Opinion Non-Crows AFL 11

[Kane McGoodwin]

Bearing in mind that Port were desperate to get the deal done - they rejected it one day then accepted it the next because GC threw in pick 50 (or whatever it was)

They knew that keeping Houston wasn’t going to happen and it was take Luko (with a side order of Rat) or nothing

Taken for a ride is the politest way I can put it

They played their cards way too early with Houston... which meant they lost most of their leverage even if under contract.

 

[Punchy Bassett]

They played their cards way too early with Houston... which meant they lost most of their leverage even if under contract.

Yep everyone knew they were pushing him out.

 

[Punchy Bassett]

Comments on drawn out trade process. Hopefully reduces next year as hardly compelling viewing / listening the first 80% of it. And wonder if they are talking Bullies re the club? And Tiges bitchy little remark about Rioli

https://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/afl/trade-hq/inside-afl-trade-period-scott-gullans-take-on-the-highs-and-lows-from-2024/news-story/902061510716435c2e058009d223555d

The walls in the Marvel Stadium corporate suites aren’t very thick so the spray delivered by a prominent player manager reverberated down the corridor.
Tensions were understandably running high given 10 days of nothing had come down to the final 15 minutes before the trade deadline.

The haggling over a late draft pick sliding one or two spots and the refusal of another club to not to help financially with exiting a player they wanted out was at the centre of the robust discussion.

While the deal eventually got done with minutes remaining, the repercussions for one club are set to live on over the next 12 months.

It’s fair to say any hope of them having a crack at some big-name free agents from that management stable in the near future took a sizeable hit.

That’s the games which are played in the AFL trade period.

There is a lot of you scratch my back and I’ll scratch yours but there is also a clear understanding that if you screw me over now, it’s coming back 10-fold in the future.

Leading agent Paul Connors, who has been in the game for 25 years, described this year’s trade period as “one of the hardest” and that it was easily “the hardest last day I have been involved in.”

DEADLINE DAY RECAP: WHICH MOVES ALMOST FELL THROUGH?

His team, including partner Robbie D’Orazio and Nick Gieschen, spent a lot of the final hour at Marvel Stadium on Wednesday night going in and out of the club allocated suites given they were linked to the big deals involving Bailey Smith, Jake Stringer, Tom Barrass and Dan Houston.

“It’s been a hard last few days as clubs are getting shrewder and tougher,” Connors lamented after getting all his big names done with literally just seconds remaining before the 7.30pm deadline.

The CCTV vision which AFL trade radio had access to of the suites and the corridor was bizarrely enthralling television even if there was no sound.

As the clock ticked into the last half-hour the sight of Connors sitting next to Geelong list boss Andrew Mackie gesturing with his hands suddenly gave hope that the Smith deal was still alive.

In the end nine players got traded in the final 30 minutes and many of those for deals which had actually been on the table for days.

The AFL loves having the focus for the 10 days but once again having it all go down in the final hour rams home again that they’re allowing clubs to take the piss by having such a drawn-out period.


Holding out to get a future fourth round or shuffling three spots in the fifth round is madness and hardly worthy of chest-beating afterwards but that’s how some list managers see it.

Richmond’s Blair Hartley has been one of the busiest given the exodus of premiership stars from Punt Rd and he summed it up perfectly: “10 days, I’m a big advocate for three.”

The spin was in overdrive when each club was required to front the cameras at the end of the madness.

When Hartley outlined the circumstances behind Liam Baker, Shai Bolton and Daniel Rioli wanting to leave, he gave the latter a nice drive-by.

Referring to Rioli who won the Tigers best and fairest and was now moving to the Gold Coast, he said he was “coming to the twilight of his career”.

Five minutes later, standing in the same spot, Suns list manager Craig Cameron described Rioli as “an A-grade player in a position we wanted to bolster”.

Port Adelaide football boss Chris Davies was next and he vented his frustrations at the recent trend of players signing long-term contracts and then wanting out.

He’d had a tough few days accommodating All-Australian halfback Dan Houston who had three more seasons to run with the Power but requested a trade.

“The AFL needs to look at players in contract wanting out … a balance has to be looked upon,” Davies said.

In the end everyone left Marvel Stadium looking tired but seemingly happy, many were heading off for a well-needed beer although one club didn’t need that, they already had a hangover which might last 12 months.

**** the player agents.

 

[relapse]

Yep everyone knew they were pushing him out.

I read somewhere that they had been in discussions with Perryman for three years.

They thought he was in the bag so they got on the front foot and started pushing Houston out the door.

As funny as it is that it's happened to Port, it does highlight some major issues.

