Border Mail |
WODONGA Raiders have slammed reports five-time best and fairest winner Mark Doolan is poised to leave the club.
Raiders’ coach Ken Stevenson said the club was livid with suggestions Doolan, who last week underwent a knee reconstruction, had been offered financial compensation for that surgery in the hope of enticing him to stay.
A host of district clubs have been linked to the Raiders’ skipper, who suffered a season-ending knee injury against North Albury in round 9.
“I can categorically say that it’s rubbish, absolute rubbish,” Stevenson said.
“We are absolutely livid that the news can run with a story that is totally untrue and has no comment from anybody from the club.
“It’s absolute rot.
“It makes me wild, really.”
Stevenson said the claim was an insult to Doolan’s character.
“Not many clubs pay for blokes’ injuries and Mark never asked for that,” he said.
“Mark never asks for anything and has the utmost respect within the club.
“He certainly is 100 per cent supportive of us, as we are of him.
“We were just about to start contract negotiations and were confident of him re-signing before he did his knee. Mark is also absolutely livid.”
Doolan said he was disappointed by the report and categorically denied anything it suggested.
“The club certainly didn’t come to me about paying for my surgery, nor would I expect it,” he said.
“I haven’t spoken to any other club and to suggest I have is pretty far-fetched.
“It’s pretty disappointing to hear.”
Doolan said his focus was on recovering from surgery and claimed there was no reason to suggest he wasn’t going on to play at Birallee Park.
Stevenson, who recently re-signed a host of players for next season, said the club was confident of keeping its skipper and was respectful of his situation.
“We had just initiated talks about Mark re-signing when he did his knee,” he said.
“We are certainly not going to pressure a bloke to sign when he hasn’t even had the opportunity to have his knee done.
“Nobody would do that, surely?
“Mark has been absolutely fantastic for our football club over a long period and we will enter contract discussions with him in a couple of weeks.
“Then we will sit down with him and go through it all. We will be fully supportive throughout his rehabilitation but at the end of the day, Mark can do what Mark wants to do because he owes the club nothing.
“I’m very confident he will remain a Raider.”
