I can't wait to hear Maher's take on this later on.

Have you got the link there? (im feeling lazy)

http://www.australialivetv.com/kg/liveshow.aspx

There ya go - Maher DID tell him to sit out and Brett puts it on management.

Wow.

yeah i just caught that, this is one crazy story!


Link

Maher said he puts the entire debacle on Sixer's management - flat out - apart from Julius not letting his teamates know he wasn't playing on the night.

Did NOT see that coming.

"There ya go - Maher DID tell him to sit out and Brett puts it on management."

Loco, are you suggesting Brett Maher confirmed Julius's story?

I'm not suggesting, Brett flat out said that's how it went down.

Brett explained how he'd played in Europe and had experienced pay disputes before. He said he approached Julius and told him "If you're not being paid, you don't play".

He went on to say management jerked Julius around and the only thing he held against him was the fact he didn't inform his teamates that he wasn't showing up on the night.

Brett didn't mince words at all - he puts it on the previous Sixer's management.

Maher said Burston most likely won't play Saturday night and that Ng is hobbling and might play.

Maher was left unpaid by the same owner - AFAIK, his final contract included an office job after he retired as a player and that wasn't delivered. I know Brett has had some involvement under SOS, so they might've tried to cover that - not completely sure.

As for Julius, as I've said before, and from what various people have said, the situation was that Hemmerling didn't pay on time on what they thought was the schedule of the contract, but the contract later showed that they weren't actually late and had been paying in advance when they weren't supposed to. e.g., didn't actually pay late but, at the time, thought (like Hodge) that they were. No one really escapes all that clean. 36ers would've been late had the contract not read in their favour, while Hodge failed to tell teammates and ended up not playing even when he'd technically been paid as per his contract.

Yes - That was the saddest part , hearing Hemmerling press conference after Julius didn't turn up,and it was all over.
"Aw we've NOW read the contract......
and discovered payments were due at the end of the monthly period not at the start, as both parties thought payments were late, but they weren't"
So very sad.

So Hodge eventually just didnt play on principal of the matter? Brain washed by that stage by a agent who found a loophole to get out of the contract, and get a new agents fee IMO

That's a very good assesment/summary of it really.

(Had heard Maher in January,and mentioned here what he's also said tonite - that is if you want to sit out over late payment , that's fine)...
After it was all over.. the contract was THEN read.

So Hodge eventually just didnt play on principal of the matter?

"He's been paid," Sixers owner Mal Hemmerling said last night.

"We shook hands today and there wasn't a problem.

"We have no idea why he isn't here and it's unacceptable.

"A professional player just doesn't do this."

cool look forward to hearing the interview when the replay is put on line

It seems like Hodges mistakes were:
-not telling anyone he wasnt playing
-not showing up after he had been paid, as i thought all along players and coaches would have supported him if he had just informed him, as many of them may have been in a similar boat with money
-not having the best attitude towards training, which brad davidson and a few others have mentioned, but this may have been partially because of the money issue, i think most people if they thought they were being ripped off by there employer wouldnt be motivated to work as hard, and ninnis may have pushed him harder at training than smyth which is why it was never a issue previously

36ers mistakes were:
- not reading his contract properly
- possibly not paying him properly,
-and probably by the time they had fixed it, it was too late for hodge, he was sick of it

The annoying thing is for the fans and probably guys like maher and hodge himself by the sounds of it hodge could easily still be a 36er and many of these issues be avoided if the 36ers had simply read his contract properly from day one and sat him down and explained to him what his contract said when the problem arose, not give him false promises but show him his contract if they were ever behind in payments then explain to him when it would be paid and follow it through.

Anyways, its all good both parties have moved on, i must say though if i was SOS id send Hodge a Christmas card as he is about to deliver them probably the best crowd of the season with all the hype and publicity he has created and all at the tigers expense, some great free advertising for SOS, and SOS are new so not at any fault for Hodges issues with the club, so if the 36ers win the game its a win-win-win for the 36ers and SOS.

Go sixers, but i do expect Hodge to tear it up tonight i just hope we can still win the game and someone like Gilchrist has a good head to head battle and a equally as good performance as we know him and Hodge are capable of

The upshot of all this is a game I'm genuinely excited to be courtside for tonight - nothing better than an energised Dome crowd!

so...
Hodge did nothing wrong,
he acted in a way that Brett would have,


Sounds like he has been harshly treated then