bornadog
01-12-2014, 12:11 AM
Link h (http://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/afl/leon-cameron-tells-how-gws-landed-former-disgruntled-bulldogs-skipper-ryan-griffen/story-fnp04d70-1227140139592)ere
IT started with a throwaway line.
The biggest defection since Geelong captain Leigh Colbert stormed out of Kardinia Park began with a simple question.
As close friend and confidant Leon Cameron counselled Ryan Griffen late in the year, he found it impossible not to at least inquire.
Why don’t you come and play here?
That question was at first quickly shut down by the Western Bulldogs captain, but the seed for the trade that rocked football was planted.
Within days the Dogs had pulled off the most startling trade of this footy century, turning Griffen into a Giant and Tom Boyd into the richest kid in the land.
Yet according Cameron, as he charts the backstory to that remarkable trade for the first time, it was also a deal that would save Griffen’s football career.
“Ryan was struggling a bit with life,’’ Cameron said.
“He had a tough time watching his dad go through hell and eventually passing away and I reckon that played on his mind and he is really close to his mum and family and it felt like it was all building up and there was no way out.
“I was lucky enough to coach him for five years at the Dogs and you do keep in contact.
“With Ryan I sensed there were some real issues. I spoke to him about six weeks before the season finished and I just said, ‘How are you doing’.
“You could see the energy wasn’t there in his voice, and it wasn’t about the Dogs, I sensed it was more about footy than the Dogs.
“You (ask about him moving) in a joking way and Griff would stamp it out straight away. You would joke about it and Griff would say, ‘No, I have got a duty. I am captain of the club, I love the club and I am going to fight through this’.
“After that conversation I thought, ‘No, he’s going to stick that out, he’s going to be there for good’.”
GWS Giants recruit Ryan Griffen is settling into life in Sydney, with new coach Leon Came
GWS Giants recruit Ryan Griffen is settling into life in Sydney, with new coach Leon Cameron and captain and good mate Callan Ward. Picture: Phil Hillyard
Yet as Cameron was gently nudging his fellow Bulldogs life member, things were imploding down south at the Western Bulldogs.
A disastrous end to the season precipitated a round of exit interviews that saw Griffen confronting Peter Gordon about his coach Brendan McCartney’s conduct.
Still, Griffen left for a trip to Europe with both the Dogs and Leon Cameron assuming he was staying put.
“He went away for a couple of weeks and came back and said, “If I don’t make a change maybe I won’t play footy again’,’’ Cameron said.
“Yes, people will build it up as the coach but I reckon that was a small part of it. I think he desperately needed a change.
“When I actually heard what he had done, I nearly drove off the road. I was in Sydney driving back from the airport and they rang and said Griff had nominated our footy club. I thought, ‘geez that has come from left field’.
“But he clearly thought this is big enough for me that I have to make a decision in my life if I want to punch out four or five years, or I will retire.”
A day later the Dogs would sack Brendan McCartney.
Then as GWS waited for the Bulldogs to start real negotiations, another bombshell came.
First-round pick Boyd wanted out in exchange for Griffen, just months after fellow young key forward Jon Patton’s 2015 was ruined by an ACL injury.
“We sat down and thought, that’s fine he wants to come to us. How the hell do we get it done. Then there was Tom’s left-field decision and the fun started,’’ Cameron said.
“As a club we stated that we didn’t want to move Tom, but as the week panned out and you start to negotiate you take everything into consideration.
“Young Tom clearly wants to go home. Can he fight through (homesickness)? What does our playing group feel? What is the deal in front in front of us?”
And the clincher for GWS — had he already agreed mid-season to go home the following year?
“I don’t know the full history of what happened throughout the year. Only the people close to Tom know that,’’ Cameron said.
“But when you look at pick 6 coming back your way and Ryan Griffen as an A-Grader who wants to your footy club it was, ‘Yep, let’s make this decision for our footy club’.
“I was proud of the club. It looked like there was a clear no but we were open to say we changed our minds because of what happened.
“People are going to say does it mean you are going to keep changing your mind? No, it doesn’t.
“If something presents that good you have to look at it.”
Griffen is already out on the training track, bursting with energy after the trials of the off-season.
He is staying with his great mate Callan Ward, being coached by a mate he respects and ready to play without the burden of formal leadership designation.
