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Ex-Swan Rohan details trade discontent

Former Sydney Swan Gary Rohan says he was hurt by the narrative his AFL club used during last year's trade period.

Gary Rohan
Geelong's Gary Rohan has had a bit to say about his departure from the Sydney Swans. (AAP)

Sydney coach John Longmire has no interest in a public spat with former player Gary Rohan, who has declared he felt hurt by how the AFL club handled his departure.

Rohan was traded by the Swans to Geelong last year, with the club using the draft pick they acquired (No.61) in a separate deal to recruit North Melbourne's Ryan Clarke.

The Swans claimed at the time that they were fulfilling the Victorian's wish to return home.

But Rohan, who has gone from strength to strength since joining the Cats, suggested in a recent video on Exclusive Insight that he was actually pushed out the door by Sydney.

"Gary went through a really tough time last year, a really tough time," Longmire said, when asked about Rohan's comments on Monday.

"In the end he's back closer to home, closer to family and playing good footy. Good on him. I'm not going to get involved in the details of that."

Rohan and wife Amie's twin daughter Willow died from anencephaly just hours following her birth a year ago.

Last month, Rohan raised some eyebrows at the SCG while publicly revealing it felt like he was "walking on eggshells" during his final year at the Swans.

The speedster highlighted his "great relationship" with Longmire in a subsequent interview but, in a video released on Sunday, detailed disgruntlement at the Swans' approach to his exit.

"What really annoyed me was when the trade and that all happened, they came out and said 'he wanted to go back for family reasons and that kind of stuff'," Rohan said.

"It really hit me and my wife pretty hard. Obviously they couldn't say 'we wanted to trade him'.

"But that really hurt, obviously being at the club for nine years.

"I felt like pretty much - there's the door, see you later."

Rohan and offloaded Cat Daniel Menzel, who joined the Swans last year, have experienced contrasting fortunes since switching clubs.

Menzel is yet to play an AFL game with Sydney because of injury but could mark his NEAFL return this weekend.


2 min read

Published

Source: AAP



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