Smith exits via Free Agency

[Wingnut19]

As much as it pains me to say, it's the Geelong Cats who are the New England Patriots of the AFL, and will continue to be for some time to come.
[/QUOTE]
Haha chill out. The have been around almost as twice as long as us and won almost half the amount of Flags. They will stay competitive, but its one thing staying competitive when your up and another thing actually winning the flag when your up. They're perennial bridesmaids

 

[HAWKSBESTEVA]

Just pissed that if he had notions of wanting more success or money etc.
Why didn't he ask for that trade last year to the Dogs lose him for nada now!

Because he is a snake

 

[Crankyhawk]

You go to the handbaggers you are dead to me. Hopefully we trade a token pick for Hartigan and use the compensation pick to help us get pick 12 (from the Bulldogs) and Downie.

Compo? There will be no compo, shocking will make sure of it.

 

[The_Axeman]

I was out and about around Melbourne over the last two days and I was just noticing how much of a NON-shithole it is.

I think the issue here is that brainless dribbling deadshits like Tim Smith and Avi Yemini are telling you it's 'becoming a shithole' and you are believing it, despite what the reality is...

Keep your politics to yourself. Is it really that hard?

 

[Billyc]

Would Adelaide accept that though? Wouldn’t it be in their best interest to lose Hartigan as a FA as the net loss via FA would be greater for their compo?

He’s out of contract so he could always just refuse to sign and go to the draft. Depending on what our compo pick for Smith is, I don’t think we die in a ditch over Hartigan if crows want to be difficult

 

[Hawker1167]

cant blame him, the list management has been a debacle since 2017. why should he have to hang around on the sinking ship, he's already given us plenty.

I dont agree but respect your opinion - but he was drafted into a successful club and played in GF's paid good money and now that we could have had a little in return to assist the club in bringing the youngsters on - was bails to our modern day rival hoping it get another flag - as i said earlier no worries if they have never tasted success but to leave on a similar contract offer - he has lost me.

 

[Rioli2Gunstall]

He’s out of contract so he could always just refuse to sign and go to the draft. Depending on what our compo pick for Smith is, I don’t think we die in a ditch over Hartigan if crows want to be difficult

They say on trade radio because he is unrestricted there is no compo.

 

[local hack]

Free agency: A happy hunting ground for the Hawks

The official AFL website of the Hawthorn Football Club

www.hawthornfc.com.au

Nice try, todays announcement just adds to the fact we have been right royally screwed by free agency.

 

[burger09]

Isaac obviously doesn't see us playing finals in the next few years and wants another crack at it.

Fair enough. We need to find half a dozen kids who can seriously play to be a chance at a flag. That takes time he doesn't have.

 

[Billyc]

Isaac obviously doesn't see us playing finals in the next few years and wants another crack at it.

Fair enough. We need to find half a dozen kids who can seriously play to be a chance at a flag. That takes time he doesn't have.

I hope a positive to come from this is that it serves as a reality check to anyone at the club involved in list management who thinks we are close. Our planning needs to be for a few years down the track. Our list is terrible and Smith has sent a clear message of what he thinks of the list

 

[eldorado]

There is no silver lining; we are a club in free-fall, and we shouldn't be.

Yes, it's nice that we won three flags in the five years we were in contention, but the club has not been able to attract the sort of experienced talent required to keep us in contention whilst blooding new talent. While I thought we were the New England Patriots of the AFL, it's now clear that that's not the case, and is certainly not how we're perceived by the wider playing fraternity.

As much as it pains me to say, it's the Geelong Cats who are the New England Patriots of the AFL, and will continue to be for some time to come.

It is a source of great angst to me that the Cats are now ahead of us in the all-important "Teams That Remind George Zip of the New England Patriots" table...

 

[HR Roughnstuf]

At least he’ll get the AA he is well overdue for

 

[Sirlemsip]

They say on trade radio because he is unrestricted there is no compo.

I heard that... Then 2 seconds later confirm the compo pick given to Adelaide for Atkins who is also Unrestricted FA

 

[Big Hotdog]

Free agency: A happy hunting ground for the Hawks

The official AFL website of the Hawthorn Football Club

www.hawthornfc.com.au

Nice try, todays announcement just adds to the fact we have been right royally screwed by free agency.

There is some ****er at the club with a sick sense of Humour. Surely that shit doesnt make it to go live on our website.

 

[StillAtLarge]

This one really hurts, Smith has heaps of good footy in him. And to the cats of all teams. ****sake

 

[Spitting_Cobra]

I heard that... Then 2 seconds later confirm the compo pick given to Adelaide for Atkins who is also Unrestricted FA

Four years with a trigger for a 5th on similar-ish money to Smith was offered. Contract length is important.

