Damian Barrett - this man needs therapy - thread

[one-eyed]

Graham Polak just a pawn in Richmond's ploy to get Ben Cousins
By Damian Barrett
Herald-Sun | December 15, 2008

THE AFL Commission will on Monday do as it always does - make judgment on a contentious matter, then stoically stand by it as everyone else takes a perch on a soapbox.

If it is true to form, it will apply due consideration to Richmond's request to have Graham Polak placed on its rookie list, then dismiss it.

If it is true to form, it will remove most, but not all, emotion from its task, and therefore not link the Polak request with the one that has actually motivated the Tigers in to making it: Ben Cousins.

It will be well aware that in saying no to the Tigers on Polak is not saying no to a Cousins comeback, as it will know Richmond already have a pick in Tuesday's pre-season draft, regardless of the Polak outcome.

Polak becoming a rookie, going by the competition rules on which the AFL regularly prides itself, simply cannot happen.

His case is not at all similar to that of Adam Ramanauskas, an out-of-contract cancer sufferer allowed by the AFL commission to be listed as an Essendon rookie in 2007.

Polak is contracted for next year and can easily be transferred to the long-term injury list at any stage the Tigers see fit.

Before anyone misconstrues what is being said here, it needs to be remembered that Polak, clearly in a huge battle to overcome injuries caused when hit by a tram this year, will physically be no better off by being on the Tigers rookie list.

There is not one person who does not wish him the best outcome, but his best outcome is not going to be affected one bit by the status he holds on the Tigers playing list.

Richmond now see a chance to have Cousins on their list as the best outcome for themselves, and are simply using Polak in that project.

The Tigers should stop trying to be cute on this Polak topic and just say so.

There are many key football people adamant Richmond's request on Polak should have been turfed out by the AFL football operations department.

They are asking many questions, one even describing as incompetent Richmond's belated addressing of the matter, coming as it did two weeks after the national draft and only days before the pre-season draft.

Another said the drafts system would be compromised as never before if the Tigers' request succeeded.

There was even an observation of irony that Cousins, a renowned AFL rule-bender who infuriated the AFL in doing so, would benefit most if the AFL decided to bend its own rules.

The AFL commission - currently comprising Mike Fitzpatrick, Andrew Demetriou, Sam Mostyn, Bill Kelty, Christopher Lynch, Bob Hammond, Linda Dessau, Graeme John and Chris Langford - gave Cousins a chance to play in 2009 when it outlined a strict but fair set of drug-testing conditions to which he has agreed.

That means Cousins's name should not even be raised on Monday when Polak is discussed.

The AFL commission should do to Richmond what the club has been doing to everyone else since last Thursday and call their bluff.

Tell it "no" on Polak, then sit back and watch the Tigers in their regular state of panic as they attempt to spin their way out of their own spin.

http://www.foxsports.com.au/story/0,8659,24799023-23211,00.html

[Ramps]

Just another Richmond hater having a say. Up yours Barrett ... no one gonna listen to you anyway 

[mightytiges]

Just another Richmond hater having a say. Up yours Barrett ... no one gonna listen to you anyway 

Touche! 

Barrett barracks for Collingwood doesn't he? Sooky sooky la la!



Isn't it great to be hated again by other clubs' jealous supporters  .

[Smokey]

Isn't it great to be hated again by other clubs' jealous supporters  .

There is more to that statement than you might think.  Suddenly, the other clubs are seeing a need to concern themselves with us - dare I say it - suddenly we are worth just a little bit of respect borne of the realization that we might just be on the right path again.

[WilliamPowell]

What a snivelling, whining journo you are Damien!

What a lot of absolute tripe….

Struth if I didn’t know better I’d suggest you’ve got you nose out of joint simply because you didn’t get the scope.

Everyone is entitled to an opinion but your holy than thou attitude on this reeks of sour grapes

So here’s my opinion ….

If it is true to form, it will remove most, but not all, emotion from its task, and therefore not link the Polak request with the one that has actually motivated the Tigers in to making it: Ben Cousins.

First up this is an emotional issue and to suggest that all emotion be removed is nigh on impossible.

