By Stephen Rielly, Jake Niall
realfooty.theage.com.au
October 7, 2004
With Troy Simmonds informing the Dockers yesterday of his decision to reject a four-year, $1.2 million offer in favour of a five-year deal to join Richmond, via the pre-season route if necessary, Fremantle chief executive Cameron Schwab said the Dockers were considering a heavily front-loaded contract for Carr that could be worth as much as $1.2 million in his first two seasons.
"We've got the money we had budgeted for Simmonds available and the money we have set aside for Josh. Right now, we've just about had enough. It's a serious option open to us," Schwab said.
Schwab also confirmed last night that the Dockers had checked the legitimacy of such a move with the AFL yesterday and had been given the all-clear.
Relations between the Dockers and Port, already strained by the stalled negotiations, were scarcely improved when Port coach Mark Williams contacted Schammer in Thailand yesterday. The South Australian, on holiday on Phuket, signed a new three-year deal with the Dockers earlier this year.
Williams also spoke with Carr, who, it is understood, urged Port to accept Fremantle's offer of picks 11 and 27 and a player such as Antoni Grover or Dion Woods.
While Port continues to insist upon Schammer or Pavlich, it is understood that a four-club deal involving Essendon, Geelong, Fremantle and Port was being hatched as a Plan B on the Carr deal.
Essentially, the deal involves Essendon's Mark Johnson going to Port Adelaide, Carr making his way to Freo, Geelong getting pick 11 to help it swing the deal for Richmond's ruckman Brad Ottens and the Dons getting a player from Geelong and Fremantle.
The Dockers would have to give up pick 11 and send Ryley Dunn or Ryan Murphy to Essendon, who would in turn release Johnson and pick 14 to Port, who confirmed their interest in the 2000 premiership defender yesterday. The premier would give up Carr and send pick 11 to Geelong, who would give the pick to Richmond for Ottens and offer a player to Windy Hill. The Dons are asking for Kane Tenace.
Johnson's manager, Michael Quinlan, yesterday met Essendon to clarify his client's position. Quinlan made the point last night that Johnson was contracted for 2005.
While Simmonds indicated that he intended to walk to Punt Road, via the pre-season draft if necessary, the Tigers said last night that they wanted to trade with Fremantle. On Tuesday night the Dockers put a revised offer to Simmonds in the hope of keeping him.
Tiger football director Greg Miller acknowledged that keeping options open for the Ottens trade was a part of the reason for doing so.
"That's part of it. I just think you like to know you have the player, then you move on to the next thing," Miller said.
Should Simmonds go into the pre-season draft, Richmond's hand would be forced on the Ottens trade, with Geelong under less pressure to meet the Tigers' demands because Richmond would no longer have the option of redrafting the follower/forward. The Tigers were offering selection 20 for Simmonds earlier in the week, a pick that Fremantle could use to secure Heath Black from St Kilda.
http://realfooty.theage.com.au/realfooty/articles/2004/10/06/1096949587117.html
