Rumour GFC 2024 Player Trading, Drafting FA, Rumours and Wish lists Pt 2

[cats_09]

Ask and we'll try our best to assist - so here's 2024 Provisional AFL Draft Order

As normal, would like to acknowledge & thank Lore for creating this, keeping it up to date and making it available for all users on BF to use and keep track of the picks ahead of the upcoming draft





I'll also sticky this post to ensure it's easily accessible for discussion of our hypothetical trader

 

[iameviljez]

Poor view. He was the captain of the club.
What he did was shit house and I’m glad he never got a flag.

Totally disagree with you. He was undermined by his own players, had every right to leave a club that was a basket case and refusing to help itself at the time.

The captaincy is a privilege, not a millstone. It doesn't obligate someone to stay in a toxic workplace.

 

[iameviljez]

He was no better at North than he was at Geelong.
Never won a Premiership with them, never made an AA side and him leaving landed us All Australian players in Mooney and Enright who won us multiple Premierships.

Yeah I think we won that trade LOL

Not his fault, the guy did his knee in an era where that was pretty much a career death sentence.

 

[SkittleCats]

Don’t shoot…

But does anyone else a little uneasy that Smith might come in and break our no ——head policy a little too much?

Really hope he puts this main character energy behind him when he makes the move.

That "policy" has only ever existed in the minds of the fans who care about rubbish like that. We've had more dickheads through this club in the last 20 years than most teams have had.

 

[cat_shack]

That "policy" has only ever existed in the minds of the fans who care about rubbish like that. We've had more dickheads through this club in the last 20 years than most teams have had.

Correct, I mean Jack Stevens was as bad as it gets. Our strategy allows for recruiting dickheads, it’s just not overpaying for them.

 

[cats_09]

Reckon that's the real Ollie too

This Ollie

 

[dont stop me meow]

Correct, I mean Jack Stevens was as bad as it gets. Our strategy allows for recruiting dickheads, it’s just not overpaying for them.

What was his story?

 

[CatToTheFuture]

This Ollie

View attachment 2124956

The very same

 

[cats_09]

There's Bulldogs fans that genuinely believe we're low balling Smith on his contact "knowing" that Cotton On will be giving him a nice little boost with their sponsorship of him - they honestly believe that we've somehow orchestrated the long standing sponsorship between Smith & Cotton On, just waiting for him to ask for a trade to us

 

[Jumping Jack]

Cats are 9th in the betting with Sportsbet for ‘25. Paying $15

What am I missing?


Sent from my iPhone using BigFooty.com

 

[iameviljez]

Cats are 9th in the betting with Sportsbet for ‘25. Paying $15

What am I missing?


Sent from my iPhone using BigFooty.com

We are old, arguably over performed this year

 

[Netherlandal]

That "policy" has only ever existed in the minds of the fans who care about rubbish like that. We've had more dickheads through this club in the last 20 years than most teams have had.

You sure?

‘Best in the business’: Inside powerhouses’ big calls that have defied AFL history​

This Sunday’s blockbuster meeting at the SCG between the top-of-the-table Swans and third-placed Cats almost serves as a match of celebration for two clubs who have mixed it with the best year in, year out across two decades without succumbing to the dreaded rebuild.

The secret? Good people.

One AFL champion who has lived through the highest of highs within those four walls is three-time premiership player Cameron Mooney, who won two of his three flags at the Cats during the start of their elongated rise.

Speaking exclusively to Foxfooty.com.au ahead of Sunday’s clash of the titans, Mooney revealed what characteristics he believed have played a role in not just his own club’s longevity, but also that of Sydney.

“This could go for both clubs – I know Tommy Harley (premiership teammate and Sydney CEO) obviously very well – he goes down the same path of wanting good people,” Mooney said when asked about the Cats and Swans’ sustained success,” Mooney said.

“If you’ve got good people at your footy club, it’s amazing just how well things run; obviously people that are very good at their jobs helps, but it’s just something I know Brian Cook (former Geelong CEO) was always big on, Frank Costa (former Geelong president) was always big on – just getting good people into the football club.”

Since the infamous 2005 ‘Nick Davis’ semi-final in 2005, the two sides have played each other three times in finals – most recently in Geelong 2022 premiership.

Given each side’s incredible finals record for two decades now, it’s actually somewhat surprising they haven’t played each other more.

The Cats have missed out on a finals birth just twice in nearly 18 years (since 2007), with lapses only in 2015 and last year in 2023.

