First Westies, then Cobram....
Posted: Sun Jun 25, 2006 10:44 pmBradshaw quits Tigers
Spearhead loses the passion to play
BY ROB HARRIS
STAR forward Darren Bradshaw and Murray league club Cobram have parted company after the former Brisbane Lion told the club he had lost the passion for football.
Bradshaw, a Wodonga premiership full-forward in the Ovens and Murray, told coach Trevor Mills last night he would not play out the rest of the season.
The brilliant spearhead played six games for the winless Tigers since signing in December, however has not yet requested a clearance.
There had been growing speculation in the past fortnight Bradshaw would return to Martin Park or sign up with Tallangatta District league club Dederang-Mt Beauty.
“It’s a very amicable departure,†Mills said last night.
“I want to stress the point that there has not been a falling out between the Cobram footy club and Darren, it’s been purely his decision.
“I asked Darren to be very upfront and honest with me and he’s said he’s not enjoying playing football and needed a break from it.
“Obviously it is disappointing because we went out to recruit him last year, but it hasn’t worked out.
“At the end of the day we’re in a situation where we’re playing kids, we haven’t won a game. So if he’s not going to be around in 2007, that it’s really not a major blow to our development in that sense.â€
Mills said Bradshaw had been “fairly upset†when he had told him of his decision and believed the gun forward had his own issues to overcome before he made a decision about his football future.
Bradshaw, who played one game with the Lions in 2002, booted 82 goals for Wodonga in 2004, but battled hand and leg injuries last year to kick 59 goals.
He won his first Strang Medal as a 20-year-old for Wodonga in 2000 and was put on the Brisbane Lions rookie list in 2001 after starring for Mt Gravatt and topping the league’s goal kicking with 87 goals.
“At this stage he hasn’t asked for a clearance and said he wasn’t really interested in playing this season, but if he asked for one before June 30, we wouldn’t have a problem in clearing him,†Mills said.
“I’m not privy to what’s gone on in the past, but I found Darren to be a really likeable fellow, but obviously he’s got his own issues to overcome and I can understand that.
“I put to him the speculation about him going back to Wodonga or joining Dederang (Mt Beauty), but he said he wasn’t making the decision to leave us and go elsewhere.
“We’re playing a lot of kids at the moment, so if you’ve got a guy who’s not enjoying or doesn’t want to be there, I think it’s the right decision for us to let him go.
“I’m not certain if he’ll play again this year, but I could imagine a club offering a few bucks closer to home would be a tempting offer, and he’d only be human in that regard.â€
Spearhead loses the passion to play
BY ROB HARRIS
STAR forward Darren Bradshaw and Murray league club Cobram have parted company after the former Brisbane Lion told the club he had lost the passion for football.
Bradshaw, a Wodonga premiership full-forward in the Ovens and Murray, told coach Trevor Mills last night he would not play out the rest of the season.
The brilliant spearhead played six games for the winless Tigers since signing in December, however has not yet requested a clearance.
There had been growing speculation in the past fortnight Bradshaw would return to Martin Park or sign up with Tallangatta District league club Dederang-Mt Beauty.
“It’s a very amicable departure,†Mills said last night.
“I want to stress the point that there has not been a falling out between the Cobram footy club and Darren, it’s been purely his decision.
“I asked Darren to be very upfront and honest with me and he’s said he’s not enjoying playing football and needed a break from it.
“Obviously it is disappointing because we went out to recruit him last year, but it hasn’t worked out.
“At the end of the day we’re in a situation where we’re playing kids, we haven’t won a game. So if he’s not going to be around in 2007, that it’s really not a major blow to our development in that sense.â€
Mills said Bradshaw had been “fairly upset†when he had told him of his decision and believed the gun forward had his own issues to overcome before he made a decision about his football future.
Bradshaw, who played one game with the Lions in 2002, booted 82 goals for Wodonga in 2004, but battled hand and leg injuries last year to kick 59 goals.
He won his first Strang Medal as a 20-year-old for Wodonga in 2000 and was put on the Brisbane Lions rookie list in 2001 after starring for Mt Gravatt and topping the league’s goal kicking with 87 goals.
“At this stage he hasn’t asked for a clearance and said he wasn’t really interested in playing this season, but if he asked for one before June 30, we wouldn’t have a problem in clearing him,†Mills said.
“I’m not privy to what’s gone on in the past, but I found Darren to be a really likeable fellow, but obviously he’s got his own issues to overcome and I can understand that.
“I put to him the speculation about him going back to Wodonga or joining Dederang (Mt Beauty), but he said he wasn’t making the decision to leave us and go elsewhere.
“We’re playing a lot of kids at the moment, so if you’ve got a guy who’s not enjoying or doesn’t want to be there, I think it’s the right decision for us to let him go.
“I’m not certain if he’ll play again this year, but I could imagine a club offering a few bucks closer to home would be a tempting offer, and he’d only be human in that regard.â€
