Rumour 2024 Hypothetical trade and FA Thread

[Strapping Young Lad]

2024 Picks



2025 Picks

 

[Noel Gallagher]

Hills agent approached us first. We baulked at the asking price and said no. He then went to St Kilda who were more than happy to pay the big bucks. He was looking for a big pay day and came to us first - fact

Glad we said no last time and hope we say no again. Hill played bruise free footy in his last year with us which helped Freo get him for pick 23. Knew he was leaving and checked out in his final year. Yes he is a mercenary, no doubt about it

 

[A1fromDay1]

Would much rather persist with Ward than bring in a 31 year old Hill.

If we can bring in Bailey Smith

3

Bailey Smith

Age

24

Ht

185cm

Wt

86kg

Pos.

M/F

Career

Season

Last 5

D

18.3

5star

K

8.5

3star

HB

9.8

5star

M

2.3

2star

T

3.8

5star

CL

2.7

4star

D

19.8

5star

K

9.6

4star

HB

10.2

5star

M

1.8

2star

T

3.2

4star

CL

3.2

4star

D

14.8

4star

K

7.6

3star

HB

7.2

5star

M

2.0

3star

T

3.4

5star

CL

1.6

4star

that's great fits our age profile but wouldn't push a player like Ward down the pecking order for Hill.

 

[matey]

We are talking about something that may never happen but if it was possible a big no to Hill coming back …… jumping ship when it’s sinking on more than one occasion isn’t a coincidence! I would respect him more if he stuck it out at the Saints.

 

[Ned Ryerson]

Hill played bruise free footy in his last year with us which helped Freo get him for pick 23. Knew he was leaving and checked out in his final year. Yes he is a mercenary, no doubt about it

Averaging more tackles and pretty much the exact same contested possessions and clearances than the year prior is a weird way to play bruise free to reduce your trade value.

 

[Noel Gallagher]

Averaging more tackles and pretty much the exact same contested possessions and clearances than the year prior is a weird way to play bruise free to reduce your trade value.

You can quote as many stats as you like, for mine he didn’t pass the eye test - I watched him closely all year and he had clearly checked out half way through his final season. His first season at Freo was outstanding. I followed him closely and the difference between his last last season with us and first season with Freo was significant. Like I said, hope we give him a hard pass

 

[Ned Ryerson]

You can quote as many stats as you like, for mine he didn’t pass the eye test - I watched him closely all year and he had clearly checked out half way through his final season. His first season at Freo was outstanding. I followed him closely and the difference between his last last season with us and first season with Freo was significant. Like I said, hope we give him a hard pass

Even if he was out of form - applying a motive to it is just speculative and you’re talking as though it is cold hard fact. There was a fair bit of off field stuff in 2015/16 happening that likely had far more impact on him and getting out of Melbourne after that likely helped get him back to his best.

 

[Ballsontheline]

I mean you can say no without just speaking shit. Absolutely not a downhill skier and was a walk up best 22 player in our premiership hat trick side.

Do your self a favour Ned and go back and watch the games he played in his last season for Hawthorn. I don't remember another player in the brown and gold to play such bruise free football. It became unwatchable, I couldn't wait for him to leave

 

[Strapping Young Lad]

You can quote as many stats as you like, for mine he didn’t pass the eye test - I watched him closely all year and he had clearly checked out half way through his final season.

 

[Ned Ryerson]

Do your self a favour Ned and go back and watch the games he played in his last season for Hawthorn. I don't remember another player in the brown and gold to play such bruise free football. It became unwatchable, I couldn't wait for him to leave

Being he’s a purely outside midfielder whose primary weapon is delivery inside 50, much like when this commentary happened in 2016 I didn’t really care. Glad one down season completely erases what he put in for three premierships in your mind.

 

[Iceman!]

Mercenary is one of the worst terms thrown around professional sports. Trying to maximise your income does not make you a mercenary.

Hill did what was best for him and his family, good on him.

 

[Ned Ryerson]

Mercenary is one of the worst terms thrown around professional sports. Trying to maximise your income does not make you a mercenary.

Hill did what was best for him and his family, good on him.

Particularly when clubs will make hard calls on players all the time - clubs aren’t always loyal to players, players aren’t always loyal to clubs. It’s a fickle industry on both sides of the coin and players would be doing themselves a disservice to not take far more generous deals if they are out there. Its always great when you hear of players who leave money on the table because of loyalty - but it doesn’t make those who don’t sinister in any way.

 

[cryptor]

You can quote as many stats as you like, for mine he didn’t pass the eye test - I watched him closely all year and he had clearly checked out half way through his final season. His first season at Freo was outstanding. I followed him closely and the difference between his last last season with us and first season with Freo was significant. Like I said, hope we give him a hard pass

Hill had his career best year for tackles in 2016. A slightly built winger wouldn't manage that if he'd checked out. Also his best games were in the back half of the year.

You should probably book an eye exam.