And while missing out may insinuate they were a while off playing in September, they weren’t; finishing no lower than 12th on the ladder and not missing out by more than a game and a half.

Within that period, they’ve won a mammoth four premierships in 2007, 2009, 2011 and more recently, 2022.

As for their respected rivals the Swans, their success has been arguably more consistent over a longer period – just without as many ultimate successes.

The red and white have only missed finals three times in 22 years, not making the final eight in 2009, 2019 and 2020.

To stretch that metric even further, the Swans have only missed finals five times since 1996 – that’s 29 seasons at the conclusion of 2024; a year they will certainly qualify.

“I know with Stephen Wells (Geelong recruiting and list manager) - all those years he’d be looking for draftees, and I’d ask him what the difference between player A and player B when you draft them,” Mooney continued.

“If they’re a good person and come from a good family, yet the other player might be a little better player but unstable – we’ll always go with the good family - and Sydney do the same too.”

All of Cook, Costa and Wells were ingrained in the club for a significant amount of time, with Wells still working at the club after 40 years.

Subsequently, Wells in particular has played a crucial role from a player’s perspective to not bring in players of questionable character.

“It’s amazing how quickly a person or group of people can become a (blight) in a footy club – so that’s probably the biggest one,” Mooney continued.

“I’m mates with a lot of Sydney players and coaches, I’ve hung out with a lot of them – they’re the same, just a great club because they constantly have good people in the right positions.”

 

[Cataholic]

We are old, arguably over performed this year

And we have issues with our ruck and midfield personnel.

 

[SkittleCats]

You sure?

Yeah, what else do you think the club is going to say? "Oh yeah, we've got a lot of dickheads in the club"...

And i dont think Mooney is necessarily wrong, they are good at their jobs and on their day they are probably good people. But make no mistake, we have had a large number of people come through in the least 20 years who can be total flogs too. And we've looked the other way in a few cases from what ive heard. I mean we had Mark Thompson and his...habits...for years and the club tolerated it. The key is keeping it in house, that's what we are good at, and why the Stengle incident this year was probably a kick up the ass for some at the club. That stuff normally doesnt get out down there, but it does happen. You cant keep the flogs out if you want to win, some of them are bloody good at football.

 

[Gee Class Loco]

Thank Fook we didn’t enter the Brodie Grundy

4

Brodie Grundy

Age

30

Ht

202cm

Wt

105kg

Pos.

Ruck

Career

Season

Last 5

D

17.5

4star

K

8.0

3star

HB

9.6

5star

CL

4.1

5star

HO

32.0

5star

D

16.4

4star

K

6.8

3star

HB

9.6

5star

CL

4.0

5star

HO

34.6

5star

D

13.8

4star

K

5.2

2star

HB

8.6

5star

CL

2.6

5star

HO

20.6

5star

sweepstakes.
Seriously. He is…
Over rated.
Over paid.
Over hyped.
A semi-old Geelong reject rucking plodder Darcy Fort

32

Darcy Fort

Age

31

Ht

204cm

Wt

98kg

Pos.

F/R

Career

Season

Last 5

D

8.6

2star

K

5.8

2star

HB

2.9

3star

M

1.9

2star

T

1.8

4star

G

0.8

4star

D

9.2

2star

K

6.0

2star

HB

3.2

2star

M

1.8

2star

T

1.8

3star

G

0.2

3star

D

7.6

2star

K

5.4

2star

HB

2.2

2star

M

2.0

3star

T

1.2

3star

G

1.2

4star

did the job.
Elite mids. When they are on. Everyone is a winner.
When they are off then everyone looks like a B grader.
Lions missed Coleman and Linc much of the year.
Dangerous again in 2025.
Big shout out to the Big O. Missed a medal. He’s a ripper. Hope u get another chance.
As for the Swans.
We have been there ourselves losing a few grannies.
Not a great feeling.
Losses like that break u or make u stronger.
Stay strong fellas.
Did we miss an opportunity?
Nah the Lions were the best team in September and played like a champion team.
Congrats to the Brisbane Football Club.
Well deserved.

 

[Boxhead_31]

Side note: On Smith's latest (GF day) post with the caption "Be out there one day", the top comment is "next year brother"...by someone with the profile name olliedempsey. Hmmmmm.

If only there were some sign as to where he wants to go

 

[iameviljez]

Thank Fook we didn’t enter the Brodie Grundy sweepstakes.
Seriously. He is…
Over rated.
Over paid.
Over hyped.
A semi-old Geelong reject rucking plodder Darcy Fort did the job.

