Gary Ablett was a one off, and you have to admit it losing Frawley definitely made Melbourne weaker while making Hawthorn stronger, not a great combination if you are going for equalisation.
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Geelong, Hawthorn and Sydney dominance - is there a problem?
- Thread starter Crazy John
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Gary Ablett was a one off, and you have to admit it losing Frawley definitely made Melbourne weaker while making Hawthorn stronger, not a great combination if you are going for equalisation.
Upgrayedd
A Vote for Clive is a Vote for Justice
Free agency isnt a problem. As seen with hawthorn we gained frawley? Melbourne were happy.to do that because pick 3 was better then they could of got over the open market. Professional clubs with attractable culture location will always be destination clubs. Hawthorn for professionalism and excellent coaching and sucessm sydney for location and sucess. Geelong because of the lifestyle and sucess. Even west coast where players often want to go. Its not free agency
If I wasn't a Sydney fan I'd agree with him.
Change the weighting of the draft to make the lower placed teams receive more top draft picks, and change laws around player contracts that make it easier for teams to hold on to those draft picks.
Change the weighting of the draft to make the lower placed teams receive more top draft picks, and change laws around player contracts that make it easier for teams to hold on to those draft picks.
sataris
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Thought this thread would have more GWS in it.
Gunstall555
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We'll have Buddy back then mate.
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The talk of free agents being the reason is completely overblown. Like the Hawthorn poster said, they lost one of the game's greats to free agency, as did Geelong with Gary Ablett. Last year we finished 10th, now people are sooking despite the only free agent we've brought in for 2016 was Scott Selwood who has yet to play a game. We traded heavily for Dangerfield, traded a future first round for Henderson, and traded two 3rd round picks for Z. Smith. We aren't getting these guys for free, we are giving up more than fair value.
I hadn't noticed that about Melbourne. But reducing the length of the season means a so so team wouldn't have the burden of having to maintain the effort over a season. The more games you have, the more likely that the cream ends up rising to the top.
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To add to the above, Hawthorn traded for Gibson, McEvoy, Burgoyne etc, likewise with us for Henderson, Dangerfield and Smith. We are giving up something to get something. Well-run clubs identify a need in their list and just do whatever it takes to fill it. The hoarding of draft picks that goes on by the middle-tier clubs in order to pick up a pimple-faced kid who may or may not make it is amazing. You don't NEED five hundred picks in the top 20 to draft good players. There's plenty of capable footballers who fall to the 20s, 30s, 40s, 50s etc.
It is not just free agents, it is the ability to get players like Gunstan for unders that makes a big difference.
Well run and top footy clubs have good players wanting to come to them. This is fine until it gets to a point that the other clubs stay down the bottom for too long a period.
You can't sign players if they don't want to come to you. I think the Vic clubs and to a lesser extent the Sydney clubs have an advantage here.
- Banned
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Dear OP
Yes
All the things the AFL said would level it out has made it worse
Yes
All the things the AFL said would level it out has made it worse
- May 4, 2013
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Those situations aren't just exclusive to the three clubs mentioned by the OP though. Our most promising young midfielder Christensen who is from Lara down in Geelong decided out of nowhere he wanted to be traded to Brisbane for reasons still unknown by most, and we had to accept pick-21, a complete slap in the face because he was out of contract. Shit happens.
Upgrayedd
A Vote for Clive is a Vote for Justice
Kind of disagree. Frawley had stagnated from his AA form. Melbourne had more then capable replacements as well. On Form getting pick 3 and securing a chance to grab petracca/Mccartin and another gun player for a guy who was being used as a stop gap up forward most melbourne fans would of taken. I think melbourne fans are happier with the potential Angus showed then losing frawley who honestly.Mcdonald has stepped up and shown he's a class defender.
Upgrayedd
A Vote for Clive is a Vote for Justice
Remember Josh Kennedy deciding he rather take money and more years to go to sydney? Turns out he was a real freaking handy player for whoever he went to play for
Furn2
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Frawley would still be a Hawk without FA. Melbourne just would have got a late 1st rounder.
So most Likely Hawks wouldn't have O'Rourke that year, however we would probably have got 2 top picks for buddy in 2013 and maybe got Cripps and Bont.
But yeah free agency has been a real bonus for us.
So most Likely Hawks wouldn't have O'Rourke that year, however we would probably have got 2 top picks for buddy in 2013 and maybe got Cripps and Bont.
But yeah free agency has been a real bonus for us.
Opportunity more than anything he was on less than 300k a year for his first contract.
