HEATH BLACK

[BUCKS]

HEATH BLACK IS SAID TO FAVOUR ST KILDA OVER COLLINGWOOD...

[NICK THE PIE MAN]

What the hell is going on?!
Last year we supposedly had Gehrig, then St Kilda the cheats stole him from us, and it may happen again with Black!!!
Come on Noel!

One unhappy Pie Man!

"Good 'Ol Collingwood Forever"

[B&W Phantom]

If he wants to go to a loser team and club like Saints, then let him. Develop Scotland and Didak as quality midfielders is my call. They would be better than Heath Black. I for one am glad that we did not get Gehrig, he is a show pony and a loser.

[Joel]

If that is the truth then it sounds like Heath is more interested in money than playing at a good club, where he actually has a chance to play in a premiership. Who would want to play for a club as unstable as St.Kilda? You would have to be mentally unstable to pick St.Kilda over Collingwood.



JDF

[MarkT]

Bucks - I was lead to believe that Heath Black was leaving his decision whether to leave Freemantle or stay until he knew who the coach would be. I belive he has been told (Chris Connoly) and wants to leave. I have also heard that he wants to come to Collingwood but the trouble is doing the deal with Freemantle.

Same as last year. Gehrig was close to "ours" but WCE wouldn't trde with MM's team. As for the Saints - I couldn't see someone who left a low club, in fonacial difficulty, with an un tried coach wanting to go to an another club in the same boat. Then again, as they say, money talks.

Joel - I wouldn't hold it against a player on the open market holing out for money and using other interested parties to up his market value. Players shoulod strike the best deal they can - or at least their managers should. We would all ask for more money if we could get it wouldn't we? Footy generates huge amounts of money and the players get a very small % of it. Apart from anything else, we have room in our cap to pay the $. I am not concerned with players pay demands as much as I am with the cost in the trade deal.

[Brown26]

It doesn't matter what Black wants to some extent - it depends who Freo want to trade with. If he wants to go to St Kilda however, he just goes in the draft and they pick him up (probably). That would be the worst situation for Freo, so they'll probably try to convince him to go somwhere else, so we might get a good deal, If Black keeps threatening to go to the Saints...

Pies for Premiers 2002, 3, 4, 5, 6....

[Rohan Coventry Tateson]

Everitt likely to stay put

By CAROLINE WILSON and GREG DENHAM


St Kilda ruckman Peter Everitt is now expected to remain with the Saints following several days of soul-searching after a frank exchange of views six days ago with his new coach, Grant Thomas.

And in more good news for St Kilda, and what would be a further vote of confidence in Thomas, the club appears set to secure out-of-contract Fremantle midfielder Heath Black.

Thomas and his general manager of football operations, Brian Waldron, are believed to have placed the ball firmly in Everitt's court late last week, telling him he was a required player only if he wanted to remain and was prepared to adhere to the new regime.

Everitt, who indicated last month that he would not make a decision regarding his future at Moorabbin until he knew who St Kilda's new coach would be, appeared to have become disillusioned beyond repair with the club for which he made his senior debut eight seasons ago. And the feeling appeared to be mutual.

But, Thomas was keen to retain the two-time all-Australian player, who is expected to poll in the top two in St Kilda's best-and-fairest award this season.

Everitt will formally approach Thomas by the end of the week. The pair sat at the same table at Monday night's Brownlow Medal count.

Everitt could not be contacted for comment last night.

St Kilda is well placed to secure 22-year-old Black, who is believed to want to return home to Melbourne.

Black, who made his debut in 1997, is believed to have settled on the Saints as his preferred club, ahead of several other clubs, including Collingwood, which chased the Docker vigorously.

Black, who was the Dockers' third-best vote-getter in the Brownlow Medal count, is believed to have warmed to St Kilda after meaningful discussions with Thomas.

Waldron yesterday said the club had been heartened by its attractiveness to Black. "We may trade for him," Waldron said. "Then again, we could take him in the pre-season draft."

The Saints have the second-best bargaining power in the league with any player out of contract this season as they have the second selection in the December draft, behind Fremantle.

Black, who is managed by Ron Joseph, was high on the Kangaroos' shopping list last year when they were negotiating a return deal from the Dockers in the Peter Bell trade.

Fremantle chief executive Cameron Schwab yesterday said he had not lost hope of retaining Black, but conceded it would be tough.

"We've got our work cut out, but we'll give it our best shot," Schwab said.

