Club Statement on Callan Ward

[Ghost Dog]

Probably more to do with his attack on the footy.

Jeezus. Brown is not the fastest Kangaroo in the paddock by any stretch. What a stupid thing to say.

[1eyedog]

Let's just see what we get as compensation and what the options are with the picks.

Footy has made me a nastier person this year.

[Bulldog4life]

Callan - loved watching you play in the red, white and blue. Now that you have chosen to leave us, i am going to hope that you never have the ultimate success and will love giving you as much grief as i can.

You are either with us or against us. As a local boy, you have chosen to turn your back on the club that you and your family barracked for. Not a smart move. Take the money and run you turncoat.

That's the problem....they didn't. Might have a bit to do with it too.

[LostDoggy]

Callan who?

Go dogs.

[The Bulldogs Bite]

Hope Ward's career goes to shit.

There's a few people I know already who have 'walked away' - per se - from football and the club. I think it's completely understandable.

[LostDoggy]

Callan who?

Go dogs.

^^ This.

[bornadog]

Hope Ward's career goes to shit.

There's a few people I know already who have 'walked away' - per se - from football and the club. I think it's completely understandable.

pussies

[MrMahatma]

I'm disappointed, but in reality I think he's been overrated. Tough, hard at it, sounds like a good kid. Average skills most of the time. We need more polish and hopefully we use this as an opportunity, not a problem.

[BulldogBelle]

Great. Let's get some top draft picks, train and nurture some young talent for a few years and then watch them leave for more money elsewhere. Am feeling pretty cynical and uninspired by the footy landscape these days.

So true MS.

[GVGjr]

From my understanding we put a less than worthy contact to him mid last year. All speculation now.

As you have pointed out as well as Sedat we dont seem to be able sell our vision and our future very well.

This is the thing. I'm very disappointed in Wards decision and whilst it's understandable I don't think he has made the right decision and the timing of it is far from ideal. You simply can't put a price on the adulation he would have received if he had chosen to stay.

That being said, why did he make that decision and how much of it has the club contributed to that?

My guess (it's only a guess) is that we could have had this stitched up last year and a good pro-active club would have had it all completed before someone had the chance to get into his ear. It's certainly a missed opportunity for us in my opinion.

[GVGjr]

Great. Let's get some top draft picks, train and nurture some young talent for a few years and then watch them leave for more money elsewhere. Am feeling pretty cynical and uninspired by the footy landscape these days.

There won't be any new teams introduced to the competition for many years so this is the final windfall for players to earn 50 to 100% more than they are worth.

[LostDoggy]

There won't be any new teams introduced to the competition for many years so this is the final windfall for players to earn 50 to 100% more than they are worth.

What will free agency introduce then? Also it looks like AFLPA are winning the race for better player payments.
To me, Its all rosy for the players.

[AndrewP6]

Tweet from Emma Q

I completely understand why Cal Ward is going yet it makes me really sad. Why? Kids leaving clubs that they love for crazy money I guess

I'd get that... if he was a kid.
I don't believe for second he loves the club. Just 'a' club that offers the most money. Sickening.

[AndrewP6]

Nathan Brown said something interesting on the footy show on Sunday. He said Callan Ward is known as cement head, perhaps he realises with his limited intellectual ability he needs to make more out of his time in football than other players, due to having less chance to build a successful post-football career.

A fair slap, but perhaps goes toward explaining why most players turned down the GWS money and he didn't.

Maybe it's just that he's a money-grabbing, disingenuous mercenary - and others aren't.

[AndrewP6]

Did he happen to say what it was about then?

It wasn't about the money? Then what was it about?

Sure did... went something like this: "Er,um, ah..."