Confirmed Shai Bolton, pick 14 & F3 (Rich) traded to Fremantle for picks 10, 11 & 18

[eastfreo75]

It'll all be fine unless he comes home and coasts like a Des Headland

Headland has https://www.healthline.com/health/bipartite-patella. Poor guy had a lot of pain through his knees.

Fremantle didn’t do their due diligence or manage his condition.

Headland could fight through the pain and have a great game. Following game he had too much pain.

 

[poshman]

I've seen firsthand what he can do, this year with the number of senior players wanting out, I think there is more to his form slump than just taking it on face value.

So we agree his form wasn't great and there is an element of risk.

 

[poshman]

It'll all be fine unless he comes home and coasts like a Des Headland

That is the risk on our end isn't it. It isn't a risk free trade. I also think Des had fitness and knee issues which limited his output.

 

[Elton Johns Wig]

That is the risk on our end isn't it. It isn't a risk free trade. I also think Des had fitness and knee issues which limited his output.

You're slotting him into a winning side that is contending. And on a personal level he'll be in a superb space being home.

It's not the risk you're making it out to be.

 

[Snuffaluphagus]

You're slotting him into a winning side that is contending. And on a personal level he'll be in a superb space being home.

It's not the risk you're making it out to be.

It's Freo, we could trade for Bont and there's risk its a mistake

 

[Coach_Required]

So we agree his form wasn't great and there is an element of risk.

Form wasnt as good as it has been previously but to say wasn't great is a stretch, he isn't coming off any long-term injuries either. (long term injuries is more of a risk)

His year wasn't like 22 or 23 but it was still better than most.

 

[Elton Johns Wig]

It's Freo, we could trade for Bont and there's risk its a mistake

I'm actually really excited to see what he does with you guys

 

[Snuffaluphagus]

I'm actually really excited to see what he does with you guys

So am I, no excuses for us next year. Lost in how we ****ed the year, we played some very exciting and good to watch footy after about the first month and we play very similarly to Brisbane. Actually having class on the ground up front is going to be awesome

 

[wakojako]

So am, no excuses for us next year. Lost in how we ****ed the year, we played some very exciting and good to watch footy after about the first month and we play very similarly to Brisbane. Actually having class on the ground up front is going to be awesome

Ikr, I'm really keen to see what he can do at Peel.

 

[poshman]

You're slotting him into a winning side that is contending. And on a personal level he'll be in a superb space being home.

It's not the risk you're making it out to be.

I simply said it isn't risk free. He could be very happy on the $ and has won flags. His form this past season wasn't that of a player driven to perform no matter what.

I said 9 & 16 would sting. Not that he was useless.

 

[poshman]

Form wasnt as good as it has been previously but to say wasn't great is a stretch, he isn't coming off any long-term injuries either. (long term injuries is more of a risk)

His year wasn't like 22 or 23 but it was still better than most.

He isn't coming off injury and didn't get close to 22 or 23 levels. Didn't make the AA squad so I think 'not great' is fair based on what he has produced in previous years.

I have read your board, and some game day threads. Please don't pretend he has been great this year.

 

[Tony_Clifton]

If Bolton chose West Coast. That would be hilarious. I'm all for it.

And if it does happen we (Richmond and Freo peeps)can all be friends and even help you fleece them but not top 5 of all time because I want my 250.

 

[sante]

I reckon the stalemate is simply Richmond are pushing for 9 and 10 and Freo are offering 9 and 16. With Baker nominating West Coast I reckon Richmond are gonna push for 9 and 10 even harder now

There is no stalemate. Nothing can be done yet anyway. It’s all just pure speculation

 

[silverscope]

It's a bidding war remember? Why not 3 + F1 from West Coast?

Why not Pick 9 from us and a Future first from WCE and Chad just plays all home games for both teams including the Derby.

He doesn't have to leave WA

 

[docko911]

9, 10 & 27 for Bolton & 20. I’d like more if we are paying part of his contract but that should be our minimum. 20 is a bit of a pain in the arse for us to get as it probably impacts our ability to get 12. Although 27 may help in a roundabout way with GC and Brisbane.

20 is big for you as it means you can meet the 4 year rule with picks 16 and 20. Then you can still trade 2025 and 2026 firsts for Warner.

 

[Tony_Clifton]

9, 10 & 27 for Bolton & 20. I’d like more if we are paying part of his contract but that should be our minimum. 20 is a bit of a pain in the arse for us to get as it probably impacts our ability to get 12. Although 27 may help in a roundabout way with GC and Brisbane.

20 is big for you as it means you can meet the 4 year rule with picks 16 and 20. Then you can still trade 2025 and 2026 firsts for Warner.

Good job selling the 9 and 10 option.

 

[kuhni]

9, 10 & 27 for Bolton & 20. I’d like more if we are paying part of his contract but that should be our minimum. 20 is a bit of a pain in the arse for us to get as it probably impacts our ability to get 12. Although 27 may help in a roundabout way with GC and Brisbane.

