Smorgon sparks row over Brown's exit
Samantha Lane | April 2, 2007
Brown's manager, Jim Panna, hit back immediately, demanding that Smorgon retract and apologise for his comments, also threatening to publish the last contract the Bulldogs offered Brown.
Panna, speaking on Triple M, said he believed Brown left the Bulldogs "because the Western Bulldogs did not want him there".
"And that is an absolute fact because Nathan Brown was offered less money than he was on after leading the goalkicking twice … and being an All-Australian twice.
"If he (Smorgon) doesn't retract what he's saying, or at least correct or apologise for what he's saying, I will publish the contract that he was on, and I'll even get a statement from Nathan himself to verify what I'm saying.
"But I can assure you that Nathan Brown, when he left the Bulldogs, he was offered less money than he was on and (it was) very much an incentive-based scenario, a ridiculous offer for a bloke who finishes up a two-time All-Australian.
"The guy left the club, do you think that's an easy thing to do for anybody? He had all his mates there … he loved the club.
"They offered him less money than he was on … They may as well have said 'Listen mate, we don't need you here, off you go'."
Earlier, Brown, responding to Smorgon's claims, said: "People who don't know much about football always make comments so you've got to take them with a grain of salt. David can have his views.
"I mean, obviously Richmond and another club were going to pay me more than what the Bulldogs were going to pay me, so he's right on that part.
"They're (the Bulldogs) playing good footy now and they're probably a better club than when I was there, so I don't know if they're a better club without me. But David's entitled to his opinions … I'm not going to get into a slanging match with him."
http://www.realfooty.com.au/news/news/smorgon-sparks-row-over-browns-exit/2007/04/01/1175366084179.html
