WITH the season coming to an end and Greater Western Sydney soon to be officially allowed to sign players from rival clubs, speculation is rife in the Saturday papers about who may be heading to Blacktown and what the Giants roster will look like.
Jon Pierik in The Age reports that Hawthorn director Jason Dunstall was "aware of speculation Sam Mitchell had been offered a $4 million deal to join Greater Western Sydney."
Mitchell is contracted to the Hawks until the end of the 2012 season but "the Giants could tempt the Hawks by offering the rights to outstanding West Australian 17-year-old midfielder, Jaeger O'Meara," with Dunstall admitting he had "heard that" rumour.
Dunstall says he was initially reluctant to consider it but says "you also have to factor in what Sam Mitchell wants to do."
Caroline Wilson of The Age uses her column to talk about Tom Scully's future, saying "he has not committed to Greater Western Sydney".
Scully's late withdrawal from this Sunday's match with Port Adelaide led to, in Wilson's words, "inevitable but premature conclusions".
Wilson says "the romantic side of this column firmly believes he should stay" but there are plenty of reasons for leaving and not all associated with money, The Age columnist writing that Scully's "disenchantment in a number of football decisions last year and continuing into 2011 might have mitigated his departure if, or more likely when, it happens over the next week or so."
Recently retired Lions champion Luke Power has not ruled out making a comeback for Greater Western Sydney in 2012, reports the Herald Sun, with Power saying "my body is still good so I could possibly play, I've got to make the decision whether I want to because you have to go into these things 100 per cent sure."
Mark Stevens of the Herald Sun talks about Callan Ward's expected move to the Giants, saying "Ward will play his last game for the Western Bulldogs today. No doubt about it."
Dale Thomas said when announcing his decision to stay with Collingwood that he had been made an offer by GWS but had stayed with the Pies for less money.
It won't be far away before recruits are named and deals announced, however, with Kevin Sheedy telling AAP "I would think in the next fortnight we'll be making some decent announcements and they'll please a lot of people."
"We're looking forward to announcing some players and seeing what 'Gubby' [football manager Graeme Allan] and 'SOS' [list manager Steve Silvagni] have been up to, what trouble they've been getting into," he said
"That'll be a lot of their hard work done. Mark Williams and myself have been with the team … but the recruiting department, we'll find out what they've been up to the past 12 months."
It certainly will be interesting over the next few weeks. While some highly touted names will sign with the Giants, there will be likely be a few surprises and some shocks.
Burns the enigma
The Adelaide Advertiser's Michelangelo Rucci has profiled the "enigma" that is Scott Burns in today's edition, saying the public perception of the former Collingwood captain is very different to the reality.
The general feeling has been that the West Coast assistant is reluctant to throw his hat into the ring for the Adelaide coaching job but Rucci reports that Adelaide's view is that "he's right up for it".
That will certainly please the punters who have backed Burns in from $5.00 at Sportsbet into the $1.60 favourite over the last week with caretaker and one-time favourite Mark Bickley out to $5.00.
It is understandable why Burns is not publicly declaring his interest in the position. West Coast has a finals series to compete in and Burns does not want to distract from the task at hand.
But Burns seems ready to put his hand up for the job and the Crows seem willing to consider him with Adelaide powerbrokers now appearing "destined to appoint a first-time AFL coach" after initial concerns over giving the reins of such a young team to a mentor with no experience.
"There should be no mistake, however, on Burns' willingness to meet the Crows," writes Rucci.
The Crows will go through the process of sifting through all candidates but it seems that Scott Burns is in the box seat to become Adelaide's sixth full-time coach.
Ultimatum reaps rewards
Players rarely walk into their coach's office and lay down an ultimatum. There is even less history of such a move being successful. But for Carlton forward Andrew Walker, it was the best career move he has made.
At the backend of last season, Walker was struggling for a game as he battled in the defensive half of the field. The No.2 pick in the 2003 NAB AFL Draft played only 15 of 22 home and away games and was on the cusp of selection for the Blues' finals clash with the Sydney Swans.
Luckily for the Blues and Walker, coach Brett Ratten decided to play Walker in his preferred forward role where he kicked 3.2 and quite possibly saved his Carlton career. It was a move that "sort of justified where I was coming from," Walker tells the Herald Sun's Sam Edmund.
"I wouldn't say I was happy to go, but I had to think of myself at some stage," Walker said.
"I thought to myself, 'Well, if they're going to play me as a backman then I don't think that's where I play my best football' and I didn't think I was getting used to the best of my ability. I felt, not that I was being wasted, but that I wasn't being able to play to my strengths and it was frustrating."
It seemed a fait accompli that Walker would be traded with a move to Adelaide, Port Adelaide and the Western Bulldogs all touted.
"I wasn't enjoying football," he said.
"I wanted to be able to give my best, whether it be at Carlton or elsewhere, because I knew my best football would come from playing up forward."
Walker got his wish but only after he got the courage to meet with Ratten and seek an assurance that he would play up forward this season.
It was a move that "broke the ice" between Ratten and Walker and also allowed for an astonishing form turnaround with Walker kicking 50 goals in 21 games this season, to sit sixth on the Coleman Medal count.
He was rewarded with a three-year deal that will make him an 11-year Blue when his next contract is up.
It was a wonderful career move for Walker and one that has made him an incredibly damaging threat.
Ratten also deserves plenty of credit. There are not a lot of coaches whose ego wouldn't have been challenged by Walker's move but Ratten was prepared to listen and the result has been Walker contributing significantly to the Blues finishing fifth, their best finish since 2001.
In short
Gary Ablett has called Hawthorn's decision to rest eight of its best players against his Gold Coast team as "sensible", reports The Australian.
There is still a chance that the ABC will cover WAFL games in 2012 though in a more limited capacity with the possibility games will be shown on delay and only from a limited number of grounds, says The West Australian.