You see there is the bloke who plays AFL footy for a living called Graham who is lucky to be alive after being hit by a tram in the middle of 2008. Ever since it happened people (none more so than Graham & his family) have ridden an emotional roller coaster as this bloke called Graham has worked is backside off to try and recover.

The club that he plays for were smart and compassionate enough at the end of the 2008 season not cut him off their list, they could of but they didn’t … but gee we better hope no emotion played any part in that decision…..

 

His case is not at all similar to that of Adam Ramanauskas, an out-of-contract cancer sufferer allowed by the AFL commission to be listed as an Essendon rookie in 2007.

Absolute crap…..

Essendon wanted to the right thing by one of their own, they didn’t want to cut him they wanted to support him and that’s what they did, hmmm could even argue a bit of “emotion” played a part in that whole process… The (EFC) asked for special consideration because all the experts said it was in Rama’s best interests to have a goal to strive for…. Seems similar to what Richmond is trying to do

Before anyone misconstrues what is being said here, it needs to be remembered that Polak, clearly in a huge battle to overcome injuries caused when hit by a tram this year, will physically be no better off by being on the Tigers rookie list.

There is not one person who does not wish him the best outcome, but his best outcome is not going to be affected one bit by the status he holds on the Tigers playing list.

How would you know Damien?

So it appears that apart from trying to come across as some sort neurological expert you are now claiming to be some sort of psychologist as well.

You have no idea and to make such a sweeping statement without knowing the absolute details of the blokes condition is disgraceful.

Simply you have no right to make such an assumption.

The experts know and quite frankly you don’t.

That means Cousins's name should not even be raised on Monday when Polak is discussed

Only thing we agree on.

You are right when discussing Polak, Cousins should not even come into consideration.

The commission should base their decision on all the medical facts that they have been presented with and then make a judgement on what is in the best interest of Graham Polak and his continued recovery.

Tell it "no" on Polak, then sit back and watch the Tigers in their regular state of panic as they attempt to spin their way out of their own spin.

After reading your latest vitriol the only one spinning at the moment is you, Damien.

Hope that isn't too "emotional" for you

[mightytiges]

There is more to that statement than you might think.  Suddenly, the other clubs are seeing a need to concern themselves with us - dare I say it - suddenly we are worth just a little bit of respect borne of the realization that we might just be on the right path again.

True. The hysteria over this is hilarious.

There are many key football people adamant Richmond's request on Polak should have been turfed out by the AFL football operations department.

They are asking many questions, one even describing as incompetent Richmond's belated addressing of the matter, coming as it did two weeks after the national draft and only days before the pre-season draft.

Another said the drafts system would be compromised as never before if the Tigers' request succeeded.

This is my favourite bit of Barret's emotive rubbish. Does "many key football people" mean him and Eddie lol . We're then somehow "incompetent" because we are going through the official channels and letting the AFL decide  . And to finish off this escapade into BSism, we're going to compromise a draft system by picking up a player no one else wanted yet it's okay that the draft system encourages clubs to tank to get the first pick like Carlton did last year despite not finishing last. Just more clutching at straws. This follows of course follows Barret's "oh so Richmond" comment in his previous article. If you disagree with the Polak application fine but this is hysterical hyperventilating trash from a so-called journo who clearly can't hide his hatred of all things Richmond  .

[cub]

Isn't it great to be hated again by other clubs' jealous supporters  .

Music to my ears  big ears 

[Francois Jackson]

can someone tell me which team this loser supports.

what an absolute tosser

[mightytiges]

can someone tell me which team this loser supports.

what an absolute tosser

Pretty sure it's Collingwood. Surprise surprise  .

[Bene Boy]

  Awesome   

Just another Richmond hater having a say. Up yours Barrett ... no one gonna listen to you anyway 

Touche! 

Barrett barracks for Collingwood doesn't he? Sooky sooky la la!
 


Isn't it great to be hated again by other clubs' jealous supporters  .

[one-eyed]

More anti-Richmond vitarol from Damien Barrett today 

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Tigers' power play on Ben Cousins backfires
Damian Barrett | December 16, 2008

RICHMOND has no more than $120,000 to play with under its salary cap for 2009.

