Fox Sports is reporting about an intriguing story in the AFL. Jonathan Hay began a 3 year near $1 million contract with the Kangaroos at the start of last season. His form was average at best and it was revealed during the season that he was suffering from bi-polar disorder.
The Kangaroos now want to change his contract, based on the fact that Jonathan did not disclose his mental illness to the club. His previous club did not know about his illness before he joined the new club.
The Kangaroos are now offering a reduced base contract with performance clauses which would equal near his current deal. However, I doubt he would achieve these bonuses to earn the same salary.
Firstly, it has brought negative press to the already troubled club, as it shows them as being heartless to a well respected player. The illness can be controlled through drugs, so it is not like he cannot perform his duty with the club. If he does not accept the new contract, the club will try to void his contract. However, the Players Association is strongly against this. They believe that he was not obligated to tell them of his illness, as it did not directly affect his performance. The issue would be how would the courts define ‘directly’.
Will we now see more stringent mental tests performed as well as physicals before the club signs a player? I am sure many clubs are now thinking this.
– Chris Lesley
2 replies on “Hay Fever”
That is an interesting controversy. I wonder how it will end.
Chris, as an Australian Football fan, can i just say that your blogs are very interesting to read and as a player in the amatuar ranks in melbourne, i can honestly say that Hay’s contract issue is a concern for all players playing football at a high level.