Exodus watch! (Opposition supporters post trade rumours here)

[AFLQLD]

In the end we can't and shouldn't make players stay who don't want to be here.

It isn't purely about having low draft picks or otherwise Melbourne would be at the top and Sydney at the bottom. The critical factor is to have whatever top end talent you can get your hands on, surrounded by many other less talented guys who will just bleed for the club.

For all his potential, Karnesis for example, just hasn't given us enough to unquestionably lock him into our best 22 and if he isn't committed, we are probably better trading him for a less talented guy who will bleed for us. The net outcome is likely to be greater.

The same applies to someone like Longer. A lot of potential, but a lesser player, 100% committed to us, probably serves us just as well. I think of the value we got out of Hudson last year or Moloney this year.

Hopefully we will find our own top end stars and may have a few budding ones developing at the club already. But players with potential who want to be gone? If we can't convince them to stay, then give me someone of value who will put his heart and soul into playing for us.

I really do think that a team only needs four or five stars to win a flag. After that it needs guys who just give their all for the club every time they run out in a Lionn jersey. Guys like Harwood, Zorko, Redden, Lester.

 

[Happy_Neale]

Have you also noticed that we were a combined 2 points and an ASADA suspension away from making finals? If we had our best 22 playing against Geelong, we would be playing finals.

FTFY. I don't mean to sound like I'm pissing on our season but we were not that close to finals on our own merits.

 

[BigBadBrisbaneBears]

Barrett on TFS said Lions have been conceded Doc and Longer are going back to Melbourne, 85% chance for Longer to go back.

Clever Barrett can't be wrong - if they leave he got it right .... If they stay it was a 15% chance.
I'd love to always be right in my job!

 

[chopperduck]

Assuming it is true, and Longer, Dic and Karni are gone, it is a good chance for Kerr to work some magic. Going against us is obviously the PSD and losing them for nothing, however they are homesick and want to go back to Melbourne, with GWS having the first pick, it might help scare them off running that risk. Other advantage we might have is that if multiple clubs show interest, they won't risk losing the player they want by trying to get them for free in the PSD or another club might beat them to it, so there is certainly potential there for a club that wants them to put in a bid to make sure they secure the player they want.

It was already going to be a very active off season, now it's in over drive. Really hoping Kerr brings home the goods.

 

[Bucking Beads]

All we can ask for is proper compensation for these players if they do indeed want out.

 

[dlanod]

Perhaps 4 x 1st rounders could assist us getting us those two extra points

If they were an arbitrary four first rounders, maybe.

If it was this specific group of four first rounders... are they in our best 22? If not, I'm going with no. If yes, I'm going with yes.

 

[chopperduck]

As long as we get something back which improves the team it's not a loss. We've drafted so well the past few years, homesick or not chances were we would lose a couple soon with competition for senior spots. If Beams and Polec get up and firing both those players are probably ahead of Doc and Karni. Longer is the loss, but if we can replace these players to fill some gaps it won't hit us hard. Ruck depth is an obvious issue, Martin I think could play #1 ruck if needed, but if both go down we are screwed.

 

[cmt26]

I think Docherty's girlfriend is the issue with him.


I think the club needs to re-assess Manny Lynch's position as welfare officer. If we have 3 players wanting to leave due to homesickness, then he's not doing his job adequately.

 

[SizeMatters]

Rule No.1. Don't draft Vic players that have girlfriends!

 

[cmt26]

Also curse of the number 1 guernsey will continue if docherty leaves

 

[Triple R]

I think Docherty's girlfriend is the issue with him.


I think the club needs to re-assess Manny Lynch's position as welfare officer. If we have 3 players wanting to leave due to homesickness, then he's not doing his job adequately.

Where are you getting that from?

 

[Davemonkey]

Maybe a sponsorship from Virgin Australia or Flight Centre with a bunch of cheap travel vouchers for friends and family might help.

OK I'll get my thinking back in the box now.

 

[jackess]

Starting to think raising the age of drafting to 19 may be the go. Give the kids a taste of the real world before giving them the gift of playing footy professionally at your club.

I reckon I'd play footy professionally anywhere. Even in Syria.

 

[Davemonkey]

Starting to think raising the age of drafting to 19 may be the go. Give the kids a taste of the real world before giving them the gift of playing footy professionally at your club.

