Bulldogs' $50,000 Ward mistake - Herald Sun

[Twodogs]

We got a pretty good player in return at least.

Yep. At least it wasn't a complete balls up and we salvaged Jack out of it.

God that article is depressing reading.

[GVGjr]

Some people on this forum wondered why a bunch of us never liked Fantasia - this story is proof of our lack of list management and incompetence at the time.

He wasn't the only problem. The coach dropped the ball big time as well.

[KT31]

That's correct. He was a Bumbers fan. His grandfather played with the Swans and coached Yarraville, whilst his dad played for the Dogs U/19's and later Yarraville. Local kid from Williamstown, but just another kool-aid drinker.

Shouldn't have lost him, but hindsight's a wonderful thing. Macrae (or is it Jakey? - we'll never actually know) was reasonable compo.

Don't agree on hindsight it's a major $&@/ up, we all new he what he was going to be and Ward would most likely be our captain now.
Wards now proven and I'm not sure I still wouldn't pick him over the other two.

[Sedat]

I think I'm glad this story is behind a pay wall. My cat certainly is.

Just for you Jeemak:

INSPIRATIONAL Greater Western Sydney skipper Callan Ward would still be a Western Bulldog if not for $50,000 per season and a bungled contract negotiation.

Insiders have lifted the lid on the talks that broke down in 2011 and allowed the Giants to swoop with a godfather offer.

Ward, a lifelong Dogs fan raised in Yarraville, was desperate to stay at Whitten Oval and would’ve recommitted for $1 million over three seasons.

Contract talks were put off by Ward and his manager, Paul Connors, after the Dogs proposed a complicated deal dependant on a rise in the salary cap and the additional services allowance.

Ward, 26, is earning about $800,000 per season at the Giants and will lead them in Saturday night’s blockbuster qualifying final against Sydney.
Callan Ward leading out Greater Western Sydney against the Western Bulldogs. Picture. Phil Hillyard
The Herald Sun has been told the Dogs former administration lowballed Ward with an offer of about $285,000 per season.

Ward was prepared to stay for about $335,000 a year.

The delay allowed GWS to blow the Dogs out of the water.

By the time the Bulldogs panicked and upped their offer to $400,000, Ward had already committed to the Giants.

“He wanted to stay and he would’ve stayed,” a source close to the negotiations told the Herald Sun.

“But it was too late. He’d already committed.”

The Dogs received a first-round pick as compensation, which they used on wingman Jack Macrae in the 2012 draft.

Melbourne received two first-round selections for the loss of Tom Scully to the Giants, helping land powerful spearhead Jesse Hogan.

The Dogs argued they were short-changed in comparison, with list boss Jason McCartney — who was not at the club at the time — believing a second first-round pick was warranted.

The Bulldogs and Adelaide (Nathan Bock and Phil Davis) were the only clubs to lose star players to both expansion clubs in a list management disaster.

The year before Ward’s exit hard-running defender Jarrod Harbrow was poached by Gold Coast, while GWS also pinched Sam Reid.

Former football boss James Fantasia and chief executive Campbell Rose were in power at the time.

Rose departed in December, 2010.

The Dogs are the league’s best contested footy side, but Ward has won more contested ball and more clearances than every Bulldogs player this season.

Ward has played 105 out of a possible 110 games for the Giants and was their inaugural captain and best-and-fairest winner.

The Dogs also handed former Geelong player Nathan Djerrkura a three-year contract in 2011 and previously cost themselves extra dollars in the salary cap when re-signing Brian Lake, Daniel Cross and Tom Williams.

[bornadog]

He wasn't the only problem. The coach dropped the ball big time as well.

incorrect

[The Bulldogs Bite]

Meh, we now have two of the best in the business (Dal and JMac) and I'd rather Macrae over Ward.

Next.

[Doc26]

Is this really all the HUN could throw at us on the eve of our first final? They must be saving the Tom Boyd contract canning for week two if we make it, or Friday morning if we don't.

Yes we knew we low balled Ward, and botched it. Yes, we figured it wasn't a huge amount, less than $100k per season at the time. But this has been done to death and we are a better club now than we were then.

The fact the HUN bullshits about him being a Dogs fan, and not from a Kevin Sheedy fan boy family leans to the relevance of this matter at this particular time.

And yet this article is co written by Sam Landsberger, a mad keen Bulldog supporter, with enough access to Club Intel where he should've got his facts correct. I'm assuming just an oversight by Sam on this occasion.

[FrediKanoute]

No matter which way you cut it, we have been lucky that the balls up didn't cost us even more.

imagine if we have chosen poorly at the draft or traded away one or both of the picks? or if Macrae's improvement had stalled or Stinger didn't recover from his injury? better the bird in your hand than the 2 in the nest - we had a gun player on our list and we gambled, poorly. The fact we haven't been burnt worse is as much luck as it is judgement.

[Remi Moses]

I think this is something we already knew

[chef]

Is the Herald/Sun now based in Perth?

[Greystache]

He wasn't the only problem. The coach dropped the ball big time as well.

That's not going to be popular.

[1eyedog]

I think I'm glad this story is behind a pay wall. My cat certainly is.

Or isn't?

I've got a good cat joke.

Schrodinger's cat walks into a bar and doesn't.

How good would we be with Callan in the side. He's Jong / Koby on steroids as a footballer. The best of that type.

[bornadog]

Meh, we now have two of the best in the business (Dal and JMac) and I'd rather Macrae over Ward.

Next.

I am with you, Macrae way better than Ward.

[Topdog]

I am with you, Macrae way better than Ward.

Seriously? Ward is elite.

[Topdog]

Honestly losing Ward worked out better for us IMO. Big chance we miss out on Bont if we kept Ward as I think we easily win a game or 2 more in 2013 with Ward.