Ron Josephs & Heath Black

[RUSS]

Ron of all trades says he's no Saint
By Chip Le Grand

Monday, October 08, 2001

FOR one week every season, he is the most powerful man in football. An AFL rainmaker, he is invariably at the centre of the deals which define a trading period. He is described as a law unto himself, variously respected, feared and loathed.

He is also quaintly old-fashioned. In the increasingly cold, commercial world of AFL football, he insists on loyalty and good service rather than a written contract. Football has made him a rich man yet he lives in a granny flat behind his mother's house.

In an age when a new generation of Jerry McGuires jostle to sign up the best teenage talent in the country, he refuses to solicit his services. He tried it one year and felt like an insurance salesman.

Ron Joseph, one of the most enduring figures in football, remains an enigma; and, as in recent years, when he brought Tony Lockett to Sydney, Jeff White to Melbourne, Leigh Colbert to North Melbourne and a quintet of players to St Kilda, his presence has loomed large over this trading week, with key deals involving Darren Gaspar, Jeff Farmer and Heath Black all falling within his sphere of influence.

But while many players and officials sing his praises, others question his methods and suspect a hidden agenda.

Two weeks ago, homesick Docker Heath Black appeared headed to Collingwood. He met Magpies coach Michael Malthouse and football manager Neil Balme. He was shown a video and given their best pitch.

Two days later, word got back to Collingwood that Black was St Kilda-bound. The explanation given, one which would have caused Malthouse to choke on his own moustache, was that Black found Collingwood too professional and too intense for his liking.

The decision appeared a curious one. At Collingwood, Black would have expected to play finals next year and for several years thereafter. At St Kilda, still in turmoil following the mid-season sacking of Malcolm Blight, there are no such prospects. It was more curious still because Black is managed by Joseph.

If Black ends up at St Kilda, he will be the sixth player managed by Joseph to come to the Saints in 12 months; and if he is followed by West Coast's Chad Morrison, which seems increasingly likely, 10 per cent of Joseph's entire stable will have switched to St Kilda in the past year.

The picture is further complicated by Joseph's role last year in advising the Saints on how to structure their administration, and by his assistance, as a long-time friend of Blight, in persuading the dual premiership coach out of retirement for his ill-fated stint at Moorabbin.

None of Joseph's detractors are willing to say publicly what they think. But privately, they are scathing. When this is put to Joseph, he is blunt. ''If you or anyone else want to cast aspersions, there is nothing I can do,'' he said. ''I will continue to look after my clients.

''I don't believe I have to defend myself from club officials who are angry or upset because they might not have secured a particular player. I am quite happy to stand on my record of looking after players.''

Bitterness and old scores abound in football, and at no time are they more likely to surface than during trade week. Joseph knows who his detractors are but says it is no more than an unusual set of circumstances which has led to so many of his players going to the one club.

As Joseph explains it, the five players who made up St Kilda's class of 2000 came to Moorabbin for very different reasons. Fraser Gehrig ended up a Saint through a complicated trade deal after West Coast and Collingwood failed to come to terms. Craig Callaghan, facing the chop at Fremantle, was simply happy to find another club. Former Kangaroo Matthew Capuano told Joseph he needed a change of environment and St Kilda's ears pricked up. Former Lion Steven Lawrence wanted to play at his father's old club and Brisbane team-mate Brett Voss was drafted.

''All that led to five Ron Joseph-managed players ending up at St Kilda and Ron Joseph being on the take at St Kilda,'' Joseph says facetiously.

As for Black's reasons, Joseph says those are Black's alone. But if reports of $1 million over three seasons are true, Black's attraction to Moorabbin might be relatively easy to explain.

One critic of Joseph spoke of the hold he appeared to have over his players, one the club official described as a mixture of intimidation and fear. Joseph scoffs at the suggestion but is the first to admit his relationship with his players is more than commercial.

According to one of his clients, Fremantle's Peter Bell, Joseph is as much a friend as a manager. This time last year, Joseph helped Bell through the most difficult period of his career, when he decided to leave the Kangaroos and return to Perth.

''That was the most traumatic thing I've ever had to do and through the whole time, he was a huge part of that,'' Bell, a qualifed solicitor, said.

''For me, he is more than a manager now, he is a friend as well. Obviously, he had his managerial duties but he really guided me through the decision as a friend.

''As to the suggestion Ron would be receiving some financial advantage, I feel a little bit insulted that someone would say that about my manager.''