20 is big for you as it means you can meet the 4 year rule with picks 16 and 20. Then you can still trade 2025 and 2026 firsts for Warner.

Wouldn´t we be likely to get an exemption for one of the first round selections as the last 2 were used in acquiring Jackson, a constant member of the 22 under 22.

 

[docko911]

Wouldn´t we be likely to get an exemption for one of the first round selections as the last 2 were used in acquiring Jackson, a constant member of the 22 under 22.

No idea AFL make up the rules as they go. Ifs it not an issue 9 & 10 with a significant salary contribution would be fine.

 

[Elton Johns Wig]

From a selfish perspective, I'd love WC to get involved.

For some reason I'd had him actually nominating...

 

[mrposhman]

He isn't coming off injury and didn't get close to 22 or 23 levels. Didn't make the AA squad so I think 'not great' is fair based on what he has produced in previous years.

I have read your board, and some game day threads. Please don't pretend he has been great this year.

You are massively overblowing his form namesake.

If you look at players like him that impact with possession and goals, lets take 15 possessions and a goal per game.

2022 - There were 15 players that did this - Shai 17.5 possessions, 1.9 goals
2023 - There were 14 players that did this - Shai 21.7 possessions, 1.3 goals
2024 - There were 18 players that did this - Shai 16.8 possessions, 1.5 goals

He played more forward in 2022 and 2024, and played a lot more on ball in 2023, hence the movement between possessions and goals.

Shai (like Dusty) is marked incredibly harshly by supporters and the media based on his past abilities. Take Dusty in 2023 - 23.6 touches and 1.3 goals per game, again in this group, yet somehow people were saying he'd been crap for most of the year, but then when people sat back and looked at the stats, were going, how wasn't this guy on the AA HF line.

BTW, there have been 4 players (yes just 4 competition wide) that have been in this list for 3 consecutive years. Shai is 1 of them.

Bolton (17.5 and 1.9), (21.7 and 1.3), (16.8 and 1.5)
Heeney (16.4 and 2), (15.5 and 1.3), (25.1 and 1.4)
Cameron (16.2 and 2.7), (16.1 and 2.7), (16.3 and 2.7) - How consistent is that!!
Zac Bailey (17.2 and 1.5), (16.8 and 1.2), (16.3 and 1)

 

[Morro]

You are massively overblowing his form namesake.

If you look at players like him that impact with possession and goals, lets take 15 possessions and a goal per game.

2022 - There were 15 players that did this - Shai 17.5 possessions, 1.9 goals
2023 - There were 14 players that did this - Shai 21.7 possessions, 1.3 goals
2024 - There were 18 players that did this - Shai 16.8 possessions, 1.5 goals

He played more forward in 2022 and 2024, and played a lot more on ball in 2023, hence the movement between possessions and goals.

Shai (like Dusty) is marked incredibly harshly by supporters and the media based on his past abilities. Take Dusty in 2023 - 23.6 touches and 1.3 goals per game, again in this group, yet somehow people were saying he'd been crap for most of the year, but then when people sat back and looked at the stats, were going, how wasn't this guy on the AA HF line.

BTW, there have been 4 players (yes just 4 competition wide) that have been in this list for 3 consecutive years. Shai is 1 of them.

Bolton (17.5 and 1.9), (21.7 and 1.3), (16.8 and 1.5)
Heeney (16.4 and 2), (15.5 and 1.3), (25.1 and 1.4)
Cameron (16.2 and 2.7), (16.1 and 2.7), (16.3 and 2.7) - How consistent is that!!
Zac Bailey (17.2 and 1.5), (16.8 and 1.2), (16.3 and 1)

I have also shared similar stats albeit not as detailed, most of these Freo fans dont want to listen or they dont want to win, I cant decide.

 

[poshman]

I have also shared similar stats albeit not as detailed, most of these Freo fans dont want to listen or they dont want to win, I cant decide.

Tell me about his form in 2024, which is what I was discussing.

 

[poshman]

You are massively overblowing his form namesake.

If you look at players like him that impact with possession and goals, lets take 15 possessions and a goal per game.

2022 - There were 15 players that did this - Shai 17.5 possessions, 1.9 goals
2023 - There were 14 players that did this - Shai 21.7 possessions, 1.3 goals
2024 - There were 18 players that did this - Shai 16.8 possessions, 1.5 goals

He played more forward in 2022 and 2024, and played a lot more on ball in 2023, hence the movement between possessions and goals.

Shai (like Dusty) is marked incredibly harshly by supporters and the media based on his past abilities. Take Dusty in 2023 - 23.6 touches and 1.3 goals per game, again in this group, yet somehow people were saying he'd been crap for most of the year, but then when people sat back and looked at the stats, were going, how wasn't this guy on the AA HF line.

