Traded Josh Battle - Joins Hawthorn as UFA

[Jeremias]

Infractions and thread bans have been handed out.

Keep it civil and on topic, or keep it to yourself.

Thanks.

 

[TheFourPillars]

Don't get me wrong, I really dislike the timing of the Saints offers. If we had the cash as in our last offer, why didn't we just offer that from the outset?

But at the same time, if he was "mentally ready to go" then he shouldn't be telling his teammates and coaches that he's staying late in the season and engaging in extensive negotiations with the club. That's the crux of it - I think both parties have reasons to be annoyed at how the other has gone about it.

In any case, he'll do great at Hawthorn and I'll certainly be cheering for him when he plays

Fair enough mate all good I have nothing against you or St Kilda. Just feel bad for Battle

 

[SSSSSS]

Pretty poor behaviour by the Saints.

Hopefully Battle is rip roaring for preseason. Might take a few months to wash the stink of loser off him. Hopefully will be Hawthorn material come round 1.

 

[SSSSSS]

The mental gymnastics from some of the Saints supporters in here is hilarious.

Saints gave Josh his initial contract which resulted him in being a UFA (not in the top 25% of wages in the club).
Saints lowballed Josh and tried to shop him around to get that juicy band 1 compo - given how long it took for him to make a decision he could have been a Saint for life if they were prepared to pay. Hawthorn gets in his ear and sells him a vision.
Saints suddenly panic when they realise Hawthorn's contract isn't going to net band 1 compo and rescinds the lowball offer and tries to get him to stay with an improved contract.
Battle parts way with the Saints holding firm and signing on with Hawthorn.
Doesn't get invited to the B&F despite a podium finish and 8 years of service to the club.

And somehow Battle is the bad guy?

 

[Vindicater]

Pretty shitty by the Saints.

 

[EconomicDecline]

All i'm seeing in the discussion at the moment is that a lot of Hawks supporters are ready to dog their mates at the drop of a hat.

 

[BIGHAWK23]

All i'm seeing in the discussion at the moment is that a lot of Hawks supporters are ready to dog their mates at the drop of a hat.

Or you know

Make sound financially viable decisions that will improve their lives and their families lives and not have their mates “guilt” them into staying

True mates would understand that, unlike the mates seemingly at St Kilda who only cared when it potentially profited them

Dork

 

[hawkman]

At least they didn't do an Adelaide and wipe out his 3rd place finish

 

[Strapping Young Lad]

At least they didn't do an Adelaide and wipe out his 3rd place finish

They didn’t acknowledge it… so same same.

Funny that the same posters who told me he wasn’t uninvited earlier today also claim that he “told players he was staying” when every man and their dog knew he was not.

More bullshit.

 

[Gavin Excell]

Did Buddy leave on bad terms with the club at the time?

 

[SSSSSS]

Did Buddy leave on bad terms with the club at the time?

Not that I remember at least with the players. That being said, I don't think he appreciated an unannounced visit from Clarkson who had tracked him down while he was on his holidays overseas to try and get him to stay.

Buddy is still friendly with the ex teammates. Even came down to watch the Hawks a few times at the G this year. Still think he's very much in the fold of the Brown and Gold as well as Sydney.

 

[Gavin Excell]

Not that I remember at least with the players. That being said, I don't think he appreciated an unannounced visit from Clarkson who had tracked him down while he was on his holidays overseas to try and get him to stay.

Buddy is still friendly with the ex teammates. Even came down to watch the Hawks a few times at the G this year. Still think he's very much in the fold of the Brown and Gold as well as Sydney.

My fading memory was that most knew he was moving on but to GWS. It was the choice of Sydney that blindsided all

 

[hawkman]

My fading memory was that most knew he was moving on but to GWS. It was the choice of Sydney that blindsided all

I think we accepted that he was gone. Shocked that he went to a rival though

We did just win a flag a few days before it was announced so I doubt anyone was too unhappy at that moment

 

[SSSSSS]

My fading memory was that most knew he was moving on but to GWS. It was the choice of Sydney that blindsided all

Sydney had done the work as early as 2012. The fact they kept it under wraps for so long is impressive.

Internally Hawthorn felt it was GWS with a 'reasonable' offer that Hawthorn could match to force a favourable trade (GWS has huge assets which they were happy to give up). What no one saw coming was the unbelievable (and arguably reckless) offer from Sydney that Hawthorn had no hope in matching. Resulted us in getting shafted by compo.

 

[RCAB]

Sydney had done the work as early as 2012. The fact they kept it under wraps for so long is impressive.

Internally Hawthorn felt it was GWS with a 'reasonable' offer that Hawthorn could match to force a favourable trade (GWS has huge assets which they were happy to give up). What no one saw coming was the unbelievable (and arguably reckless) offer from Sydney that Hawthorn had no hope in matching. Resulted us in getting shafted by compo.

