• Lack of leadership at Bulldogs, says club legend
WESTERN Bulldogs president Peter Gordon has slammed Ryan Griffen for reneging on an undertaking he made to the club to work with coach Brendan McCartney on an ongoing basis.
Gordon conceded Griffen raised concerns about the senior coach on the day after the club best and fairest was held in early September which were relayed to club CEO Simon Garlick and McCartney.
It led to a meeting between McCartney, the club's football director Chris Grant and Griffen where the concerns were aired and addressed.
"We arranged for Ryan to meet with Brendan and our football director, Chris Grant, and they discussed his concerns. Brendan acknowledged some faults and agreed to work on them. At the conclusion of the meeting, Chris asked Ryan if he was happy with the meeting and agreeable to working with Macca on an ongoing basis," Gordon said.
"Ryan answered yes to both questions and added that while he was on leave he wanted to reflect upon whether he was best suited to captain the club in the future."
Gordon's statement sheds some light on why Griffen's decision came as such a shock to the Bulldogs.
The president had spoken frankly on Tuesday at the club's launch about the process the club had gone through addressing concerns and dealing with festering issues.
"We have been through a period where we have asked each other hard questions and we have asked hard questions of ourselves as well," Gordon said at the launch of the club's new logo.
"It's largely being a very constructive process and I think you will find in 2015, we will emerge stronger from it."
AFL.com.au understands the Bulldogs were making changes to its football department structure to support the coach who is contracted until 2016.
However after returning from overseas, Griffen informed his management on Wednesday night of his intention to leave the club although he has a year of his contract to run.
The club has said Griffen is a required player.
"Having returned to Australia on Tuesday night and without any further discussion with us after giving that agreement, Ryan informed us that he had changed his mind," Gordon said.
"We were also informed that he was seeking a trade to GWS – with whom we now understand he was in communication during this time.
"We are extremely disappointed at his approach and have no intention of indulging it."
Earlier, football director Chris Grant arrived at Whitten Oval on Thursday afternoon as the club works out how to deal with Griffen's trade request.
Grant uttered a few brief comments to media as he arrived, declaring "No, not at all" when asked if Griffen wanting to leave was a disaster for the club.
He also said he just wanted to "get upstairs and have a chat" after the day's revelations.
Shaun Higgins has already left the club recently via free agency while the futures of Brownlow medallist Adam Cooney, Jason Tutt and Liam Jones remain unclear.