When teams spend three years actively trying to recruit someone only to lose them at the last second when a big Vic club comes knocking highlights just how broken and uneven this league truly is

 

[DJ75]

except these guys did this at a work function

no different than the stupid shit people sometimes get caught up with at office xmas parties

Yeh fair point.
Although is it an official function, or just work colleagues getting together after work?
Would be an interesting test case.

Either way, it sounds like what was done was in very poor taste. Not sure it deserves the level of sanctions, but still pretty stupid and poor.

 

[Crowboto]

That Chewy316 over on the Port board cracks me up. Just states the bleeding obvious that everyone already knows under some guise that he is privvy to the inner workings of the club. What an absolute attention seeking weirdo.

What's worse a fair amount of Port posters actually think he's legit.

 

[daniel_4tw]

With Free Agency, players coming out of contract demanding where they want, hell even contracted players get where they want, trading players in contract without consent absolutely must come in.

I heard someone suggest it could be based off salary.

If your contract is >$600,000, then there is a trade clause that means you can be traded to any club.

Out of contract players should be able to nominate states, not clubs.

Only when you’re a free agent can you choose the club you want.

Will allow clubs to get the best offer for the players instead of forcing clubs to deal with other clubs without collateral or lowballing.

PSD or bust is such a joke.

It would mean the North etc can actually get better because they can trade in players compared to having to overpay because they’re a bottom side.

A lot more trades would happen, clubs will be fairly compensated, clubs can address holes easier, and you can’t have Geelongs of the world saying ‘pick 17 or PSD’.

Dangerfield wants to Americanize the sport with the AFLPA… time to grow up as a professional sport.

 

[Vader]

Yeh fair point.
Although is it an official function, or just work colleagues getting together after work?
Would be an interesting test case.

Either way, it sounds like what was done was in very poor taste. Not sure it deserves the level of sanctions, but still pretty stupid and poor.

It was official enough that the coaches and other club officials were present - but left before the offending skits occurred.

It was an official work function, in the same way that office Xmas parties are an official work function.

 

[El Doederino]

I read somewhere that they had been in discussions with Perryman for three years.

They thought he was in the bag so they got on the front foot and started pushing Houston out the door.

As funny as it is that it's happened to Port, it does highlight some major issues.

When teams spend three years actively trying to recruit someone only to lose them at the last second when a big Vic club comes knocking highlights just how broken and uneven this league truly is

Do we know that Collingwood weren't also talking to him for 3 years?

 

[El Doederino]

With Free Agency, players coming out of contract demanding where they want, hell even contracted players get where they want, trading players in contract without consent absolutely must come in.

I heard someone suggest it could be based off salary.

If your contract is >$600,000, then there is a trade clause that means you can be traded to any club.

Out of contract players should be able to nominate states, not clubs.

Only when you’re a free agent can you choose the club you want.

Will allow clubs to get the best offer for the players instead of forcing clubs to deal with other clubs without collateral or lowballing.

PSD or bust is such a joke.

It would mean the North etc can actually get better because they can trade in players compared to having to overpay because they’re a bottom side.

A lot more trades would happen, clubs will be fairly compensated, clubs can address holes easier, and you can’t have Geelongs of the world saying ‘pick 17 or PSD’.

Dangerfield wants to Americanize the sport with the AFLPA… time to grow up as a professional sport.

I'm no expert, but I am sure in the NBA they have all sorts of things built into contracts, and something which could easily be done here is to build in a trade-on clause.

If you're a superstar, you could build in a no trade-on clause. Or a team could offer you more, but without the clause. So you have the choice. Take the 8 year deal at $1m a year with the trade on clause, or only take 4 years @ $900k with no trade on. Which would they choose?

It becomes another bargaining tool, because at the moment contracts just seem to be pay & length. Could even be structured, for example you have a player on an 8-year deal, but first 4 years is protected so can't be traded on, but final years can be traded on.

There was also talk of capping contract length. I don't mind that.

 

[MatthewB]

Even Houston is trolling them now

View attachment 2146460

he looks miserable in the prison bars

 

[MatthewB]

 

[DJ75]

So with a bunch of players suspended, who do we think will play GWS in the first two rounds next year?
Carlton and Collingwood? Hawthorn? Essendon?

You can be pretty sure it will be Victorian teams.

 

[relapse]

Do we know that Collingwood weren't also talking to him for 3 years?

Well all the talk was that Collingwood only came into the picture late, but who knows?

 

[Cromulant]

So with a bunch of players suspended, who do we think will play GWS in the first two rounds next year?
Carlton and Collingwood? Hawthorn? Essendon?

You can be pretty sure it will be Victorian teams.

Most of them wouldnt have played anyway.

2 of them wont even be on the list.

 

[relapse]

That Chewy316 over on the Port board cracks me up. Just states the bleeding obvious that everyone already knows under some guise that he is privvy to the inner workings of the club. What an absolute attention seeking weirdo.