If actually think about it, after they won 2012 premiership (deservedly too), and provisionally agreed to take Buddy, they have gone on to lose four grand finals, and three of them horrendously.

You could argue it's just coincidental, or you could also point to the theory that overpaying for one player hurts your culture in some ways. You don't get a complete buy-in from the group.

Sydney certainly have had the talent, or should I say Longmire has had a wealth of talent to choose from, they even had to let go of Hannebery and Mitchell over the years.

AFL is not like NBA or soccer, where one player can score all the points or goals, one player never makes that much of a difference in AFL. We also saw this with Ablett Jnr at the Gold Coast.

 

[Dewwwww]

If I was the CEO of a club wanting a first round pick as compo I’d be shutting up instead of complaining at the BNF.

We all know how the afl works

Expect at best an end of first round pick as compo now.

 

[eaglespremiers]

Gee, St Kilda seems like a toxic place to be employed at.
Reminds me of my recent employment and the send off they gave me despite being their most productive employee by some margin for the previous 8 years.

 

[banzai]

Tom Barrass pretty much said he would be an Eagle for life unless the rug was pulled out from under him.
Circumstances can and do change.

Yet, he was given life membership at the B&F and spoke magnificently about the club.
It was all done with class from both sides.

The only positive for Battle, is that at least he doesn't have to front up for a premiership reunion I guess.

They've gone over the top, but it's different to Barrass. Barrass is a premiership player, that does change things as hes achieved the ultimate for your club. Battle is also leaving to go to a club in the same state for less money. Thats pretty rare that happens when a team wants to keep them. If a West Coast player you liked say Waterman or Allen or someone, left for Freo for less money than the Eagles are offering, would it be taken as well by the club as the Barrass situation? West Coast are also at the bottom, like us, so you don't really care when older players leave and you get picks for them.

 

[TheFourPillars]

They've gone over the top, but it's different to Barrass. Barrass is a premiership player, that does change things as hes achieved the ultimate for your club. Battle is also leaving to go to a club in the same state for less money. Thats pretty rare that happens when a team wants to keep them. If a West Coast player you liked say Waterman or Allen or someone, left for Freo for less money than the Eagles are offering, would it be taken as well by the club as the Barrass situation? West Coast are also at the bottom, like us, so you don't really care when older players leave and you get picks for th

The leaving for less was St Kilda's attempt at pushing our price up to get first rnd comp. The initial contract according to St Kilda supporters was 2million less than that. So yes he left for less but there were circumstances

 

[CaptainWorpedo]

They've gone over the top, but it's different to Barrass. Barrass is a premiership player, that does change things as hes achieved the ultimate for your club. Battle is also leaving to go to a club in the same state for less money. Thats pretty rare that happens when a team wants to keep them. If a West Coast player you liked say Waterman or Allen or someone, left for Freo for less money than the Eagles are offering, would it be taken as well by the club as the Barrass situation? West Coast are also at the bottom, like us, so you don't really care when older players leave and you get picks for them.

Stk is at the bottom

If the Saints hadn’t low balled him to start with, I feel he would be still there.

 

[TallyHawk]

Amateur hour at StKilda, again.


On iPhone using BigFooty.com mobile app

 

[Iceman!]

They've gone over the top, but it's different to Barrass. Barrass is a premiership player, that does change things as hes achieved the ultimate for your club. Battle is also leaving to go to a club in the same state for less money. Thats pretty rare that happens when a team wants to keep them. If a West Coast player you liked say Waterman or Allen or someone, left for Freo for less money than the Eagles are offering, would it be taken as well by the club as the Barrass situation? West Coast are also at the bottom, like us, so you don't really care when older players leave and you get picks for them.

Maybe the Saints should be worrying about why a young player wants to leave to another club for less instead of chucking a tantrum about it. He has done nothing wrong, just cop it on the chin and let him have one last night to celebrate at the club and wish him well on his way out.

 

[matey]

At the end of the day whatever negative feelings Battle may have with his departure from the Saints it won’t last long …… it should be cleansed quickly once walking into a club that welcomes him and his family with open arms.

 

[GoEaglesGoSGIO]

Fairly obvious something happened we are not privvy too. St Kilda had plenty of players leave over the years and first time they done this with well the same people in charge for the most part.

Many players have not turned up to B&Fs after things went sour

 

[Dard Ball Get]

Fairly obvious something happened we are not privvy too. St Kilda had plenty of players leave over the years and first time they done this with well the same people in charge for the most part.

Many players have not turned up to B&Fs after things went sour

Yes that’s common sense, but it also doesn’t fit the narrative