an extra $100,000 to an injured player who had only showed glimpses at the time? Hindsight bias?

[Sedat]

Would you have also been complaining about that same operations manager offering an extra $100,000 to an injured player who had only showed glimpses at the time? Hindsight bias?

Ward was a 10 year 250+ game player in the making, and came off a terrific 2009 season including excellent performances in the finals. He should have been given a pay rise (and a decent one at that), not a pay cut. He wasn't some washed-up player on the wrong side of 30 - he was still a teenager FFS, and the OP was his first injury of any note. We can all hate him all we like, but he is a gun and will be a gun for many years to come - the fact that he should still be wearing Bulldog colours had we exercised even half a brain is the only thing that really makes my blood boil.

[SonofScray]

All that aside. Screw Callan Ward, flog of a human being. Give him hell Dogs, please.... actually don't worry about it.