Black is holidaying in Queensland and is expected to give Fremantle his decision before the start of the AFL's eight-day player-exchange period next Tuesday.

Black was Fremantle's first national draft selection in 1996 and the former Oakleigh under-18s player made his 50th appearance for the Dockers this year. Fremantle's second selection in that draft, Jess Sinclair, returned to Melbourne last year and joined the Kangaroos.

Meanwhile, trade talks have begun in earnest over St Kilda's Barry Hall, who appears determined to join Sydney following a three-year $1.5million offer from the Swans.

Sydney is believed to have offered two players plus a draft pick for Hall.

Leo Barry, Ben Mathews, Jude Bolton, Ryan O'Keefe and Brad Seymour are among the group the Saints' talks are focusing upon. Hall has been courted by former Saint and Sydney champion forward Tony Lockett.

But, Carlton is also keen to recruit Hall, following what proved to be a disappointing season for the Blues, and ruckman Mark Porter has been one name put forward in trade talks.

So keen are the Blues to boost their attack in the absence of injured star Anthony Koutoufides that the club is also believed to have approached Aaron Hamill to return to the club from St Kilda.

Hamill, who left the club in a blaze of controversy last year, refused the informal Carlton offer.

Meanwhile, West Coast veteran Peter Matera has agreed in principle to a new one-year contract with the Eagles, which could see out his career next season.

The out-of-contract 32-year-old Matera met with West Coast chief executive Trevor Nisbett late last week and confirmed his intentions to play on.

Collingwood's Chad Rintoul, who is managed by Matera's Perth-based agent Jim Tsagalis, is also close to signing a new one-year deal.


If St Kilda can outbid us again (Gehrig last year, Black this year) serious questions have to asked about our recruiting team.

How can a club that is unstable, debt ridden and unsuccessful outbid our club that is stable?

Last years trading was good but it does not mean they should get complacent this year


In Skob We Trust

[DaicosForever]

How moronic would Heath Black be if he went to the Saints...Hello...Hall and Everitt have been aching to leave and Everitt is only now realisng he wont be traded and is smoothing things over by saying he wants to stay. When I see players jumping ship , to me it appears the ship is sinking. Even Hamill wants to go back to the Blues....Hello Heath black...smell the roses champ....

Louis

[MarkT]

Hey Daics - he's no moron and neither is Eddie. Nominate St.Kilda who get a free choice in the pre season dradt to for The clubs hand to do a deal to the club of your choice.

He will look good along side Buck's, Obree & co!
*fingers crossed*

[Hiya-and-Higher]

By all means lets chase proven good players vigorously but if we don't get them, lose no sleep.
Names mean nothong.
Names alone don't win you games.
Names who WANT to play for Collingwood, will.
That's the type of player we want.
Remember every year there is a NEW Heath Black (and better) out there, ready to be picked up.
But if all this waltzing around is because Heath Black is working out a secret deal because he *wants* to be part of the legend that is Collingwood...then good on ya mate!

[Greg J]

I say that Collingwood should not chase Ron Joseph's clients. Gehrig was one, Black is another. It would be detrimental for any club to have any of Ron Joseph's clients playing for them. It would only sew discontent within the club and minimise their chance of success.

Lets face it, how can you be successfull when half the team is pissed of with the high priced recruits who have eaten up their salary cap.

Furthermore, was Gehrig worth all that money to St Kilda. Did he play 10 times, or even 5 times, better than the lower paid players at St Kilda? I think not. But that is what St Kilda agreed to pay him, in respect to some of their other players. Did they get a suitable reward? Priority draft picks yet again.

I say let St Kilda get Black. And we will have a shot at some cheap good players that leave St Kilda. St Kilda will have to continue to turn over players, for the next couple of years, just to keep room in the salary cap for the players they have committed to last year, and again this year. They're stuck in a cycle.

Greg J

[MarkT]

GregJ,
Did you see MM on talking footy?
He basically said there are some managers out there who lack ethics and utilise tactics which he doesn't approve of. No prizes for guessing he was referring to Ron Joseph (and others).

Just on Gerhig, he is a good player and we should consider ourselves hard done by. He was injured early last year but he is an athlete who can play at both ends. We doin't have anyone of his ilk and I would be rapt if we could still get him now (which we can't). He fit's the age, experiance and athletic critera we are seeking. He has been injury prone and that tempered Collingwoods enthusiasm. So far they have been proved right but who know what the future holds.