At the end of the AFL season Kurt Tippett left headed home leaving Adelaide for the Gold Coast. Picture: Sarah Reed. Source: adelaidenow
THE ducks are lining up for Kurt Tippett to play for Greater Western Sydney with marquee player Israel Folau yesterday turning his back on Australian football.
His call leaves the Giants clearing at least $250,000 off their books with the former rugby league top-liner announcing he is returning to his first love.
Giants chief executive Dave Matthews said Folau's announcement was an independent consideration to the potential recruitment of Tippett, but recognised it had boosted the club's prospects of snaring the Queenslander.
"We said earlier in the week, and this is before we knew what Israel was contemplating, that we had the selections that would enable us to get Kurt Tippett if we could afford him," Matthews said.
"We've still got to work out what that means and what are the terms and conditions in which he might enter one of the drafts.
"So the next couple of weeks (Graeme) 'Gubby' Allan and Steve Silvagni will work with the coaches to do their due diligence on him, but we're certainly in there for Kurt Tippett."
In Tippett, there is the opportunity to sign up another marquee name, one who was Adelaide's highest-paid player at an estimated $700,000 and another one who comes from a non-traditional AFL background, with Tippett growing up as a basketballer in Queensland.
Folau was understood to have combined a playing wage of $250,000 with the club's $573,000 marketing allowance and a separate AFL promotional deal.
There will be no compensation for the Crows for Tippett, whose last deal with Adelaide may have breached both the salary cap because of guaranteed third-party agreements and conduct prejudicial to the draw because of promises ensuring an easy passage to the club of his choice once he left the Crows.
But Folau has opened up an easy transition for Tippett to move to the city of his choice, Sydney, even though he may not land at the club of his choice, the Swans.
The Swans have not indicated they are out of the race for his services, but the Crows are now expecting it will be difficult for other clubs to pinch Tippett from GWS in the pre-season draft.
There is still a school of thought that he would best benefit the game by returning to Queensland, where he could be the face of Gold Coast as the home-grown player, but that club already has the game's best player in Gary Ablett and is becoming more competitive by the year.
Folau, 23, left the Giants with two years remaining on his contract and there are already rumours swirling about his next destination, with Parramatta chief executive Ken Edwards saying Folau would be an ideal recruit for the 2013 NRL season.
"We think Israel would be a great fit," Edwards said.
Folau's exit will not affect Adelaide, which still has concerns explaining its deal with Tippett signed in 2009.
Folau admits the thought of playing at the same NRL club as his younger brother Eni is appealing but the code-hopping star insists his future is uncertain.
"At this stage, I've had no discussions with any clubs at all," he said.
"I'll leave it up to my management to control that stuff ... I haven't had no discussions with any club so I can't confirm anything.
"My future at the moment is uncertain. I still don't know what to do."
The former Melbourne, Brisbane, Queensland and Australian rugby league star admits he'd like to play at the Eels with 19-year-old brother Eni, who is a member of Parramatta's under 20s side.
"It'd be nice but, like I said, that's not a thing for me ... At this stage, I don't know what I'm doing," he said.
Anda sedang membaca artikel tentang
Folau out but Tippett may be in
Dengan url
http://astagaberita.blogspot.com/2012/11/folau-out-but-tippett-may-be-in.html
Anda boleh menyebar luaskannya atau mengcopy paste-nya
Folau out but Tippett may be in
namun jangan lupa untuk meletakkan link
Folau out but Tippett may be in
sebagai sumbernya
0 komentar:
Posting Komentar