Collingwood switch changes tune of Beams
DAYNE Beams would handle his comments before his departure from the Brisbane Lions differently if he had the chance again, former club captain Jonathan Brown says.
Brown said players wanting a move to another club needed to be “transparent’’ with teammates and fans.
A few weeks after comments Gold Coast junior Beams made at the Lions presentation night indicating he would play the 2019 AFL season in Brisbane as contracted, he managed to be traded to Collingwood, his former club.
“It wasn’t an easy one for him because he wanted to spend time with his father (when joining the Lions),’’ Brown said. “I think Dayne could have handled it better with his transparency. If Dayne had his time again, I think he’d have to agree.
“It’s OK to say you want to play for another club or go back to Melbourne.
“This current trend of players saying they are homesick – just be honest and say, ‘I don’t want to play here anymore’.
“The club will move on and Dayne will move on and perform well for the Pies.’’
Beams’ departure to Collingwood has made Brown examine his own decision to knock back an approach to join the Magpies.
“I have wondered that,’’ he said.
“It’s natural for players from the northern states who don’t get the chance to play in those big blockbusters (in Melbourne).
“The last few years of my career weren’t as successful as those years Collingwood had, winning the grand final in 2010.”