Richmond may enter the Pre-Season Draft, with an advantage over the 15 other AFL Clubs. The Tigers could go into the draft as the only team with two picks giving them an extra chance to draft Ben Cousins.
The Richmond Football Club have requested that the AFL give them permission to put Tigers defender Graham Polak on the rookie list for the 2009 AFL Premiership Season, as a long-term injured player.
Polak, 24, was hit by a tram while walking with team mates in Armadale, Melbourne in June 2008. He is continuing to recover from severe brain trauma, however he returned to training in November, but recovering has been a slow process.
The club along with the support of their defender have stated in their application to the AFL that Graham’s treatment and rehabilitation would continue into the New Year.
A decision will be made by the AFL Commission at their next meeting, on Monday December 15 (the day before the draft). With this decision yet to be made, speculation has arrived that Richmond has already decided their draft choice for pick number six and that they will use their possible second round pick to draft “self confessed drug-addict” Ben Cousins to Punt Road.
Richmond is hoping the precedent set by Essendon will allow them to make the rookie shift. In 2006 the Bombers asked the AFL for permission to shift Adam Ramanauskas (who was 26, at the time) to the mature-age rookie list for the 2007 Premiership Season after a recurrence of his Cancer. The Bombers were successful with this application and Ramanauskas was placed on the Rookie List, while recovering from cancer. Ramanauskas later returned to senior football in 2007, before retiring at the end of the 2008 AFL Season.
AFL football operations manager Adrian Anderson has said in a statement that he had been in contact with the other 15 AFL clubs, on the matter at hand, for their views on the Tigers request.
With this issue on the agenda, it seems many AFL Clubs are questioning the decision. Collingwood President Eddie McGuire said that the Ramanauskas decision was “a one-off, it wasn’t precedent”.
His main issue being that this should have been discussed and done before the Draft, because it will now be an unfair advantage over other AFL Clubs, who before Wednesday November 10th, 2008, thought each club had one pick at the Pre-Season draft, which may alter for the Tigers if their request for Graham Polak is successful.
On the other hand Hawthorn President, Jeff Kennett has stated the following: “The AFL would be doing it for compassionate and humane reasons in the same way that I think Richmond has made the application. It is the AFL and Richmond indicating that the welfare of an individual is paramount, and I don’t see how it could possibly reject the application”.
It seems there are various opinions on the decision to be made on Monday by the AFL Commission.
What are your thoughts on the request by the Tigers for Graham Polak?
Should the Tigers be granted this?
If NO why?
If YES, would it be fair to the other 15 Clubs this late in the year?
Please feel free to share and discuss this issue at hand!
See also:
Yahoo Sport: Tigers poised for move on Cousins
Tigers seek Polak’s move to rookie list
ContestedFooty Articles- Ben Cousins
Tags: Ben Cousins, Graham Polak
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