BTW, there have been 4 players (yes just 4 competition wide) that have been in this list for 3 consecutive years. Shai is 1 of them.

Bolton (17.5 and 1.9), (21.7 and 1.3), (16.8 and 1.5)
Heeney (16.4 and 2), (15.5 and 1.3), (25.1 and 1.4)
Cameron (16.2 and 2.7), (16.1 and 2.7), (16.3 and 2.7) - How consistent is that!!
Zac Bailey (17.2 and 1.5), (16.8 and 1.2), (16.3 and 1)

Was he worthy of AA squad or AA selection? I said it was not a 'great year' not that it wasn't ok or good. Do you think he had a great year? Let's see if the question asked can be answered.

And comparing him to Dusty is a strawman. He isn't close to the player Dusty was. And Dusty is also much older and at the end of his career. Shai should be growing into his career not regressing. The only comparison to Dusty should be in regards to the money he is on and where people are valuing his trade.

He was inconsistent in 2024. I watched him play us and he burned team mates in goal scoring positions, missed a couple of easy one's and still had a very good game. I watched five more games after that point and he was a ghost in four of those.

I will try again.. Do you think he had a great 2024 season?

That is key as he is being valued as a great player.

 

[poshman]

I have also shared similar stats albeit not as detailed, most of these Freo fans dont want to listen or they dont want to win, I cant decide.

You do realise that making this statement after winning the spoon is drawing a long bow don't you?

Bolton will make you win...

But Bolton is a cream type of player...

He is a very good player. I hope we get him. He is also very inconsistent and paid as if he were prime Dusty. He isn't, and that is ok. There are not many players in the last 100 years who are close to prime Dusty. I just don't think his value should be based on:

What Richmond foolishly decided to pay him. That should decrease his value.
What he looked like in a dominant premiership team.
How he performed next to one of the most dominant mid/forwards in the game, who took a lot of focus off Bolton.

And 2024 has to count. It seems like Tiger fans want everyone to forget how he performed this season. Which was inconsistent at best.

Is he a good to very good player? Yes.
Is he a great player? Maybe, but part of greatness is consistency and he is not consistent.
Did he perform week in and week out in 24? No.

 

[mrposhman]

Was he worthy of AA squad or AA selection? I said it was not a 'great year' not that it wasn't ok or good. Do you think he had a great year? Let's see if the question asked can be answered.

And comparing him to Dusty is a strawman. He isn't close to the player Dusty was. And Dusty is also much older and at the end of his career. Shai should be growing into his career not regressing. The only comparison to Dusty should be in regards to the money he is on and where people are valuing his trade.

He was inconsistent in 2024. I watched him play us and he burned team mates in goal scoring positions, missed a couple of easy one's and still had a very good game. I watched five more games after that point and he was a ghost in four of those.

I will try again.. Do you think he had a great 2024 season?

That is key as he is being valued as a great player.

Not even sure you are reading what people write now.

I never compared him to Dusty, but I said he gets marked very harshly JUST LIKE DUSTY. There is no comparison there to Dusty's ability, age or otherwise. Seems like you have a position you are trying to push.

I don't mind debating with Freo supporters Boltons worth but clearly you have a position that you are trying to justify for some reason.

As for his year, it was a middling year for him, whether thats a result of him or not, is up to perception. I got to every game in Melbourne, and have said numerous times in here, Yze got Bolton all wrong this year, particularly once all the injuries we had this year started to hit. There were so many times that we would see him behind the last defender, just waiting for us to extract the ball and get it forward for him to run onto, but of course we couldn't extract it, and he was therefore left standing around like a pleb. You call it he was a ghost, but the gameplan of where we tried to play him this year certainly didn't help him.

Regardless, look at the stats I posted, he wasn't that far off what he did back in 2022 when he also played forward a lot more. As I said, 2023 he played on ball a lot more, hence the spike in disposals, but drop off in goals.

In 2024, he played in the worst team in the league, crippled by injuries, to still be there in that very small group yet again is testament to how good he actually is. Plonk him in your forward line, and his disposals probably stay in that 17-18 range, goals around 2 (bear in mind scoring shots are closer to 4 - tidy up some of his kicking for goal and he will yet again appear in that list but also be 1 of the best in it).

But again, keep trying to sell that he was average in 2024 despite only 18 players competition wide getting into that group again (of which there were zero Freo players).

Bolton is an elite player regardless of what BF posters say, he's a player you go to the footy pretty much to watch, and there aren't many of those, in the last 10 years, we've probably had 3 that you would go just to be marveled by these guys, Rance, Dusty and Shai, and most importantly he's EXACTLY WHAT YOUR CLUB NEEDS.

Not sure why you keep trying to push this rhetoric that there is some risk around his 2024 form rolling into how he will perform in 2025. Its a nonsense rhetoric.