I reckon I'd play footy professionally anywhere. Even in Syria.

The guys on the Mondayitis podcast at Sportal compare it to the big difference with the US Football system where all of the 'kids' go through the college system first before hitting the NFL. they come out a little older and more able to handle some of that life stuff that screws with your head when you are 18-19.

 

[Eons]

Rule No.1. Don't draft Vic players that have girlfriends!

Only single players and set them up with girlfriends as soon as they get up there.

 

[Panthera]

As I said already, it doesn't stop there. It becomes a cycle.

While I'd prefer them to stay, none of those players are good enough to hold us to ransom.

How can you tell, none are even 21 yet

 

[ZoBlitz]

How can you tell, none are even 21 yet

... to hold us to ransom. Which is true.

 

[Panthera]

... to hold us to ransom. Which is true.

They are not holding hostages waiting for the helicopter; they're kids who miss their families and for various reasons are not getting a game which could mean they feel even more left out. I'm sure an arm around the shoulder from Lethal, a chat with the new coach telling them his plans for them and and a little extra $ over the next 3 years could do the trick

 

[Tairy Greene]

and a little extra $ over the next 3 years could do the trick

Yeah nah, we don't have a COLA or subsidies like the other QLD/NSW teams to do this, where are we getting all this extra cash from? And imagine the conversation with the players "Oh hey Rocky/Rich/Leuey you've always said how much you've wanted to stay with us and put in the hard yards in difficult times but we're going to need to pay some 19yr olds the kind of coin you're on so they'll stay because they miss their mummys, so we're gunna need to renegotiate your contract."

 

[notting18]

Yeah nah, we don't have a COLA or subsidies like the other QLD/NSW teams to do this, where are we getting all this extra cash from? And imagine the conversation with the players "Oh hey Rocky/Rich/Leuey you've always said how much you've wanted to stay with us and put in the hard yards in difficult times but we're going to need to pay some 19yr olds the kind of coin you're on so they'll stay because they miss their mummys, so we're gunna need to renegotiate your contract."

Sounds like the Gubby school of contract negotiation.

 

[Jas_epi421]

I predict a trade involving longer and docherty to the same club.
Karnezis dosent have as much currency we'll try to get a trade for him to collingwood, dogs etc
Banfield also a intresting possibility, surely wouldnt be happy that he hasn't played a game this season. Trade back to WA may be possible.

 

[Jas_epi421]

I dont think polec will go, to much talent

 

[Panthera]

Yeah nah, we don't have a COLA or subsidies like the other QLD/NSW teams to do this, where are we getting all this extra cash from? And imagine the conversation with the players "Oh hey Rocky/Rich/Leuey you've always said how much you've wanted to stay with us and put in the hard yards in difficult times but we're going to need to pay some 19yr olds the kind of coin you're on so they'll stay because they miss their mummys, so we're gunna need to renegotiate your contract."

I never said that we'd need to match the guns you did.

We're paying about 1/2 million more next season due to paying 5% less this season. To keep 4 x 1st rounders, it'd be good business to pay 1% of that to keep these kids.

Otherwise, we have flushed hundreds of thousands of dollars in development costs for these kids over the past 2-3 years and groomed them for other teams to benefit. Bugger that

They are first rounders and need to be kept, otherwise the recruiting masterstrokes like Zorko, Rockliff, Redden, Clarke etc. are not as big a win as they currently are.

 

[chopperduck]

So your plan is to use 20% of our unused cap space, needed to help keep top talent, and use it to keep mouthy young players on the list who are barely playing senior footy at the club. So 100k, by about 4-5 homesick players mean 20-25k extra. Yeah I don't think that is going to keep them away from their mummies if its that much of an issue for them.

Realistically, we need an extra 5% to help retain players, oh wait, we did have that before Eddie chucked a wobbly. Every club has players who get homesick, but it's offset by having players come to them being homesick as well. Doesn't happen for us. Even when u rarely do get a homesick player, the rich teams just buy their love anyway.

 

[chopperduck]

You can't keep players at any cost just because they are a first round draft pick. We've been down that track and it lead us to paying huge amounts of money to players who weren't even AFL standard. We reviewed the club and just got the salary cap back fixed again from that mess and now you want to walk right back down that path, no way.

Paying extra for a marque star player, yes, paying more for youngsters that haven't even proven themselves yet, no.