Grrr......the little Prick speaks.......

[Black_White]

Davis back with his blood
By Jessica Halloran
January 26 2003


For years an unhappy Magpie, Nick Davis has enjoyed slipping into rugby's shadow in Sydney.


You've got to understand how it is, says Nick Davis. How wanting to go home can be a football sin.

That walking down the street can be uncomfortable, because everyone wants to know if you were really trying in the grand final, and why the hell would you want to leave the club?

That it's sometimes easier to pretend you're just "a surfer or whatever", rather than a footballer when you go to the pub with your mates.

Because you don't always want to talk about footy, because there's more to life than just footy.

But that's not how it is in Melbourne - where for so many people, footy is everything.


Davis was born and raised in Sydney, where rugby league was it, Andrew Ettinghausen was the only hero, and Australian football, well . . . the other kids at school just didn't want to play it.

So, when Davis was invited to join the big time, arriving at Collingwood Football Club in 1999, things were, sometimes, overwhelming. More so than any other club, the world of the black and white can be suffocating.

When it became known that Davis was considering heading home, the black-and-white army turned.

Davis is the first to say he was happy at Collingwood, the football club treated him well, and he returned the faith with some dashing performances.

But he never came to terms with being away from home.

In his second pre-season with the club, he made it through just the second day of training, then packed his bag, walked to the local shopping complex, drew out some cash and caught a taxi to the airport.

His mother Judy opened the door to her Sutherland shire home that afternoon, to find Davis on her doorstep.

"Nick what are you doing here?" Judy asked, bewildered.

"I've left," he said quietly. And then he broke down.

Judy said it took her two weeks to "settle him down enough" for him to return to Victoria Park.

"It was very tough, I knew what he was going through, there was not a thing we could do about it," Judy said. "Nick keeps his feelings to himself, over his time in Melbourne, he only said to me a couple of times, 'Mum, I don't want to do this'."

Davis went back and played on. His two-year contract expired at the end of 2000, and Davis re-signed. Was that a good idea?

"Maybe through pressure . . . he thought he was settling in a lot better, he signed on for another two years - but it wasn't better," Judy said.

Still, his football shone. In 2001, his third season with the Magpies, he slotted through 36 goals - 22 of them in the second half of the season - and showed game-breaking qualities.

His versatile, athletic game was admired, and Collingwood knew the kid could play. Future star. Didn't want to lose this one.

"Personally, I thought he was settling down, he had outside interests, interests in racing horses," Judy said. "They do have a lot of free time out of training. I thought the outside interests were settling, but no."

His contract was up at the end of 2002, and his poor performances in the opening rounds of the season, most notably in round three, when the Pies were shamed by Carlton, had many questioning his commitment to the club.

Collingwood wanted a signature on a new contract, right then, straight away. Davis asked to be given until the end of the season.

President Eddie McGuire came out and blatantly said Collingwood players who were not "100 per cent committed" were not wanted at the club.

Davis felt like he was in the wrong place at the wrong time, but says he was fully committed whenever he ran out for Collingwood.

"I had an interrupted start to the pre-season, I probably wasn't anywhere near fit to play the first five rounds, the club didn't start off the way we wanted," Davis said. "I was just sitting there in the wrong spot at the wrong time. It was sort of pointed at me a little bit."

He had struggled to overcome osteitis pubis, but Davis went on to play 20 games anyway, notably a brilliant performance against Adelaide in the preliminary final.

But by then the homesickness plagued him. He wanted out, he wanted to go home.

"If he was never going to be happy, there was no point in it, it doesn't matter how much money you are making, there's no point," Judy said.

Davis agreed: "It was a tough time, but I knew what I wanted. My manager knew what he had to do to try to make the deal to come back to here."

Davis told Collingwood he wanted to head back north and sought a trade to Sydney. He was told not to attend the club's best and fairest count. At the time, football manager Neil Balme said: "We've advised him not to go to the Copeland Trophy because he doesn't want to play for us. How many times can you welcome someone when he doesn't want to be there?"

On reflection, Davis said the club was protecting him. "That maybe the fans would take it the wrong way, they might've done a few things . . .," Davis said.

