Free Agency Jarrad Waite signs with North Melbourne

[Jugada]

No im basing it on a whole season, they werent in the top 4 teams in the H&A and history shows youre not a contender unless you do finish in the top 4. I believe they are trying to steal a quick flag which I dont think will work for them.

They are in the same boat as Port, both have more upside than Geelong or Fremantle and both should be making moves to finish top 4 again and possibly top 2.

Or we can all just sit back and let Sydney and Hawthorn be the only ones to improve their list for next season..

 

[manboob]

And no compo! Ouch

He's a very average player who by all account mustn't be on much coin at North but you'd think the AFL could flick them pick 50 or something if they wanted to upgrade a rookie or take a punt on another potato farmer.

 

[Silvagnis]

And no compo! Ouch

Two year contract.
No AA guernseys.
Hasn't been top ten in the B & F since 2008.
32.

Result: AFL will compensate the runner-up with a second or third round pick for Malceski if he joins the GC as a 30 year old. #Equalisation #Cough

 

[hilly]

Bay 13?

 

[TheJaegerBomb]

Not even worth compo.

 

[R00StaR]

Calling it now, North are falling into the trap of overrating their list thinking they are premiership contenders next season. Their prelim showed they are a mile off the best, they are overrating their chances based on beating an average Essendon team and catching Geelong on the decline.

North will miss the flag window in the next 2 years and the Waite and Higgins signings will just be expensive wastes.

That maybe so, but with Boomer, Wells, Petrie, NDS with 2 years left and few others getting on it a matter of why not roll the dice before the GC/GWS super lists hit their straps? We may as well go for it and give ourselves the best chance possible.

 

[Man of Steele]

Waite a big risk but I would of taken him too.
Greenwood to Pies 4 year deal and more $ Roos can't match

 

[Lockjaw]

Would rather have Waite on board than Liam Jones.. He is a dead set spud...

 

[Kimbo]

No im basing it on a whole season, they werent in the top 4 teams in the H&A and history shows youre not a contender unless you do finish in the top 4. I believe they are trying to steal a quick flag which I dont think will work for them.

Firstly, flags aren't "stolen" ffs.

Secondly, we're adding players that have good potential to improve us and those being squeezed out, if they do, are at the bottom of the list.

Thirdly, as Brad Scott said emphatically last night at our B&F, we're acutely aware of starting "equal last" with everyone else next year, and the players are under no illusion that to get a similar chance again requires an even better effort; we're after a period of 'sustained success', not a fleeting crack. We've been using our top picks, year in, year out since he arrived.

 

[Barry Zuckercorn]

On his day Waite is a gun, but just so frustrating how he never gets his shit together consistently. I like North so hopefully it works out for them.

Higgins, I'm not sold on.

 

[SugarCoat]

Would be a disaster for North if signing Waite and Higgins has pushed out Greenwood.

 

[MC_Doggy_Frog18]

Should not of played him in the last couple of games. North might not of wanted him for the two years and stayed at Carlton for 1 year with triggers. But this outcome is for the best because we are propabley not going to win a grand final in the next two years also we need younger blood to build to a grand final.

 

[Thewlis Dish]

Would be a disaster for North if signing Waite and Higgins has pushed out Greenwood.

How would it do that?

 

[SugarCoat]

How would it do that?

You are struggling to offer Greenwood a fair contractual offer.
Acquiring Waite and Higgins has made your salary cap fuller than a state school.

 

[GarnerSmash]

You are struggling to offer Greenwood a fair contractual offer.
Acquiring Waite and Higgins has made your salary cap fuller than a state school.

Nope.

 

[Thewlis Dish]

You are struggling to offer Greenwood a fair contractual offer.
Acquiring Waite and Higgins has made your salary cap fuller than a state school.

Do you genuinely not think we wouldn't have already established what we're willing to pay Levi and structured other contracts around it? If he leaves for money it will be because he wants more than we're willing to pay, not because we signed free agents.

List management calculations are done well in advance - clubs don't get to a point where they don't have the money free to do what they want to do because of other signings.

 

[Tragic sainter]

Two year contract.
No AA guernseys.
Hasn't been top ten in the B & F since 2008.
32.