 

[Judd2Sewell]

Mercenary is one of the worst terms thrown around professional sports. Trying to maximise your income does not make you a mercenary.

Hill did what was best for him and his family, good on him.

It's a job at the end of the day. Players have a limited time to maximise their earnings, and at any point they could suffer a significant or career ending injury.

I love that in the AFL there is an element of player/club loyalty that's not really there in the other huge sports across the world (Soccer, Basketball, NFL in particular) - or at least it's been eroded away over the years.

But really the players should be looking after themselves, as the cool kids say they need to secure the bag.

 

[TheFourPillars]

It's a good thing ppl never watched Brad closely in the 3 peat years. I found he was running around sometimes away from the ball to open up holes in the opposition's structures. A deliberate tactic and part of our offensive strategy.

Brad has his strengths and weaknesses if he was 5 years younger I would welcome him back in an instant

 

[Yardie]

I hope Hill comes back just for the melts........

If Sam and Mark think it is worthwhile then I'm in.

 

[brad sue well]

A small aspect of a Hill return is if we are trying to attract an Indigenous youngster, it would be a pretty good place for them with our older set. Declining numbers of Indigenous players will make it even harder for some clubs.

I would always watch Stephen and think how could he Hawks get him, a gun. Well, didn't know Bradley existed and would be one as well. To stand up in those flags when he was so young when and make senior opponents struggle to keep up and to have Smith on the other side, we were very lucky. You could see how cut Clarko was when he left.

 

[killerspud]

Hills agent approached us first. We baulked at the asking price and said no. He then went to St Kilda who were more than happy to pay the big bucks. He was looking for a big pay day and came to us first - fact

Glad we said no last time and hope we say no again. Hill played bruise free footy in his last year with us which helped Freo get him for pick 23. Knew he was leaving and checked out in his final year. Yes he is a mercenary, no doubt about it

so there are supporters who still don't get Brad Hill - he is supposed to play "bruise free footy" he's an outside player - you can't have a team solely of hard nuts on the inside - you need outside. Hill and Smith played outside and we won a threepeat - one of the reasons being they ran harder than anyone else in the comp. If he can still run like that he can help us win games. If the coach thinks its a good idea (and **** he would know having played in three flags with him) then I'm all in

 

[bindas12]

fox footy reporting COLA is coming back ?!

 

[bindas12]

Particularly when clubs will make hard calls on players all the time - clubs aren’t always loyal to players, players aren’t always loyal to clubs. It’s a fickle industry on both sides of the coin and players would be doing themselves a disservice to not take far more generous deals if they are out there. Its always great when you hear of players who leave money on the table because of loyalty - but it doesn’t make those who don’t sinister in any way.

The game makes the players not the other way around. No one is putting a gun to their head asking them to participate in drafts and then get paid half a million to play a sport they love. They voluntarily want to do it. So Game > Clubs > Players. Players easily forget that.

 

[dreaming of another cyri]

In an even draft wins are more important to create industry buzz and show that we have a bright future. We could easily be 7-4. Let the managers and short sighted media experts give reasons for players to come to us.

 

[Ned Ryerson]

The game makes the players not the other way around. No one is putting a gun to their head asking them to participate in drafts and then get paid half a million to play a sport they love. They voluntarily want to do it. So Game > Clubs > Players. Players easily forget that.

No, myopic supporters forget that this is a job for the players and when out of contract they are free to choose their employer and contractural terms just like any other person in this country. Being well remunerated or playing a sport you happen to enjoy doesn’t mean someone surrenders their ability to make a choice.

9 Hawthorn players on Sunday started their careers at other clubs but now play for us - just wondering if they’re all mercenaries also?

 

[Blackhawk42]

fox footy reporting COLA is coming back ?!

We'll all be playing for 3rd place.

 

[hardway]

fox footy reporting COLA is coming back ?!

For Victoria?

 

[Billyc]

It's a job at the end of the day. Players have a limited time to maximise their earnings, and at any point they could suffer a significant or career ending injury.

I love the in the AFL there is an element of player/club loyalty that's not really there in the other huge sports across the world (Soccer, Basketball, NFL in particular) - or at least it's been eroded away over the years. But really the players should be looking after themselves.

As the cool kids say they need to secure the bag.

Ironically the fact that so few AFL players are solely motivated by money has really hurt us the last 5-6 years. We have been front ending contracts for half a decade hoping to land big names with the extra dollars but AFL players are mostly motivated by team success, individual development and lifestyle factors of where they and their families want to live. At the end of the day, with the salary cap and after tax, the difference between the biggest offers and the offers strong sides can make anyway is rarely life changing. It’s not like a $20M difference in other sports.

 

[Billyc]

The game makes the players not the other way around. No one is putting a gun to their head asking them to participate in drafts and then get paid half a million to play a sport they love. They voluntarily want to do it. So Game > Clubs > Players. Players easily forget that.

The clubs make the game though. Without the clubs, nobody gives a shit. Despite that, clubs wield the least power of the 3.