Nevertheless, the angst proved worthwhile. In the dying seconds of the October trading period, the way was cleared for him to play for Sydney.

Collingwood coach Mick Malthouse's words were frank. "We are disappointed that Nick Davis is gone," he said. "But as we have said before, we only want good people at this football club."

Davis is not bitter about having such words flung at him, and still has respect for those at Victoria Park.

"I think the fact they wanted me to stay, makes me feel that those things that are said, aren't really meant in the way they come out.

"If they didn't think I was a good person, they would have kicked me out, but they were keen for me to stay, whereas I was pretty keen to come back here," he said.

Judy said the club, Malthouse and Balme especially, had treated Davis extremely well throughout his time there. "I can't speak highly enough of the staff down there," she said.

"(Balme and Malthouse) I think they'd regret what they said in the heat of the moment . . . they were still hurt he wanted to leave after what they had done for him."

Davis said he has pushed that time out of his head now, and had left that "full-on" football life behind.

"I'd had enough of the football scene, 24 hours a day, seven days a week that you get," Davis said. "You can hide from a few things up here, but in Melbourne you're in the public light. If you have a bad game, you've got to carry it around the streets."

"(In Sydney) your only footy time is when you come to the club. When you go home, you don't have to have anything to do with footy, you can relax a lot more.

"I think it would have been a lot tougher moving to a Melbourne club . . . after two weeks it was forgotten, I moved away from it all."

One thing Davis hasn't quite managed to move away from is the osteitis pubis he suffered towards the end of 2001. At times, the injury restricted him to just one training session a week. Soon after arriving in New South Wales, he underwent an adductor release and a hernia operation to treat the condition.

"It's been up to three months since the operation now and he's been on a fairly controlled rehab program," Swans doctor Nathan Gibbs said.

"He'll still be in rehab another 3-4 weeks, then he'll be back into full team training. That would be the best result, perfect if that happens."

Davis hopes to be fit for a pre-season match, or the round one home game against Carlton at the Telstra Dome at the latest. Nearly fully fit and firing, he hopes.

Coach Paul Roos said the Swans welcomed a player of Davis' calibre, who helped address an area the team had struggled with: kicking enough goals to pressure the opposition.

"Perhaps he'll play a couple of games for the seconds. He's here for a long time, he'll be here for eight to 10 years," Roos said. "We want him to be fit."

Having endured their share of homesick players, Roos said it was unique to have a player wanting to leave Melbourne to come back home and play for the Swans.

Davis said there were two driving forces behind his decision.

"Home - it was one the main reasons, I wanted to come to Sydney. And also that obviously Sydney are going to be successful over the next couple of years.

"I see Sydney in the same position as Collingwood were last year, a lot of inner belief in the way that we can play, and the outside people not knowing a lot about Sydney this year . . . I think it's going to be exciting."

[magpie willow]

NICK DAVIS NEEDS A KICK UP THE ARSE THE PRICK.

Cheers
Will.

THERES ONLY 1 NATHAN BUCKLEY! THERES ONLY 1 NATHAN BUCKLEY! STRUTTIN HIS STUFF! KICKIN SOME BUTT! WALKIN IN A MAGPIE WONDERLAND!

[Dr Alf Andrews]

Nick Who?



GO HARD OR GO HOME
**************
Ph.D. thesis, "Football: the People's Game?" http://alf.magpies.net

[molloymagic]

The army turned???????? what right does he have to say that!. Anyway, i am glad nick is gone, gives someone else a chance to play footy!!!!!.



Jarrod Molloy RULES!!!!
*2003:The beginning of molloy's injury free footy seasons*
*2002 Joint V.C*

[joffa_the_man_in_gold]

PRICK ?

I find that term offensive REMOVE it please

Was i not private messaged by you black and white whingeing and deleting my postings re offensive language

The monster has spoken!!

.......................
100,000 GOLD WIGS and a million shining eyes
This our country's one true game
And the footy ground's on fire
And collingwood's sons and daughter's, under wide Australian skies
Win or lose we're back again to claim the winner's prize.....

Go Pies you bloody beauties !! 'Caaarm Ornnn' kill the Bloody Bastards.


