Garry Lyon is in disbelief that the terms of Adam Treloar’s move to Western Bulldogs still haven’t been finalised.
It emerged this week that Collingwood and the Bulldogs were still negotiating the terms of Treloar’s exit, with AFL Media’s Damian Barrett reporting that the two parties remain as much as $200,000 apart on one season of his long-term deal.
The AFL recently granted the two clubs more time to work out the finer details of the contract.
The star midfielder’s lucrative deal was one of the key reasons why Collingwood were intent on finding him a new home during the recently-completed trade period as they battle salary cap pressure.
Lyon said the entire saga between Treloar and the two clubs sounded like “some backyard operation”.
“How can they be haggling over who’s paying what after the deal has been done,” he said on SEN Breakfast.
“How does that happen in the modern professional age?
“Clearly, they haven’t signed off on the contract, they would’ve thought that they were running out of time and just had to get it done and (both parties will) sort it out on the other side.
“The Bulldogs would’ve said ‘just know we’re not paying the $950,000 (of Treloar’s deal)” and Collingwood would’ve gone ‘no worries’, the deal is done and now Collingwood is saying that they won’t want to pay $300,000 (of Treloar’s salary).
“This sounds like some backyard operation.”
Tim Watson can’t understand why Collingwood and Western Bulldogs are so far apart on negotiations, questioning the “ambiguity” of the deal.
“It wouldn’t be a verbal haggle,” he said.
“Someone is documenting this and they’re saying ‘we’ll take Treloar, but we won’t be paying the $950,000 owed so you’re going to take to carry $300,000 of that for the next five years’.
“I write that down, I’m taking meeting (notes) from this particular negotiation so there’s no ambiguity here.
“How did the ambiguity happen?”