The mystery of Josh Schache's slide – and how the Brisbane Lions point the finger at RichmondCaroline Wilson
The Age
13 October 2017Just how Josh Schache went from being close to the hottest football prospect in the county to a footballer not one club has yet been prepared to entertain a trade for remains the most intriguing story of the AFL's player market period.
Even though the Jake Stringer stand-off is extraordinary, there is a far more simple explanation behind the relative lack of interest in the 23-year-old who was the Western Bulldogs' best forward. And one the Bulldogs must understand was largely of their own making in terms of trade value. They contributed to his current standing as damaged goods.
Why the 2016 premiers would insist on a first-round draft pick after coach Luke Beveridge suggested flaws of character, personal standards and commitment and said Stringer's departure was in the best interests of the team remains unfathomable.
Added to that the unsavoury and damning assessment delivered on the eve of the grand final by Stringer's former partner and mother of his two children, which included accusations of a string of paramours including a 17-year-old fan and a gambling addiction, you'd have to wonder why Stringer's club tried to stand firm over pick No.11.
Schache is just 20 and two years ago was taken by the Lions with pick two in the national draft – a Murray Bushranger whom the Brisbane Lions insist showed no signs of becoming a "go-homer". Now the club has been struggling to raise interest in the big key forward for even a second-round pick.
Surely that will change. Our view is the club will achieve a trade and the tyre-kicking from Victorian clubs will resume in earnest over the weekend. And put an end to the unhappy saga that has damaged the images of both club and player and transformed the homesick boy from Seymour into something of a political football.
Schache has become the subject of a spat between Brisbane and Richmond that erupted in recent weeks when the Lions new list manager Dom Ambrogio accused his Tigers' counterpart Blair Hartley of distracting the already troubled young player during his second season at the Gabba.
The Brisbane view was that Richmond wooed Schache and in doing so contributed to his poor form and reduced commitment. This version also dictates that former Lions coach Justin Leppitsch stayed in touch with the player once he rejoined the Tigers as an assistant coach.
Further there was an allegation that Richmond subsequently lowered Schache's trade stocks by passing on stories alluding to his fragility involving a first-hand experience after the Tigers interviewed him.
Richmond, in turn, angrily deny all of the above. The Tigers claim that while they interviewed Schache they lost serious interest in the player as an immediate prospect once he re-signed with the Lions. When Schache was offered around again, say the Tigers, their situation had changed. Nor were they prepared to consider the estimated minimum price tag, which, in a best-case scenario, would involve something with a three in front of it.
Richmond say Brisbane have only themselves to blame. That the club failed to adequately care for Schache's welfare in his first season and did not put enough thought into his living circumstances. Even the Lions would privately admit Schache was physically exhausted at the end of 2016 and he should have been managed more conservatively in a playing sense. Still back in year one he showed signs of being the dominant forward his No.2 draft placing suggested he would become.
Either way Schache was clearly unhappy at Brisbane by the late autumn of 2017 and his form mirrored that. There were still signs – an early competitive effort against Steven May being one – but Schache looked to join the line of early draft picks wanting out. No one was more surprised than the Lions football department when he re-signed.
Football can be a fickle game. Not only are small forwards all the rage but clubs are shying away from the bigger variety – ones who take significant time to develop. It's hard to imagine Tom Boyd earning the wage and the heavy selling price that came with his move to the Bulldogs had GWS attempted to trade him now.
And in another premiership victory heavily punctuated by pressure and intensity comes further devaluing of players seen as less competitive.
You only had to listen to Simon Goodwin's speech at the Melbourne best and fairest to understand why Jack Watts was on the way out.
Now Schache has become a public relations problem for Brisbane and the club must trade him. Just as Luke Hodge's weird decision to play again up north is a major marketing victory for the Lions as they work to attract the nation's best talent, Schache presents as a warning reminder of the opposite, of a time hopefully past when Brisbane was a poor football club.
Like the high-maintenance Stringer and the Bulldogs; Ambrogio, Chris Fagan and football boss David Noble must cut their losses and move the 20-year-old on. Like with Stringer, there's no going back now and a new jumper presents as his football salvation.
http://www.theage.com.au/afl/afl-news/the-mystery-of-josh-schaches-slide--and-how-the-brisbane-lions-point-the-finger-at-richmond-20171013-gz0fei.html