...............
email..joffa@magpies.net

[Black_White]

Sorry Joffa, but you were NEVER, repeat NEVER , PM'd by me regarding language etc. I NEVER, repeat NEVER, edited one of your posts.
If you don't believe me ,well your problem, not mine.
As for the term Prick. Stand by it, will use that term whenever he is discussed here, on FTO, on the Virtual outer, damn well anywhere I like.


Regards
-Craig



[This message has been edited by Black_White (edited 27 January 2003).]

[Miss_Lisey_Molloy]

Whoah easy us peoples! If you want to argue it should be over Nicky D not words! Lol we're all adults here (except for the people who arent lolz) and we should act like ones!

Sorry hehehe i should be quiet now! lolz
Love always, Alyssa xoxo

__________________________________________________
*~Jarrod Molloy's #1 Fan~* *~Jarrod 4 Copeland 2003!~*

My SoNg Of ThE wEeK

[TaZ_LuVs_EmIn3m]

mmm guys dont u think u r all mature enough to get over this?? Seriously we all r CFC and just becoz Nick doesnt play in black and white n e more really should have settled this.....most of us recieved abuse from other collingwood fans becoz of him leaving!!! He has left and u know wat u should all do instead of bagging him just forget him and continue on with supporting the club! Nick was my fav player hence my nickname but to me it is all the past and most of the ppl on here and elsewhere would rather move on than come into nicks and have to be reminded that nick left us for the swans everytime he opens his mouth!
common guys lets just move on together and get ready for GREAT 2003!!

______________________________________________

*~Catch ya later luv always Tara~*
***aka Tara_luvsNicknBrodie***
**~~I LUV EMIN3M~~**

'03 Bonnie and Clyde- By Jay-Z feat. Beyonce

[Chorus:]
All I need in this life of sin, is me and my girlfriend.
Down to ride 'til the very end, it's me and my boyfriend.
All I need in this life of sin, is me and my girlfriend.
Down to ride 'til the very end, it's me and my boyfriend.

Hope that is okay;)

[Miss_Lisey_Molloy]

Yeh i agree Taz! We should just be thinking about 2003! 2002 is in the past now! Look towards the future, not the past!

'Before Before! Your living in the past Marge! Quit living in the past!'- homer simpson (he agrees with me too)

Love always, Alyssa xoxo

__________________________________________________
*~Jarrod Molloy's #1 Fan~* *~Jarrod 4 Copeland 2003!~*

My SoNg Of ThE wEeK

[Black_White]

Sorry I_Luv_Nick_Davis but I'll lift a few quotes from the article, and Nick himself;

"For years an unhappy Magpie"
So why re-sign in 2000?

"That it's sometimes easier to pretend you're just "a surfer or whatever", rather than a footballer when you go to the pub with your mates."
Ashamed to be a Collingwood Footballer?

"When it became known that Davis was considering heading home, the black-and-white army turned."
We turned? No Nick, we wished, prayed and lobbied you to sign up again. The fact that you told us your signature was but weeks away, tells us a lot about what type of man you grew up to be.
"Davis went back and played on. His two-year contract expired at the end of 2000, and Davis re-signed. Was that a good idea?
The only reason you signed Nick was because no other team wanted you, unklike 2002, when the swannies had put out their feelers before seasons end.

"Maybe through pressure . . . he thought he was settling in a lot better, he signed on for another two years - but it wasn't better," Judy said"
Why is your mother speaking for you Nick? CFC, the fans, everyone bent over backwards to make you part of the greatest club in the world. Your loss.

"Collingwood wanted a signature on a new contract, right then, straight away. Davis asked to be given until the end of the season."
And Nick, you said publicaly, you told supporters face-to-face, that you would re-sign. Liar!

"Davis felt like he was in the wrong place at the wrong time, but says he was fully committed whenever he ran out for Collingwood."
Well, we who watched the games would dispute that 100% commitment.

"He had struggled to overcome osteitis pubis, but Davis went on to play 20 games anyway, notably a brilliant performance against Adelaide in the preliminary final.
But by then the homesickness plagued him. He wanted out, he wanted to go home."
So why not tell CFC after that prelim that you wanted out? Why take a coveted spot in CFC's first GF in years? Any other player deserved that place, as any other player had real commitment to CFC.