Result: AFL will compensate the runner-up with a second or third round pick for Malceski if he joins the GC as a 30 year old. #Equalisation #Cough

There is a fair bit of difference between Waite and malceski. Malceski is a bonafide gun who is two years younger than Waite who is still waiting for his breakout season.

 

[SugarCoat]

Higgins is on $400 to $450 k per season.
3 year deal with option of another season.
Greenwood is well and entitled to get a pay increase and he would be saying to Walsh, I'm entitled to a pay and term increase.
I don't mind North.
But it's either now and then fall off a big cliff in 1/2 years.
They remind me of Richmond in 2001.
Made the PF and were wiped off the park by Brisbane.
They then loaded up on experienced players because they thought they were in contention.
Dal Santo will be 31 before season starts, Waite 32, Petrie 33, Wells 30 and Harvey 36.
Have no dramas with them being aggressive. It's good to see.
But they probably have a 1 year window and then they will fall off a massive cliff.

 

[Thewlis Dish]

It sucks how you're not allowed to develop your own players while bringing in experience. AFL really needs to look at that.

 

[Silvagnis]

There is a fair bit of difference between Waite and malceski. Malceski is a bonafide gun who is two years younger than Waite who is still waiting for his breakout season.

Higgins and Sylvia secured the Dogs and Demons a second round pick. They haven't had breakout seasons.

If Malceski walks, they don't deserve a third round for an unrestricted free agent and veteran because it considers his history. Flawed system if this happens.

 

[Ry009]

Higgins is on $400 to $450 k per season.
3 year deal with option of another season.
Greenwood is well and entitled to get a pay increase and he would be saying to Walsh, I'm entitled to a pay and term increase.
I don't mind North.
But it's either now and then fall off a big cliff in 1/2 years.
They remind me of Richmond in 2001.
Made the PF and were wiped off the park by Brisbane.
They then loaded up on experienced players because they thought they were in contention.
Dal Santo will be 31 before season starts, Waite 32, Petrie 33, Wells 30 and Harvey 36.
Have no dramas with them being aggressive. It's good to see.
But they probably have a 1 year window and then they will fall off a massive cliff.

Pretty good effort demonstrating you have no idea about our list.

 

[Man of Steele]

How would it do that?

Ahh I think it's called a salary cap!!

 

[GroggSquad]

Higgins is on $400 to $450 k per season.
3 year deal with option of another season.
Greenwood is well and entitled to get a pay increase and he would be saying to Walsh, I'm entitled to a pay and term increase.
I don't mind North.
But it's either now and then fall off a big cliff in 1/2 years.
They remind me of Richmond in 2001.
Made the PF and were wiped off the park by Brisbane.
They then loaded up on experienced players because they thought they were in contention.
Dal Santo will be 31 before season starts, Waite 32, Petrie 33, Wells 30 and Harvey 36.
Have no dramas with them being aggressive. It's good to see.
But they probably have a 1 year window and then they will fall off a massive cliff.

Except North are getting these free agents at no cost and still keeping their picks which can be used on kids.

In 2001, we traded pick 17 and Nick Daffy for Greg Stafford

 

[Thewlis Dish]

Higgins is on $400 to $450 k per season.
3 year deal with option of another season.
Greenwood is well and entitled to get a pay increase and he would be saying to Walsh, I'm entitled to a pay and term increase.
I don't mind North.
But it's either now and then fall off a big cliff in 1/2 years.
They remind me of Richmond in 2001.
Made the PF and were wiped off the park by Brisbane.
They then loaded up on experienced players because they thought they were in contention.
Dal Santo will be 31 before season starts, Waite 32, Petrie 33, Wells 30 and Harvey 36.
Have no dramas with them being aggressive. It's good to see.
But they probably have a 1 year window and then they will fall off a massive cliff.

I'm going to reply to this in detail for several reasons; one is I'm bored, but I also think it's a good discussion point, as I reckon people can be pretty narrow minded when it comes to teams recycling players.