Upgrayedd
A Vote for Clive is a Vote for Justice
Gunston played 14 games in 2 years and looked like a promising young player. We traded a first second and third rounder to him. Historicly more then adelaide usually get for gun KPP players. Remember he was projected to be a good young player. Not what he currently is
- May 4, 2013
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Perfect point. It happens to every team, some just seem to complain about it more than others. The good teams seem to be able to make the best of shitty situations, the others just complain and wallow in self-pity.
Hawks after losing Buddy ---> Win flag
Cats after losing Ablett ---> Win flag
Topkent
Confirmed ITK Drafting King
Actually I do agree with you
This season it would make no difference because their is the top 8 and then the rest and that's already been made clear
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Did it? Melbourne got some pretty handy compensation for Frawley. If you ban certain clubs from taking free agents then it isn't really 'free' agency anymore, is it? Hawthorn have lost more than we have gained through FA. Geelong haven't gained a great deal from it and lost Gaz to proto-free agency. Geelong could have taken Dangerfield as an FA by paying him more money but decided (wisely in my view) that they'd be better paying with draft picks.
Free agency changes the nature of list management by making salary cap space a relatively more important currency than it used to be. That does also mean that player loyalty is more valuable than it used to be, and you could argue that successful clubs have an advantage in that area. However, so far the evidence that FA makes the strong stronger and the weak weaker is pretty thin. Running a club competently makes a club stronger. All the draft picks in the world won't help if you don't have proper management. Look at Melbourne a few years ago versus Melbourne now. Compare GWS and GC. Hawthorn have stayed strong for a while because we've been able to find other ways to regenerate our list than the draft, we have a sensible pay structure, and sound on and off field management. Geelong and Sydney are similar stories.
JohnnyFontane90
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i'm not so sure this is as big a deal as people make it out to be. i think players who are 27-28+ try to squeeze one in before they retire, but for most of the players i think it's not that high on the priority list. IMO for players under 27 money > home state > success IMO
Simple fix would be can't trade first round.
Meow
Club Legend
Still lots of water to go under the bridge for us yet. The heart of the backline (Taylor, Lonergan, Mackie, Enright) will need replacing in the next 3-4 years - not the easiest task considering quality KPDs don't seem to grow on trees anymore. Have doubts on whether Kersten and/or Clark will be at the club then (Clark for injury/age reasons, not sure Kersten is good enough), so another key forward might be in order down the track. We've done nicely with Dangerfield, Henderson, Smith and Stanley, but that's just the start.
Hawthorn are a different story given they've acquired key players through trades and not free agency (except for Frawley), but I'd argue the loss of Hodge/Burgoyne/Mitchell/Lewis and co. is probably the biggest challenge they'll face since the 2009-10 rebuild. Not sure about Sydney yet despite the fact they appear to be the most well-positioned of the three clubs.
I mentioned in another thread that the introduction of FA coinciding with these clubs' run at the top has extended their flag "window" somewhat. But with Melbourne, the Dogs, Saints etc. beginning to rise, the Cats/Swans/Hawks' reputation as destination clubs might peter out somewhat. That probably achieves more of an equilibrium in terms of where free agents go. Hence, the climate is changing a bit and the rest of the comp have nothing to worry about - the premiership cycle hasn't been upset.
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Frawley was a win/win for both sides
Hawthorn are stronger while they are in flag contention while Melbourne are weaker for 2015-2017/2018 but will be stronger for it with the compensation from 2018/2019 onwards when they are hoping to be a finals (and better) side
david addison
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Is there are problem? Hmmm. Well, let's leave Sydney out of the equation, because the afl have reserved a perpetual spot for them in the 8. We might as well call it a top 7. Cats & Hawks have a genuine home ground advantage half the year, so they'd probably be embarrassed if they didn't make the finals. Shame on Power, Freo, Suns & Lions. How the hell can these teams miss the 7. All they have to do is win their home games. It's mathematically possible for these teams to lose EVERY away game and still make the 7. Just pathetic. I don't think the cats/hawks/swans have been as powerful as their trophy cabinet suggests. Some of those flags came with a bit of luck. I can think of a couple of finals the hawks probably should have lost. And the cats should have lost to the saints, and probably the pies in the 07 prelim (if Ben Johnson wasn't serving suspension he would've kept Stokes quiet). But that's fine. You need a bit of luck to win a flag. The only team I found intimidating in recent times was the lions in their premiership years. And even they had some luck avoiding the power in 2002/3. This all sounds one-eyed. I better put it on the record that the pies were lucky the ball bounced sideways from Milne in 2010. Happy?
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