GEORGIE PARKER: West Coast fans might be more upset with their club’s position in the AFL than Oscar Allen

The initial reaction by West Coast fans over Oscar Allen meeting Sam Mitchell was, in my opinion, completely valid.

They were angry and hurt that a captain of their club would even entertain the thought of moving elsewhere. I get it.

However, initial reactions in any scenario shouldn’t always be the final feelings about it. The words “rational” and “footy fan” often aren’t words that are in the same sentence (you should have heard me after the Crows were robbed on Saturday), but if West Coast fans stepped back and detached their emotions, they may have a more rational and reasonable thought about it.

It’s like Mum always said, never make any decision when really you’re angry, or really happy.

We are naive to believe these conversations between players coming out of contract and rival coaches don’t happen, and sure, while the boldness of doing it in public is brave, in some ways I think not hiding the fact they take place is somewhat admirable.

Hawthorn captain James Sicily spoke very candidly about the situation. He said, with which I agree, it was a storm in a tea cup and “it’s foolish” for a player not see what’s out there. He reminded us that the club still has the right to match offers restricted free agents receive, basically meaning the ball is in the club’s court.

We also had Geelong coach Chris Scott say there shouldn’t be an expectation for a player to let the club know they’re meeting with a rival club.

“I don’t think we give them (players) enough credit for their ability to walk and chew gum at the same time”, he said.

A good player can be completely invested in a club, while simultaneously having conversations like this.

Now I understand that it’s easy for the captain of the club Allen met with, and the coach from arguably the best poaching team in the country, to play down the situation so these words.

So my question to West Coast fans is this, if you back your club, what they stand for and what culture and environment they provide your players, would you still be concerned?

Or are you concerned because you’re worried that maybe the grass actually is greener on the otherr side of the country and your players know that? Are you angry at the club, or the player?

The reason Sicily and Scott are so confident and at ease talking about player movement is at the end of the day, they back their club’s culture, they back their players desire to stay, and they back others would move there because they want in.

Captain or not, everyone deserves the opportunity to maximise their value. Maybe it could have been conducted differently, but maybe it’s a reminder that this is a business, not just for the club, but the player as well.

I think we often believe that certain feelings can’t co-exist together. That frustration and hurt can coincide with the feelings of understanding, but maybe that frustration is born out of five years of poor performance, not a coffee with a rival coach.