Harris at Odds over Contract Talks

[DJC]

I'd really like to hear our side of the story.

The fact that most clubs passed on Tayla suggests there's substance to the many stories about how much she and her manager wanted. 

Tayla's manager, Alex Saundry, said at the time;

"Tayla is a three-time All-Australian and was Carlton’s leading goalkicker in three out of her four seasons at the club. She was forthcoming with the club about her disappointing season and was proactive in providing solutions to help her return to top form."

"While we are disappointed we haven’t reached a resolution with the club, Tayla’s future remains our priority and we will work through the appropriate next steps with consideration to her upcoming boxing bout in July."

Harf's comments are also revealing:

"It’s been a bit of a difficult negotiation clearly for this one for us and for Tay, because you’ve got to put it all together and make sure you’ve got your reward for all your players who deserve it through the journey and Tay’s had certainly some reward for her efforts through her campaign so far."

"I think the gap was too big. We haven’t been able to find common ground for the contract for Tay at the moment. So it’s in the interest of both parties to just see what you can get outside."

I think the reporting at the time was correct.  Tayla and her manager wanted more than the club thought she was worth.  She wasn't offered a contract because the asking price was too high.

[kruddler]

I'd really like to hear our side of the story.

The fact that most clubs passed on Tayla suggests there's substance to the many stories about how much she and her manager wanted. 

Tayla's manager, Alex Saundry, said at the time;

"Tayla is a three-time All-Australian and was Carlton’s leading goalkicker in three out of her four seasons at the club. She was forthcoming with the club about her disappointing season and was proactive in providing solutions to help her return to top form."

"While we are disappointed we haven’t reached a resolution with the club, Tayla’s future remains our priority and we will work through the appropriate next steps with consideration to her upcoming boxing bout in July."

Harf's comments are also revealing:

"It’s been a bit of a difficult negotiation clearly for this one for us and for Tay, because you’ve got to put it all together and make sure you’ve got your reward for all your players who deserve it through the journey and Tay’s had certainly some reward for her efforts through her campaign so far."

"I think the gap was too big. We haven’t been able to find common ground for the contract for Tay at the moment. So it’s in the interest of both parties to just see what you can get outside."

I think the reporting at the time was correct.  Tayla and her manager wanted more than the club thought she was worth.  She wasn't offered a contract because the asking price was too high.

Tayla tells it like she wanted to stay at carlton, but they never offered her a contract. Carlton were unhappy with her form and had been telling her throughout the year (and possibly her commitment or lack of).
She chose to touch base with Melbourne who were under the impression that she wouldn't leave, but would monitor the situation as she is too good to ignore. When it fell through, they made it happen. She played for minimum.

Reading between the lines, we didn't offer her a contract because we thought she was too much hard work/divisive and not worth the money she was already on. Probably didn't think it was even worth offering her minimum and chose to part ways.

Where the money comes into it it could come form a throwaway line like 'she is worth 150k' rather than she wants/deserves 150k. I said at the time that there was simply no scope for her to be paid that much, basically there is a maximum amount that is possibly which is less than half that....so that number was never accurate.

When half talks about gap, I don't think it's money, but rather commitment to the club  and her training.

When her manager talks about Tayla, it includes talk about her boxing, which backs up half worried about her commitment.

Tayla had issues with covid life and it affected her playing output. She is not alone in that and Eddie betts has said similar....and the club saw fit to part ways with him too.

[kruddler]

I should say the doco is called - Kick like Tayla
Not kick like a girl, that was her foundation.

[Gointocarlton]

Glad to see the back of her.

[LP]

I thought at the time and still do that Harf was very diplomatic and also appeared very disappointed when the events occurred, he could have and would have been within his rights to expose the shenanigans but he didn't, he basically looked after her by being very reserved and respectful in his comments. Which seems to fit with the idea she was suffering through the COVID lockdown. Just after that interview I heard some interviews with Harrington, Vescio and a couple of others, and they chose the higher ground and said very little, that also suggests a duty of care.

It might be a bit silly for Tayla and / or her manager to rewrite history now, it could easily come back to bite her, it exhibits a bit of immaturity.

Personally, and I think I have mentioned this at least once before, I think from a management perspective she has been very poorly advised.

[kruddler]

Half is always very considered with his words. He is in the media after all, but he's always been a good speaker.

All of the girls avoid topics of players who have left the club.

Listening to the 'Behind the Game Changers' has given good insight into the players (and club). There have been times were the topic has been brought up regarding Bri Davey (not by name, but a story that happened to involve her or something). The players refuse to name her and sometimes go as far to say but we can't/won't talk about that.
IT very much appears as they have had media training that we do not talk about anyone who has left the club. So the players being diplomatic is very much par for the course. The girls who remain almost never get 'caught out' with their comments like a lot of the men do.

[Gointocarlton]

I thought at the time and still do that Harf was very diplomatic and also appeared very disappointed when the events occurred, he could have and would have been within his rights to expose the shenanigans but he didn't, he basically looked after her by being very reserved and respectful in his comments. Which seems to fit with the idea she was suffering through the COVID lockdown. Just after that interview I heard some interviews with Harrington, Vescio and a couple of others, and they chose the higher ground and said very little, that also suggests a duty of care.

It might be a bit silly for Tayla and / or her manager to rewrite history now, it could easily come back to bite her, it exhibits a bit of immaturity.

Personally, and I think I have mentioned this at least once before, I think from a management perspective she has been very poorly advised.

Harris is me me me player, not one bit of team about her.

[kruddler]

Harris is me me me player, not one bit of team about her.

That is a perception you have of her, which will not be backed up by the doco.

...but i don't know why i'm telling you this because your mind is made up and you wont watch it.

[ElwoodBlues1]

The AFL and media have used Harris to promote the game and she has probably had a bit too much publicity to her detriment.
If I was her father I'd be wanting her off the TV, out of the paper and concentrating on getting a kick as well as looking at life after sport. I dont want to be reading how she has become a nobody when everyone has moved on from her and left Harris being on the scrapheap when the marketers have finished with her and you can read her bio in the $2 bin at the local 2nd hand book store.

[LP]

The AFL and media have used Harris to promote the game and she has probably had a bit too much publicity to her detriment.
If I was her father I'd be wanting her off the TV, out of the paper and concentrating on getting a kick as well as looking at life after sport. I dont want to be reading how she has become a nobody when everyone has moved on from her and left Harris being on the scrapheap when the marketers have finished with her and you can read her bio in the $2 bin at the local 2nd hand book store.

It's seems almost inevitable on the current trajectory, we've seen the very same from other sporting types a 1000 times before.