What's worse a fair amount of Port posters actually think he's legit.

There's also some massive #portlogic happening over there at the moment.

Someone pointed out how Port shouldn't be too upset about losing a contracted player given how they got JHF.

"JHF owed North nothing, but Houston owes Port"

 

[Redline]

They played their cards way too early with Houston... which meant they lost most of their leverage even if under contract.

They handled it poorly. They overated the value clubs put on he position the plays.

Also for the teams he wanted to go to it was always going to be hard as they didn’t have the picks. Other trade periods it might have been easier.

 

[Vader]

So with a bunch of players suspended, who do we think will play GWS in the first two rounds next year?
Carlton and Collingwood? Hawthorn? Essendon?

You can be pretty sure it will be Victorian teams.

Have you seen the list of suspended players? They were all very junior names, none in the best 22, at least 1 having already been delisted.

These suspensions may test GWS' depth if they were to have a disasterous injury run over the pre-season, but shouldn't have any impact on their start to the season otherwise.

 

[Redline]

Someone needed to tap Boak on the shoulder. That prelim final performance was horrendous.

I don't see any player deserving to go out on their own terms. AFL players are paid exceptionally well. No different to any other workplace eventually your time is up. You can always jump first. If they wanted him around the club, make him runner.

They only have to look at Logan Evans to see that sometimes that last picked player can contribute.

For the record I say the same for our Senior players.

 

[GreyCrow]

Either way, it sounds like what was done was in very poor taste. Not sure it deserves the level of sanctions, but still pretty stupid and poor.

It was handled poorly by the AFL

A first meeting with the club and the players outlining the issues the AFL had and then impose financial sanctions if you think its warranted

Then a meeting with ALL clubs to get their Mad Monday celebrations back to basics and to outline the possible ramifications if the players cross the line.

Dumb footballers need to be told so tell them before not after.

And if Geelong players think they are above the law - well really they are so carry on

 

[cmndstab]

Bearing in mind that Port were desperate to get the deal done - they rejected it one day then accepted it the next because GC threw in pick 50 (or whatever it was)

They knew that keeping Houston wasn’t going to happen and it was take Luko (with a side order of Rat) or nothing

Taken for a ride is the politest way I can put it

I think it came out that pick 50 was already in the trade offer to begin with. The journos just hadn't reported it correctly the night before. Port ended up accepting the identical trade deal they had rejected the day before.

As far as I can tell, it's because Gold Coast were saying "get this done now or we'll send pick 13 off elsewhere and you'll have to find a new way to get the Luko deal completed".

 

[Vader]

Someone needed to tap Boak on the shoulder. That prelim final performance was horrendous.

I see with any player that you deserve to go out on your terms. AFL players are paid exceptionally well. No different to any other workplace eventually your time is up. You can always jump first. If they wanted him around the club, make him runner.

They only have to look at Logan Evans to see that sometimes that last picked player can contribute.

For the record I say the same for our Senior players.

Port currently have a full list, with 37 senior list players, and 5 Cat A rookies.

They will almost certainly need to make some further delistings (and not just shuffling players to the rookie list) just to participate in the ND.

 

[Mr_Moogle]

I've been enjoying reading the Houston thread over on the Port board. The way it evolved from "two first round picks, come on down", to "Ratkins is fine as long as we don't give up our future first", to "this is the worst deal of all time", to "Dan Houston

9

Dan Houston

Age

27

Ht

186cm

Wt

88kg

Pos.

Def

Career

Season

Last 5

D

18.2

5star

K

11.8

4star

HB

6.4

4star

M

4.9

5star

T

3.0

5star

MG

289.2

4star

D

17.6

4star

K

11.6

4star

HB

6.0

3star

M

3.3

3star

T

3.4

4star

MG

319.9

5star

D

16.6

4star

K

12.4

5star

HB

4.2

4star

M

7.0

5star

T

2.6

4star

MG

279.8

5star

's goodbye message to Port fans has a low word count".

 

[Vader]

Someone needed to tap Boak on the shoulder. That prelim final performance was horrendous.

I see with any player that you deserve to go out on your terms. AFL players are paid exceptionally well. No different to any other workplace eventually your time is up. You can always jump first. If they wanted him around the club, make him runner.

They only have to look at Logan Evans to see that sometimes that last picked player can contribute.

For the record I say the same for our Senior players.

Apparently they've re-signed him for another year:
https://www.portadelaidefc.com.au/news/1679615/boak-signs-on-for-19th-afl-season

 

[Redline]

Apparently they've re-signed him for another year:
https://www.portadelaidefc.com.au/news/1679615/boak-signs-on-for-19th-afl-season

I think they will regret that. He might play some good games during the course of the year but if they play finals the extra pace and pressure could find him out again.