Going from the side that lost the prelim to Sydney, the following 26 and unders played (from oldest to youngest):

Todd Goldstein, 26 (125 career games) - one of the league's best ruckmen, barely misses a game
Lindsay Thomas, 26, (153) - one of the league's best small forwards, with 136 goals in the last three years
Levi Greenwood, 25, (74) - break out year, hopefully stays
Sam Wright, 24, (84) - re-emerged in the second half of the season across half back
Aaron Black, 23, (47) - superb last year, played most of 2014 with a busted shoulder
Jack Ziebell, 23, (100) - heart and soul player and vice captain, also played most of 2014 with a busted shoulder
Ben Cunnington, 23 (99) - just won first Syd Barker medal, our best player in finals
Ryan Bastinac, 23 (104) - regressed a little but still plenty of upside
Shaun Atley, 22 (86) - has established himself as our best rebounding defender over past three years
Ben Jacobs, 22 (47) - jury is out but has shown an ability to find the footy
Ben Brown, 21 (11) - a revelation in the second half of the year, and finals
Luke McDonald, 19 (23) - 3rd in the Rising Star and cemented his spot from day one
Kayne Turner, 18 (6) - the youngest player in the league and held his spot for all three finals

So 13 of the 22 for that final were 26 and under, in addition to Swallow (27), Thompson and Gibson (28) and Wells and Grima (29) all under 30.

Missing from the prelim final side:

Lachie Hansen, 26 (117) - crucial player at CHB and hugely missed against Sydney
Leigh Adams, 26 (104) - hasn't been the same player since the Judd incident but still handy
Robbie Tarrant, 25 (39) - sadly looks like his body won't allow him a proper crack at it
Joel Tippett, 25 (4) - looked good before getting injured, genuine key back
Daniel Currie, 25 (4) - won't play while Goldstein is fit, but decent back-up
Jamie Macmillan, 23 (64) - important player, missed large chunks with injury
Majak Daw, 23 (14) - jury is out but talent is there
Aaron Mullett, 22 (48) - didn't have a great year, but 4th in the 2013 Rising Star
Brad McKenzie, 21 (22) - our first rounder from 2011, jury is out on him but great user of the ball

Young prospects:

Cam Delaney, 22 (6) - very highly rated key back, has been crippled by injuries to date
Kieran Harper, 22 (40) - was electric in 2012 but has struggled with form and injuries since
Mason Wood, 21 (1) - consistent goalkicker in the VFL, kicked three on debut in round 23
Taylor Garner, 20 (2) - our first pick in 2012, very highly rated but missed all year with injury
Trent Dumont, 19 (0) - near best on ground in the first half of the 2013 SANFL GF, had a super VFL year

---

The above shows that our list has a good spread of age and experience, with young prospects still to come in. Whether we can win a flag in the next 2-3 years will depend on that crucial 50-100 game bracket, who right now form a key part of our best side.

I think teams "top up" for two reasons:

• Improving list depth and creating competition for spots, and filling any list holes. Free agency makes this a lot easier to do with minimal cost; or
• Not having quality/depth in the 21-25, 50-100 game bracket, and thus trying to get as much out of veterans as possible before the rebuild

I would say we are firmly in the first category. Hawthorn are the absolute blue print for this - they developed a core group of great kids with the likes of Crawford, Mitchell and Hodge around, then they've recruited from other club to fill holes, yet they continue to develop their own players. The net result is they draft players into a successful environment with plenty of leaders, and thus the likes of Langford, Hill, Smith etc seem to develop a lot quicker. This = sustained success, as they always have a great list balance and players competing for spots.

We haven't traded any of our first three picks since Scott was appointed, and we very likely won't this year either.

 

[Wild Bill]

Calling it now, North are falling into the trap of overrating their list thinking they are premiership contenders next season. Their prelim showed they are a mile off the best, they are overrating their chances based on beating an average Essendon team and catching Geelong on the decline.

North will miss the flag window in the next 2 years and the Waite and Higgins signings will just be expensive wastes.

Only team to beat the top 10 teams. We can beat anyone when on - some mature bodies may just make us more consistent. Might as well have a crack will Wells, Harvey, Petrie and NDS can still play top shelf footy.

End of the day getting flogged in the 2nd last weekend of the footy season is hell of a lot better than getting flogged in the 1st week.