“Yesterday we had a really tough session and you can tell when a player is energised or just grinding though,’’ Cameron said.
“There is lots of energy. There is a weight off his shoulders.
IT started with a throwaway line.
The biggest defection since Geelong captain Leigh Colbert stormed out of Kardinia Park began with a simple question.
As close friend and confidant Leon Cameron counselled Ryan Griffen late in the year, he found it impossible not to at least inquire.
Why don’t you come and play here?
That question was at first quickly shut down by the Western Bulldogs captain, but the seed for the trade that rocked football was planted.
Within days the Dogs had pulled off the most startling trade of this footy century, turning Griffen into a Giant and Tom Boyd into the richest kid in the land.
Yet according Cameron, as he charts the backstory to that remarkable trade for the first time, it was also a deal that would save Griffen’s football career.
“Ryan was struggling a bit with life,’’ Cameron said.
“He had a tough time watching his dad go through hell and eventually passing away and I reckon that played on his mind and he is really close to his mum and family and it felt like it was all building up and there was no way out.
“I was lucky enough to coach him for five years at the Dogs and you do keep in contact.
“With Ryan I sensed there were some real issues. I spoke to him about six weeks before the season finished and I just said, ‘How are you doing’.
“You could see the energy wasn’t there in his voice, and it wasn’t about the Dogs, I sensed it was more about footy than the Dogs.
“You (ask about him moving) in a joking way and Griff would stamp it out straight away. You would joke about it and Griff would say, ‘No, I have got a duty. I am captain of the club, I love the club and I am going to fight through this’.
“After that conversation I thought, ‘No, he’s going to stick that out, he’s going to be there for good’.”
GWS Giants recruit Ryan Griffen is settling into life in Sydney, with new coach Leon Came
GWS Giants recruit Ryan Griffen is settling into life in Sydney, with new coach Leon Cameron and captain and good mate Callan Ward. Picture: Phil Hillyard
Yet as Cameron was gently nudging his fellow Bulldogs life member, things were imploding down south at the Western Bulldogs.
A disastrous end to the season precipitated a round of exit interviews that saw Griffen confronting Peter Gordon about his coach Brendan McCartney’s conduct.
Still, Griffen left for a trip to Europe with both the Dogs and Leon Cameron assuming he was staying put.
“He went away for a couple of weeks and came back and said, “If I don’t make a change maybe I won’t play footy again’,’’ Cameron said.
“Yes, people will build it up as the coach but I reckon that was a small part of it. I think he desperately needed a change.
“When I actually heard what he had done, I nearly drove off the road. I was in Sydney driving back from the airport and they rang and said Griff had nominated our footy club. I thought, ‘geez that has come from left field’.
“But he clearly thought this is big enough for me that I have to make a decision in my life if I want to punch out four or five years, or I will retire.”
A day later the Dogs would sack Brendan McCartney.
Then as GWS waited for the Bulldogs to start real negotiations, another bombshell came.
First-round pick Boyd wanted out in exchange for Griffen, just months after fellow young key forward Jon Patton’s 2015 was ruined by an ACL injury.
“We sat down and thought, that’s fine he wants to come to us. How the hell do we get it done. Then there was Tom’s left-field decision and the fun started,’’ Cameron said.
“As a club we stated that we didn’t want to move Tom, but as the week panned out and you start to negotiate you take everything into consideration.
“Young Tom clearly wants to go home. Can he fight through (homesickness)? What does our playing group feel? What is the deal in front in front of us?”
And the clincher for GWS — had he already agreed mid-season to go home the following year?
“I don’t know the full history of what happened throughout the year. Only the people close to Tom know that,’’ Cameron said.
“But when you look at pick 6 coming back your way and Ryan Griffen as an A-Grader who wants to your footy club it was, ‘Yep, let’s make this decision for our footy club’.
“I was proud of the club. It looked like there was a clear no but we were open to say we changed our minds because of what happened.
“People are going to say does it mean you are going to keep changing your mind? No, it doesn’t.
“If something presents that good you have to look at it.”
Griffen is already out on the training track, bursting with energy after the trials of the off-season.
He is staying with his great mate Callan Ward, being coached by a mate he respects and ready to play without the burden of formal leadership designation.
“Yesterday we had a really tough session and you can tell when a player is energised or just grinding though,’’ Cameron said.
“There is lots of energy. There is a weight off his shoulders.