Actually I thought Grundy had a pretty good game. Clearly won the battle with Fort, just got let down by a shit team.

 

[Live in hope]

I would say most of us would laugh and say, “ok yeah sure mate go elsewhere and good luck finding a better run club”
The difference is if players leave us majority of the time it an “oh well it is what it is” and we know it’s rare they are gonna do better elsewhere.

I think that list of guys who succeeded or did better after leaving the Cats is like Jordan Clark, Linc McCarthy, Shane Mumford and Lachie Fogarty…I guess you could count Hambling but he’s playing VFL every week so no real loss. Sav hurts Port more than helps them and isn’t any different to the guy we tried to persist with and it failed multiple times. Fort is getting a Grand Final gig because Big O got hurt, he’d be stuck in the VFL like he was at the Cats otherwise.

We lost the best player of this generation and still gave him a standing ovation when he returned in opposition colours. That’s the vibe, that’s the difference. We don’t boo former players we just accept that’s the nature of the business.
And he returned home to the same praise as if he had never left either. Got to retire in the colours he was born to wear.

The booing former players thing has never really been a Geelong staple. Whether it’s the “Cats Home games are quiet cause it’s a bunch of old ladies watching their local team” vibe or the fact that Geelong has been majorly successfully for most of our collective lives that we trust the club will do what is necessary to replace said player and not get hung up on it. I’d say we are very lucky. There’s no real chip on the shoulder because the club has done soo well for soo long by us that we as a supporter base don’t really have any right to question how things are done.

And to give examples of Cats management turning a negative into a positive

When TK left we replaced him with Jez

When Gaz Jr left we replaced him with multiple guys to fill the next generation of players that Gaz eventually rejoined with anyway.

When the stars of our original Premierships got old like Chapman and Stevie J and they moved on, we replaced them with a generational ball winner in Danger.

We truly are a lucky fan base to support such a wonderful club.

Wasn’t a lot of love for Leigh Colbert in first game against us (walking out as Captain when club was nearly bankrupt) and liked to serve it to Greg Williams, but pretty much exceptions. Generally like to see former Cats go well. (Huge kudos to Darcy Fort - good to see reward for perseverance).

 

[calder_daddy]

Side note: On Smith's latest (GF day) post with the caption "Be out there one day", the top comment is "next year brother"...by someone with the profile name olliedempsey. Hmmmmm.

Reckon that's the real Ollie too

 

[CatToTheFuture]

Cats are 9th in the betting with Sportsbet for ‘25. Paying $15

What am I missing?


Sent from my iPhone using BigFooty.com

Seems like reasonably priced odds to me

 

[Gee Class Loco]

Actually I thought Grundy had a pretty good game. Clearly won the battle with Fort, just got let down by a shit team.

He did sweet FA in inserting his authority.
Elite ruck? My arse.
Surrounded by AA mids and other quality players.
Thought he was underwhelming for a million dollar a year ruckman.
You’d really want your money back… wouldn’t you?
I would.
Like I said. A bullet dodged!

 

[calder_daddy]

Cats are 9th in the betting with Sportsbet for ‘25. Paying $15

What am I missing?


Sent from my iPhone using BigFooty.com

Harder draw for us next year, ruck and midfield issues. The loss of a champion.

I’m bullish on us most years but I’m not expecting us to make the 8 next season

 

[iameviljez]

He did sweet FA in inserting his authority.
Elite ruck? My arse.
Surrounded by AA mids and other quality players.
Thought he was underwhelming for a million dollar a year ruckman.
You’d really want your money back… wouldn’t you?
I would.
Like I said. A bullet dodged!

Eh, he hit the ball to his mids and won plenty of his own footy.

Lots of Sydney players disgraced themselves today. He wasn't one

 

[Gee Class Loco]

Eh, he hit the ball to his mids and won plenty of his own footy.

Lots of Sydney players disgraced themselves today. He wasn't one

We will have to agree to disagree.
A million dollar man. Pfftt….
Played like a journeyman ruck that was beaten by Darcy Fort.
Over rated & Over Hyped IMO.

 

[iameviljez]

Played like a journeyman ruck that was beaten by Darcy Fort.

In what universe is this "beaten by Fort"?

 

[Gee Class Loco]

View attachment 2125017

In what universe is this "beaten by Fort"?

Well I did have plenty of beers so I’ll retract that last bit… lol
But I stand by my thoughts on a million dollar plodder not worth a pinch of shyte.
Over paid over hyped over rated.