Which crystalises why it so desperately wanted to move Graham Polak from its senior list to the rookie division.

Had it been successful with the most ambitious part of its submission to the AFL commission, Polak would have had his wage, believed to be about $310,000 base, placed outside the salary cap.

That would have left about $420,000 for two players in today's pre-season draft.

As it stands, with the commission rejecting Richmond's request, the club is now faced with having just $120,000 to accommodate Cousins next year.

It is believed the club could renegotiate the contracts of already-signed players in order to pay Cousins more.

But the bottom line as it enters today's pre-season draft is that that figure is its only wriggle room in the eyes of the AFL's total player payments department.

The Herald Sun put this to Tigers president Gary March last night, and he said he did not know the amount on which Richmond had to move.

"I'm not sure exactly of our cap position, but I think we are fine," March said. "There was always enough room in our TPP to do something."

Told the Herald Sun was going with the $120,000 figure, he said: "I don't know the figure, to be honest, I haven't had a look at it lately.

"We had a gap in our TPP, so I knew we had enough room."

In so many respects, the Tigers' handling of the whole Polak/Cousins saga has been embarrassing. The club publicly stated in late November that it was not at all interested in Cousins.

Then, between player drafts, it attempts to exploit the rookie list rules to move Polak off the senior list, in order get an extra selection at the pre-season draft as well as more salary cap room.

And so to the thousands of mouth-frothing Richmond supporters angered by the denial of smooth passage of Ben Cousins, do not, under any circumstance, blame the AFL commission.

Instead, focus your anger on your own club. It was Richmond which didn't properly think this out.

The AFL commission yesterday did as it always has - made judgment on a contentious matter by removing most, but not all, emotion from its task.

Therefore, it was smart enough not to link the Polak request with the one that has actually motivated the Tigers in to making it: Cousins.

Polak becoming a rookie, going by the competition rules, simply could not happen, and didn't.

There is not one person who does not wish Polak the best outcome, but his best outcome was not going to be affected by his status on the list.

Richmond, though, saw its own best outcome as being benefited by having Cousins on its list.

Wonder what spin Richmond will produce today.

http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/sport/afl/story/0,26576,24805759-19742,00.html

[mightytiges]

If we had a TPP/salary cap issue then Demetriou and the AFL would prevent us from having even one pick in the PSD. All TPPs have to submitted along with the 3rd and final list lodgement to be okayed by the AFL. If the AFL have oversighted this then the incompetence would reside with them.

Another load of Barrett's anti-Richmond BS  . Hey I can't get an answer out of the RFC so I'll just make up a figure in my head that suits my argument  . The poor sod has gone from being a tool to the full toolshed.

What another coincidence that Eddie also tried to make out there were salary cap issues. Time to hand over the job to a real journo Damien. Kindergarten time is over and you can go home and tell Eddie what a good little lapdog you've been.

[Darth Tiger]

If the AFL Record is the official organ of the AFL, and the Herald Sun the official newspaper of the AFL, I have no doubt that the organ is well & truly using Barrett as a mouthpiece.

[WilliamPowell]

---------------------------------------
Tigers' power play on Ben Cousins backfires
Damian Barrett | December 16, 2008

RICHMOND has no more than $120,000 to play with under its salary cap for 2009.

In so many respects, the Tigers' handling of the whole Polak/Cousins saga has been embarrassing. The club publicly stated in late November that it was not at all interested in Cousins.

Not as embarrassing as your whining Damien

Instead, focus your anger on your own club. It was Richmond which didn't properly think this out.

Sorry Damien no anger at my Club for this one. Very happy with what they have done. They tried (again) to assist one of their own in their recovery from a serious injury .. cannot be angry about that.

There is not one person who does not wish Polak the best outcome, but his best outcome was not going to be affected by his status on the list.

Thank you the pretending Dr Barrett - if you throw this line out there one more time I'll 

You have no idea .... here's an idea for you. Rather than commenting on things you clearly have no idea about go out do some research about serious brain injuries and you may learn something

Now P-iss Off tool

[Ramps]

Richmonds administration needs to nail Barrett, they should come out and clearly state that Barretts story is a falsehood, they should even probably give some details about how much under we are?