SA Footy

http://www.news.com.au/adelaidenow/story/0,22606,20753182-21543,00.html

Despite wanting to stay for the second season of his original two-year deal, Cupido said he was offered a revised contract by the Panthers which didn't meet his requirements.
As a result, the former Essendon and Brisbane forward has elected to "move on and have a good year next year", the Port Magpies heading his list of suitors.

"To be offered a revised contract in the first place when you're contracted is something in itself - that's a bit disheartening from that point of view - and that it couldn't be worked out. I didn't think what the club had offered me was substantial enough for my living requirements and football so I've chosen a different pathway.

"They put me between a rock and a hard place so I had no other choice but to look elsewhere."

It stated that "issues arose during the 2006 season with the club deeming Damian was not meeting agreed standards."

It is understood one such issue was Cupido's playing weight. However, the talented left-footer begs to differ.

"People will look at it and think: Well, have I (Cupido) mucked up in anyway?," Cupido predicted.

"Well it's nothing like that, there's been an indifference from a contractual point of view. At the end of the day I've got to look after myself and that's what it's come to."

just a few selected quotes from the linked article in the tiser...no doubt you have seen this but just wanted to highlight the interesting points.

Thought it was hilarious really

No doubt South renegotiated his contract due to their salary cap issues and he was obviously not happy...this is the SANFL, not the bloody NBA where money rules. This comp needs to keep its integrity and money hungry players are not helping, but thats the way things are going nowadays.

good luck to the teams that recruit players with no heart

South's contract didn't meet his requirements. Obviously Big Macs and pizzas are making a fair dent in his income. Good to see him say he was going to move on and have a good year. Finally decided to try something different.

Im not a big Cupido fan but didnt he simply want his original agreed contract to be lived up to by the club?
Surely we can't be too harsh on him for that?
Surely it was South's fault for giving him a 2 year contract that they wanted to re-negotiate a year later, perhaps they should only be offering 12 month contracts if they're going to do that to players?
Word will get around if they make a habit of it too.

Wedgie wrote:Im not a big Cupido fan but didnt he simply want his original agreed contract to be lived up to by the club?
Surely we can't be too harsh on him for that?
Surely it was South's fault for giving him a 2 year contract that they wanted to re-negotiate a year later, perhaps they should only be offering 12 month contracts if they're going to do that to players?
Word will get around if they make a habit of it too.

I agree - looks more like a case of the club trying to get out of a salary cap bind by reducing player liabilities, than a case of Cupido asking for more. I don't know what he was on, but 55 goals for the season suggests to me that his year wasn't terrible - not sure how much he was on, but cant see 55 goals being any real reason to take a pay cut.

Well said Wedgie, could not agree more. Clubs get angry when players get out of contracts, but they are just as bad by wanting to change them half way through. Think South just wanted to get rid of him and knew he would not accept the new terms. Poor form really!!

Fair chance you are spot on Wedge man, obvioulsy re-negotiating his contract because they coulddn't fit him under the celery cap with Prendegast on their books too.

To be fair to South given my earlier comments vis-a-vis the cap, if Cupidoll is going to end up at port, not confirmed yet, Hargraves, with the kind of coin I know some Country clubs were prepared to pay him, Morrison, Sh!tehouse, Clayton etc will Condon be taking a close look at their player payments for 2007??

Correct. this is totally about the mess South are in with overspending and trying to find a way out of it.

good points raised too guys, didnt automatically think about that...

however, some players have taken pay cuts to help the team out...if cuidoll had just a smidgen of a sense of team, maybe he could have taken the cut and tried to help south climb up the ladder and maybe finish what he had a help in starting.

for instance and i know its a bit diff and involved diff amts of money but still has the same meaning, the quarterback of the Jets, chad pennington took a 6 million dollar pay cut so the jets could sign new players and have money to use to better the team. Chad was given the option of trying to earn that money back with good play and if he stayed healthy he would be given the full amount. Well, the Jets are a surprising 5-4 after knocking off the pats yesterday and he is inline to get the $$$ back.

Maybe south could have arranged something like this if they could so they could still keep their 55 goal forward (a loss in anyones books)

then again, yes, south have dug themselves a hole regarding this issue...could there be more disgruntled players???

??? food for thought

"issues arose during the 2006 season with the club deeming Damian was not meeting agreed standards"

maybe there was a clause in the contract that allowed them to renogtiate as he didnt meet the contract conditions? Surely thats the only way they could get out of it otherwise he could sue

Maybe South were close to being over the cap again and asking him for a slight pay cut and then pay him in burgers and fries.

MightyEagles wrote:Maybe South were close to being over the cap again and asking him for a slight pay cut and then pay him in burgers and fries.

Nah, because he would have agreed to that. Would also have cost South more than his original contract

Pretty ordinary by South IMO. Basically putting the blame on Cupido in their press release despite obviously stuffing up in the first place.

Dutchy wrote:"issues arose during the 2006 season with the club deeming Damian was not meeting agreed standards"

maybe there was a clause in the contract that allowed them to renogtiate as he didnt meet the contract conditions? Surely thats the only way they could get out of it otherwise he could sue

Spot on dutchy. My "mail" is that he didn't meet his contractual arrangements and opened the door to South to re-negotiate at a substantially smaller deal. As a result he opted to leave.

"... I didn't think what the club had offered me was substantial enough for my living requirements .... "

Has the cost of pies gone up?

the heading is a bit misleading, but ill leave it anyway...play on

Dutchy wrote:"issues arose during the 2006 season with the club deeming Damian was not meeting agreed standards"

maybe there was a clause in the contract that allowed them to renogtiate as he didnt meet the contract conditions? Surely thats the only way they could get out of it otherwise he could sue

If this clause exists and is what happened, I think South have done the right thing by their members in reviewing his contract. why should he be paid X amount for something he said he was going to do, but failed? same as any other job?

scoob wrote:

Dutchy wrote:"issues arose during the 2006 season with the club deeming Damian was not meeting agreed standards"

maybe there was a clause in the contract that allowed them to renogtiate as he didnt meet the contract conditions? Surely thats the only way they could get out of it otherwise he could sue

If this clause exists and is what happened, I think South have done the right thing by their members in reviewing his contract. why should he be paid X amount for something he said he was going to do, but failed? same as any other job?

Probalby depends on how "black and white" those standards were or if it were a "grey" area which they used as an excuse to get rid of him.

i know a few blokes down at South and they all sign 1 year contracts.

mind you if he was at glenelg and had the year he had then i would be happy he moved on.

I dont think he really gave south any value for money.

All is now revealed

When Cupido nearly signed at Westies last year, what broke down negotiations was that Cupido didn't really like the idea of getting involved with the WEED, then souths offered him the PIEMAN he jumped at it, Cupido became disillusioned when he became aware that their is no PIEMAN, but a coach with a similar name.

sounds like footy is his only income? will be interesting to see if anyone else forks out the required