Dockers deny Tarrant wants to quit Perth - Sports News - Fanatics - the world's biggest events

Dockers deny Tarrant wants to quit Perth

By Tim Clarke 09/04/2008 06:39:10 PM Comments (0)

Fremantle have categorically denied struggling forward Chris Tarrant is homesick and considering quitting the club, instead saying there appeared to be a campaign to run the former Collingwood star out of Western Australia.

After struggling in his first two games of the season, both of which Fremantle lost, rumours began circulating the 27 year-old was not happy in Perth and maybe looking for a release from his lucrative contract.

His absence from the Dockers' side which beat West Coast last weekend did nothing to quell the speculation, despite statements from the players and coach Mark Harvey he was satisfied with life in Perth, if not his form.

Now Harvey and outgoing chief executive Cameron Schwab have gone one step further, hitting out continuing speculation on Tarrant's future.

"There appears to be a campaign trying to run him out of the state, and I am actually on behalf of Chris going to protect him from all of that," Harvey told Fairfax radio.

"He is OK, he has had a ten year career and I think that counts for a lot in selection.

"If he has had two ordinary games, I think a ten year career means he still has an exemption or two from going straight back to the WAFL.

"It does not do any good for Chris Tarrant, because it is untrue.

"He is a guy that does like living here and loves playing for Fremantle. He is working harder than ever to find the form. It is totally unfounded."

Prior to last weekend's omission, which Harvey attributed to a neck injury suffered in training, Tarrant himself told the Dockers website he was enjoying life in WA - while also planning for life after football.

"My lifestyle has probably changed a bit since I have been over here in Perth. In Melbourne I used to spend a fair bit of time eating out at restaurants and enjoying the Melbourne side of things," Tarrant said.

"Here I spend a lot of time down at the beach at Cottesloe, which is a fantastic part of the world. I probably did not realise how beautiful and sensational the beaches and the water is over here.

"I have still got three years on my contract, but I am not getting any younger - this is my 11th year playing. Some young kids are just getting started but I am probably coming towards the end of my career.

"I have always been interested in real estate ... hopefully I will be able to get some experience out there and get something going for life after footy.

"Whenever I do finish I would have had a good career at AFL level."

Schwab said despite a disappointing start to Tarrant's year, he was backing the forward to be at the club long after the outgoing chief executive leaves in October.

"Chris is obviously under a fair bit pressure at the moment because he has started the year poorly. But I think he has embraced Perth as a lot of people do," Schwab said.

"The most disappointing thing for him is that he actually completed a really good pre-season and was healthy.

"And perhaps that is part of his expectation, that he thought because he had a good start to the season last year without a pre-season, that with a good pre-season he was going to take off.

"I would be surprised if he did not play a lot of good footy for our club."

With Tarrant training on Wednesday morning, Harvey said his place against Richmond would depend on fitness as much as form, with his injury being treated with anti-inflammatory medication.

"He trained on Monday, and he will train again this morning and tomorrow," Harvey said.

"He has been taken out of contact drills at the moment, and we will assess him after training tomorrow. It will be whether he is coping with his injury."

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