Mega Thread Buddy Franklin moves to Sydney

[Steven Gerrard]

So it is true, the Sydney Swans FC is the love child of the AFL.

They get given a cost of living allowance (COLA) as an add on to its salary cap and use it to buy two power forwards over 2 consecutive years. Power forwards don't grow on trees yet the manipulation of the rules by the AFL has allowed one club to get two of them in in consecutive years. And now the Swans and its fans are sitting back laughing, hardly believing their luck.

I'm hardly surprised, in years to come, the Swans footy team will resemble an AA team.

 

[Bombermania]

The cost of living allowance is a joke that needs scrapping

Yep Sydney is expensive but something which is overlooked Hawthorn is in the fifth wealthiest seats in the country

Do we see Hawthorn wanting a COLA

No and we would laugh at them for it

 

[Wood_Duck]

So Sydney get Tippett and Franklin, without having to trade a single draft pick or player. Nice.

 

[Superstar swan]

So GWS offer a $1.2m 6-year deal, and Sydney offer a $1.4m 5-year deal.

It's a joke really.

Gws whole list of young players that will need pay rises and that will be millions extra in salary cap and have very little availible in players retiring freeing up money. Gws list management pretty much consists of pay rises at the moment. Sydney have a host of players nearing the end and have more money becoming availible than gws do

 

[TheOz]

This whole competition is a complete and utter farce.

 

[IanW]

Don't want them.

Reid is one of the only guys that Schoenmakers has consistently dominated from day 1 and Mumford would eat all the sausages at the club raffle.

But seriously - I'm not excited by these guys. It would feel like modest compo rather than a win-win.

Speaking as a GWS fan, I'd be more than happy for us to make you an offer for Mumford - and we've got the picks to do it with.

 

[mcgarnacle]

Not privy to the salary cap accounts. Just hope the swans are effectively planning on retaining those players who will delver the ball from the other end of the ground too. Seems like a fair bit of coin invested in two players. My feeling is that this move is more a marketing ploy to arrest the slide in interest of the club in general, rather than a sustainably strong football team for years to come.

 

[Mark_K]

Does anyone think the Swans could be worse with both Tippet and Franklin?

No.

 

[IanW]

Gws whole list of young players that will need pay rises and that will be millions extra in salary cap and have very little availible in players retiring freeing up money. Gws list management pretty much consists of pay rises at the moment. Sydney have a host of players nearing the end and have more money becoming availible than gws do

Shows what you know about GWS' cap management - I bet you're one of those flogs who think Tom Scully is on a million dollars a year.

 

[TheWhiteRhino]

Any chance the Swans were pi$$ed that the Hawks were set to sign Mumford and thought the ultimate FU would be to snatch Buddy from the Giants?

Either way, we've completely diverted the focus from the Hawks' GF win - saving us all from a summer of Hawthorn Bigfooty posters.

You should all be thanking the Swans - the NY Yankees of the AFL.

 

[Lyyynnnchy]

If Hawks get Mummy + Reid they will be very very happy...

Reids on a 5 year contract? His name has never even been brought up

 

[Ando727]

Adam Goodes is a lying scumbag. Said with a straight face that Buddy wasn't going to Swans.

That's a big assumption. Goodes may not have known anything at all. He's not likely to categorically rule out the Buddy thing unless he truly believed it wasn't on the cards. If he knew about it, he would have said, "I'm not sure" or "we'll have to see what happens". There were any number of vague ways he could have answered that question. The fact that he said outright that it's not going to happen actually shows he was being truthful based on what he knew. No need to portray him as a lying scumbag.

 

[Bombermania]

I see a bunch of hypocrites on BigFooty.

If your club was doing the same thing, you too would find a way to justify this.

Fact is that Sydney have key personel coming off big money in order to make this happen. Who knows how they have their contracts loaded, be it front or back?

Too many cap experts in this thread.

I don't have a problem with clubs recruiting players from other clubs, after all we at Essendon got Goddard just last year.

I just don't think the Swans should have a special allowance, maybe the AFL needs to increase everyone's cap.

 

[Arwib]

Right, so the GWS offer being discussed in public was completely off base.

What about the Hawthorn and Sydney offers?

 

[Stan_Darsh72]

If this does happen then the 17 other clubs will declare an open season on any swans academy player or anything along a similar ilk

 

[MrPresident]

Don't want them.

Reid is one of the only guys that Schoenmakers has consistently dominated from day 1 and Mumford would eat all the sausages at the club raffle.

But seriously - I'm not excited by these guys. It would feel like modest compo rather than a win-win.

Mumford is a star ruck. Mumford + a 1st round pick is plenty for a free agent.

At this stage odds are looking pretty good Hawthorn and Sydney will be dancing the big dance in September. Hawks need an upgrade at ruck. And you consistently win games without Buddy. IMO both our teams will be better in 2014.

 

[aussierulesrules]

What a farking joke that Sydney are able to pay Buddy more than GWS were prepared to, despite GWS having a huge salary cap concession on top of their own COLA, for the time being.

This makes a mockery of the whole comp.

 

[Hawkers]

Could the Swans have gotten him with the COLA?

You have your answer as to why it has to go

 

[citizen-erased]

Could be a masterstroke, could be an issue.
Swans got to the prelim this year with injuries to their best 22. They couldnt find talent in the depth to even put an effort up against Freo.

There is obviously a lot of faith in the tail end of the list on less coin but that didn't show itself this year.
The starting 22 is going to be first class.

This move will be vindicated or not this time next year.
Was the 1.4m better spent on 3-4 more players for experienced depth, or spent on a marquee signing?

time will tell. In the meantime, well played Swans. I never thought Buddy would leave for GWS. turns out i was kind of right

 

[Scooter#10]

remember buddy will be playing for sydney now and thus like adam goodes won't be getting suspended anymore...

Ah of course. Now he is a protected species. Probably why he is moving there

 

[J_Moore]

So Sydney get Tippett and Franklin, without having to trade a single draft pick or player. Nice.

Swans are losing players to make this cap space. Some trades, some retirements. The COLA probably helps as well, but it's not the whole picture. Be prepared for more of this in the age of free agency.

 

[RuFiO]

Everyone raid Sydney!

 

[UpForGrabs]

This whole competition is a complete and utter farce.

Where do you rank the COLA alongside that other four-letter masterpiece, VISY?

#nothingdodgyaboutJuddmoveatall

 

[Woodie99]

Sydney are trying to buy another premiership.

They are also probably bringing about their own downfall as the pressure will be on the AFL to get rid of the allowance now.

This is a joke.

Isn't that what all clubs do, buy the players they think they need to win a premiership.

 

[TheWhiteRhino]

So Sydney get Tippett and Franklin, without having to trade a single draft pick or player. Nice.

Who's fault was it that you didn't get a pick and player for Tippett? Please...