Joseph points out that if any of his players are unhappy with him, they are free to go. He does not enter contractual arrangements with his clients, is philosophically opposed to chasing young players and is paid only a fee, rather than a commission on contracts he negotiates.

One club chief executive who dismissed the idea of Joseph receiving financial gain from any particular club offered another theory as to why he has tended to favour certain clubs.

''Ron is his own master,'' the official said. ''He doesn't answer to anyone. But my perception of Ron is that he is motivated by wanting to be seen as being the force behind a club's success. I think it is more about ego than money. He is a bit of a frustrated CEO.''

When this is put to Joseph, he says there is a common misunderstanding of what managers actually do.

''Managers don't place players. All the manager is doing is coming in behind and doing the paperwork,'' he said.

''I can have all the ego in the world but the downside of my job is that you can help the player as much as you like but once he walks out of your office, you know you are not going to contribute to the thing he wants most -- which is to be a part of a successful football club.''

Fact file

Ron Joseph:

* North Melbourne secretary and general manger from 1965 to 1991. Sydney Swans general manager from 1993 to 1995.

* Began managing players on informal basis in 1992, now manages 70 players though his Career Sport stable, one of the largest within the AFL.

* Responsible for luring Tony Lockett to Sydney (1994), Paul Roos to Sydney (1995), Jeff White to Melbourne (1997), Shannon Grant to North Melbourne and Wayne Schwass to Sydney (1998), Leigh Colbert to North Melbourne (1999), Fraser Gehrig to St Kilda, Peter Bell to Fremantle (2000) and Jeff Farmer to Fremantle (2001).

[JiMc]

Interesting to read that cause I always suspected Joseph to be a shifty individual. How come its always seems to be against Collingwood....Gehrig, Colbert, and now Black. Maybe he is still pissed off that his deal to get Lockett at Collingwood didnt eventuate way back then.

It would be curious to know which current Collingwood players are in the Joseph stable, if any.

[RUSS]

I think TARRANT is. Lets hope Nick Davis is looked after by his old man (Craig).

[MarkT]

Ron Joseph presided over the North regime which "illegally" bribed players with under the table money in brown paper bags to buy a premiership. That has been freely admited to by players involved. Apart from the moral aspect, it was a success.

His tactics have become no "nicer" in recent times. Anyone who saw MM on Talking Footy a few weeks back may remember his comments about some player managers. I think Ron Joseph was one of the main people he was referring to.

[JiMc]

Come to think of it...wasnt "Plugger" managed by Robert Hession and not Ron Joseph? I think Joesph was involved with the Swans admin at the time Lockett went up north.

He might have even offered "incentives" to some of the Collingwood board members to vote against the Lockett deal at the time....who knows?

gO pIeS

[dillo_09]

Well I hope to christ Joseph isnt managing any of our guys.

As for Heath Black he can rot in hell (St.Kilda) if what is in that story is true. We don't want unprofessional players and players who wont go the extra yard

"Two weeks ago, homesick Docker Heath Black appeared headed to Collingwood. He met Magpies coach Michael Malthouse and football manager Neil Balme. He was shown a video and given their best pitch.

Two days later, word got back to Collingwood that Black was St Kilda-bound. The explanation given, one which would have caused Malthouse to choke on his own moustache, was that Black found Collingwood too professional and too intense for his liking."

Dont forget that the # 1 priority of the recruiting staff is to find "Quality People" first and footballers second. A good philosiphy I believe.

Go Pies

Dillo

[MargOZ]

It all sounds a bit 'suss' doesn't it.

Why on earth would a player think a Club is "too professional and too intense for his liking". Isn't that the type of Club and team that is most likely to play finals football? And wouldn't an aspiring AFL player want to play in finals?

Obviously Black cares more about his hip pocket than playing premiership football for the best team in the league.

GO PIES!

Marg

[ash]

It's simple guys. Black would rahter more money than a premership medalion. The money hungry b**ch can rot in hell.

[MarkT]

Just to play Devils Advocate for a moment:

Did anyone hear the Akamanis brownlow speech where he said when he arrived at Brisbane all he heard about was everyone had to be like that bloke (Voss). Whilst he is an undoubted amirable role model, not every one can be like him. Akamanis said he eventually realised this and so did the club. I think it is important to rember that the players are all individuals. Team orientation is important but we have to also let players "shine" as well as let them have some individuality off the field.

I wonder if this is anything like what Heath Black saw at Collingwood. Perhaps it was, or maybe he is just plain unprofessional and lacking in "Collingwood Spirit". I have no idea but I just wanted to make an interesting point I got from Akamanis' speach.