Sorry guys. I would like Nick Davis to slither away and hide under his rock that is called Sydney. But I don't want to open my Sunday paper, see his smiling mug in a swans jumper, and not be expected to share my disgust with my fellow supporters. Remember, we don't all see the local papers.

regards
-Craig

[TaZ_LuVs_EmIn3m]

Fair enough comment Craig...i can see ur point its just that it was hard for us him leaving under those circumstances but it wouldnt be as painful if everyone dropped it. If u or sumone came and wrote this topic not calling him a prick or saying this or that i mean it would just make it more easier for us to move on and for those that will Boo him this year!!! leave it for then plz not now coz unlike sum we just wanna watch the footy. Im really not looking forward to the swans vs pies game coz for the first time ill be wearing my 19 guernsey and nick wont be in it!
Lets plz move on together and show him wat his is missing but not this way! common guys we r betta than ne other club and lets prove it by sticking together not apart!!

______________________________________________

*~Catch ya later luv always Tara~*
***aka Tara_luvsNicknBrodie***
**~~I LUV EMIN3M~~**

'03 Bonnie and Clyde- By Jay-Z feat. Beyonce

[Chorus:]
All I need in this life of sin, is me and my girlfriend.
Down to ride 'til the very end, it's me and my boyfriend.
All I need in this life of sin, is me and my girlfriend.
Down to ride 'til the very end, it's me and my boyfriend.

Hope that is okay;)

[Donny]

Well I'm out of step too and I can't put it any better than Tara, really.
-----------------------
"dont u think u r all mature enough to get over this?? Seriously we all r CFC ... He has left and u know wat u should all do instead of bagging him just forget him and continue on with supporting the club!

... most of the ppl on here and elsewhere would rather move on than come into nicks and have to be reminded that nick left us for the swans everytime he opens his mouth! ... common guys lets just move on together and get ready for GREAT 2003!!

... its just that it was hard for us him leaving under those circumstances but it wouldnt be as painful if everyone dropped it.

Lets plz move on together and show him wat his is missing but not this way! common guys we r betta than ne other club and lets prove it by sticking together not apart!!"
--------------------------
Tess, your last sentence sounded pretty ugly but maybe it wasn't meant that way. If it was, may I quote an old American Indian saying ... "When seeking revenge, dig two graves"



Donny.

GO THE MIGHTY WOODSMEN !! ALL THE WAY IN 2003 AND BEYOND !!!!

[Donny]

Tess, I got it wrong. Please accept my apology. Sorry, m8.

Donny.

GO THE MIGHTY WOODSMEN !! ALL THE WAY IN 2003 AND BEYOND !!!!

[TaZ_LuVs_EmIn3m]

thanxs heaps donny mate u really r a great friend...all i want is for us to move on as a whole not as a group here and there....every player goes on how they luv the fans but its hard to be such a loyal fan when u cant even say wat u want! all i want is to move on and move up the AFL ladder which really isnt that far to go!

i didnt mean to offend n e one but i just think its silly really that im 16 (and as most ppl say a typical teenager!) can get over sumthing like this all i want is to show nick wat he is missing but on the field not fron my mouth coz im not like that! this site has become a war zone and if we cant get a long how the hell r we meant to stick by our boys? we r all here for one thing the PIES now just keep that in mind and lets have some fun!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

______________________________________________

*~Catch ya later luv always Tara~*
***aka Tara_luvsNicknBrodie***
**~~I LUV EMIN3M~~**

'03 Bonnie and Clyde- By Jay-Z feat. Beyonce

[Chorus:]
All I need in this life of sin, is me and my girlfriend.
Down to ride 'til the very end, it's me and my boyfriend.
All I need in this life of sin, is me and my girlfriend.
Down to ride 'til the very end, it's me and my boyfriend.

Hope that is okay;)

[Trippy Pie]

NICK DAVIS is dead.


LONG LIVE LEON THE MAGIC MAN DAVIS!!!!!!!!

COLLINGWOOD RULES no one else matters!!!!!!!!!!!!!!