Laidley To Focus On Finals
The Age
Friday August 15, 2008
NORTH Melbourne coach Dean Laidley may be confident he can avoid the protracted contract negotiations to extend his tenure at Arden Street that dogged the end of last year, but he is more focused on winning games and cementing the Kangaroos a spot in September action.
Club chief executive Eugene Arocca said earlier this week that the club hoped to extend Laidley's contract, which expires after next season, once the club's commitments to 2008 were complete. Yesterday, the coach said he had spoken to both Arocca and club chairman James Brayshaw but wanted everybody to focus on winning games. "It is really important for everybody at the footy club to focus in on what we are doing now, where, if we can complete our task this weekend, then we play in a finals series. I think right now, that is what the coaches and the players are focusing on," Laidley said."I have spoken to Eugene and I have spoken to James and I am sure this will or won't get sorted out, but my main concern is winning games of footy right now."Last year, Laidley's contract negotiations dragged on after the coach gave the Roos a public commitment in August but the deal was not signed off until mid-October, with Laidley fighting the Graham Duff-led board for more resources for the football department.Laidley believes a new administration will help with negotiations. As the home-and-away season comes to its end, player movements become a bigger issue and Laidley yesterday acknowledged interest from other clubs in the Roos' talented defender Jesse Smith but said the 21-year-old was contracted and going nowhere. Yesterday, The Age reported Hawthorn's interest in Smith, incorrectly stating the player was uncontracted at the end of the season. Smith's father Ross played 224 games for the Kangaroos and is a member of Alastair Clarkson's coaching panel at Hawthorn. For Nathan Thompson, who is out of this weekend's team to play Carlton, an ankle injury has come on the eve of the finals as he attempts to win a new contract with the Roos. Thompson spoke about his desire to keep playing earlier in the week. Laidley said the discussion had already begun. "I have spoken to Nathan . . . I am sure we will sort it out in due course." ? Hawthorn has signed new deals with eight players, which will keep them at the club for the next two years, it was reported on The Footy Show last night. The eight players are Jarryd Roughead, Chance Bateman, Jordan Lewis, Robert Campbell, Mark Williams, Mitch Thorp, Brent Renouf and Jarryd Morton.
© 2008 The Age
Share This