St Killer Great Nick Reeldt has made an emotional appeal to the AFL and the players’ union to provide more adequate support to players as they emerge from professional play.
Rivaldt’s call came Monday night with former Fellow Sam Fisher, who was charged with large-scale drug trafficking.
Fisher, 39, played 228 games for the Saints before retiring in 2016.
“A lot of his close teammates knew he had some problems, but to this extent, once everything was opened up last week, I think many of us were surprised at how bad the situation got,” Reynolds told Fox. Footy.
“But it’s getting heavier and obviously, you’re starting to think directly about Sam and the situation he’s finding himself in and about his family and the people around him, and then you’ll have some internal reflection ‘What else can we do?'”
During Fisher’s stint at St Kilda from 2004 to 2016, longtime captain Reoldt acknowledged that questions would be asked of club leaders and the playing group of that era.
Former Saints Sam Fisher (left) and Nick Reold. (Photo by Michael Wilson / AFL Media / Getty Images)
“There are a lot of Sam’s teammates who have done as much as possible, including me, and some who have gone to great lengths with conversations with family and friends and who are really close to Sam,” Reold said.
“As a team I think we did as much as we could for Sam.
“But at a time like this you can really understand that you are out of your depth as a teammate, when a player Sam faces that kind of challenge.
“I understand that these questions will come about us and our group and leadership and all sorts of things like that, but you can put your head on the pillow knowing you did as much as possible.”
Reold said he had contacted the AFL Players’ Association about his concerns about Fisher but had received a delayed and inadequate response.
The union is said to have provided some assistance to Fisher but is protected by detailed confidentiality provisions.
Reoldt said the level of support for players leaving the AFL system was one of the biggest problems facing leagues and players’ unions, declaring it “enough.”
“There aren’t a lot of Sam Fisher-type incidents that we hear about right now but there are a lot of players who are slipping through the cracks,” Reeldt said.
“It will be my claim and my experience that a lot of players are now slipping through the cracks in the AFL system and their lives are in a terrible state when they come out on the other side.
“Let this sand be the line at the moment. This is a careful story.
“Something needs to be done because players and teammates can do as much as they please but they are not experts in space and they need help.”
Riold said his appeal was not about gaining sympathy for the players.
“Players are paid really well, they get all these opportunities as they go through the game, but it doesn’t work anywhere along the line because a lot of players aren’t finding themselves in a career after that. The level that it should be. , ”He said.
“We can do a lot more as an industry and I think AFLPA, in particular, needs to take the lead in this cause and stop these situations.”
Reoldt also pointed to the AFL’s illegal drug policy, in which he has been a vocal critic in the past.
“The policy that exists right now is one that allows players to move around the room to tap on those things,” he said. “It simply came to our notice then. Players who take drugs in the AFL system do so because the system allows them to. “
Docker has been sent to the AFL tribunal
Fremantle forward Sam Sweetkowski has been sent straight to the AFL tribunal for a “serious misconduct” chicken wing tackle on Colinwood’s Jack Ginivan.
After bringing Ginivan to the field late in Sunday’s match at Optus Stadium, Svetkowski grabbed his opponent’s wrist and pinned the 19-year-old behind his own back.
Svetkowski continues to apply upward pressure to the guinea pig’s arm until the umpire blows the whistle for a ball.
Although Guinevan was not injured in the incident, the AFL match review officer described the crime as “serious misconduct” and sent Svetkowski to a tribunal.
“I would say he knew what he was doing,” former Melbourne star Gary Lyon told The Couch.
“She (Guinness) finally got up and was fine. But when you start jamming their hands on their backs it means you are going to be responsible for it.
“If he gets a week or two, he’ll just blame himself.”
Chicken wing tackle is not uncommon in the AFL, but two-time Brownlow Medal winner Chris Judd in 2012 received a four-week ban for one such offense against Leigh Adams of North Melbourne.
Jude’s tackle was even more serious than Svetkovsky’s because Jude was third and his opponent was injured in the incident.
Guinness got the rage of Fremantle fans in the final of Sunday’s match when he overtook Brennan Cox and celebrated in front of the Dockers’ trustees as he walked to score the easiest goal.
Magpies coach Craig McRae laughed when asked what he thought of the initial celebration, which came shortly before Sweetkowski’s tackle on Ginnyvan.
“What are you doing there? You want them to be themselves,” McCrae said.
“Kick a goal and then have a message to celebrate with your teammates.”
Dangerfield is obsolete
Geelong star Patrick Dangerfield is unlikely to play again before leaving the AFL club as the club takes a conservative approach to recovering from another calf injury.
Dangersfield was substituted in the Cats’ win against Port Adelaide on Saturday because he was stiff in the same calf he injured at the start of the season.
A previous injury – a strain on the area where he had previously corked – kept him out of action for two weeks.
Dangerfield will now complete a mid-season training block to prepare him for the second half of the year.
This will likely exclude him from the Geelong matches against Adelaide and the Western Bulldogs before the 13-round bye.
(Photo by Daniel Pocket / Getty Images)
“It’s likely that a few weeks of training will now serve Pat better and provide the conditioner base needed for the rest of the season,” said Harry Taylor, head of medical and conditioning services at Geelong.
“Our medical and performance team continues to monitor Pat’s condition.”
Rice Stanley and Quinton Coconut were withdrawn late from the Port Adelaide clash for an ankle injury and face test for the game against Adelaide at the GMHBA Stadium on Saturday.
“Royce and Quinton were given every opportunity to play against Port Adelaide but unfortunately did not tick the relevant medical and conditioning tests before the game,” Taylor said.
“They will continue their reconditioning programs and will be evaluated weeks later.”
Despite the absence of Dangerfield, Geelong will start the hot favorites against his old club Adelaide.