Former 31, almost 32 year olds to leave on a two year deal: Waite.

 

[Sirlemsip]

Four years with a trigger for a 5th on similar-ish money to Smith was offered. Contract length is important.

Former 31, almost 32 year olds to leave on a two year deal: Waite.

Point taken - we may not get compo due to the nature/size of the deal.

But what the moron Cooney said was 'he is an Unrestricted free agent, therefore Hawks don't get compo' - as in he actually thought that UFA's don't trigger compo picks.

 

[TylerDurden]

Four years with a trigger for a 5th on similar-ish money to Smith was offered. Contract length is important.

Former 31, almost 32 year olds to leave on a two year deal: Waite.

The 2 year thing has killed us. Get the feeling it's zero compo here.

 

[macdaddio]

Remember what cats fans called him after he missed that easy shot in the QF.
Hmmm was it Isaac Missed???
Thanks Smith for your contribution but now you’re just a handbag to me now

 

[VandoHawk]

Thanks for the memories Smithy but given who you've chosen I think it's impossible for me to wish you well

 

[kazzooka]

Thanks for all the great performances you put in for the hawks to help us win many games and premierships.

I sincerely hope that you never win another AFL game.

 

[Sirlemsip]

The 2 year thing has killed us. Get the feeling it's zero compo here.

Don't think it really matters anyway.

If we get any compo it will likely be the lowest band 5 = 3rd round pick

If we sign Hartigan as a UFA then that will remove the compo pick.
Alternatively, we use that pick, or more likely a 4th rounder, to trade for Hartigan

Best case scenario is that we upgrade a 4th rounder to a 3rd rounder (and Adelaide get a free 4th round pick that they wont use anyway)

 

[Hot Diggity]

Agreed, but that is my point. B&F results often reflect notions like "fulfilling your role well" which doesn't actually mean you are a good player. It means you can be a bit of a plodder and still make the top 10 if you nail your role. Stratton got captains points in 2019. If you had to rank him against other defenders in the league in the 2019 it would have been unflattering.

I agree it is hard to know how the club saw Smith's ability to perform the role he was asked, so as a fan we can only judge by what he did on the field. Basically, I'm just saying that I don't really rate B&F that highly as a measure of how players are going - the top 3 usually includes a club's best player for the year, but beyond that I don't think its a great way of seeing who the best players on your list are. Using another club's B&F, do you really think Short is a better player than Dusty? Short played his role diligently no doubt, but he's not a better player than Martin, and those type of decisions means you can't use B&F inclusions or exclusions to make concrete judgements on actual on ground performance and total game impact.




Sure, but when his role is receiving the ball from the inside mids and running with it, then playing that role well is less under his control than it would be for the inside mids (for example). Forwards have similar issues.



I think he was better in the second half (when surprise-surprise, worpel stood up, and wingard started to play some inside time, and both were doing well). I think if he put together a first half as good as the second (which might have happened if our inside midfield wasn't the worst in the competition for the first half of the year), I suppose he'd have finished more strongly in the B&F that year. The fact that he put together the season he did, despite our woeful inside midfield performance in the first half of the year, is a testament to how good he actually is.

Basically, Geelong have got a massive bargain. Smith has been putting in good numbers - largely as good as he ever as, with the main question mark this year being a drop in his ball usage. Smith was late into the system, so doesn't have the years of crash and bash on his body that some his age do, and his outside role means he's been even more protected from that. Very few soft tissue injuries, should be far less embarrassing at the end of his Geelong contract than Lewis was at Melbourne.

Media reports are that we were begging him to stay which also says our own coaching staff saw his ongoing value. Very disappointing we were not able to keep a player it sounds like we were very keen to retain on our list. Worries me a bit about what it says of our current culture actually. I was all for allowing the likes of Mitchell and Lewis to walk away from contracts with us, as I saw it as a way of rewarding them with a pay day at the end of their careers after taking unders with us for years. However I wonder if this constant letting go of players at the end of their career has had an overall negative culture effect. The rumours that Smith is going for roughly the same length and contract size is concerning. Perhaps the one extra potential flag is enough to make sense of it, but with 3 already, and going to a massive rival , a move for the same money and length seems odd. I realise players don't see rivalries the same way fans do, but the few times i've chatted to Hawthorn players about Geelong, I got the very strong sense that the Geelong vs Hawks thing wasn't just something that lived in fan's heads.

Listen to any Joel Selwood interview where Hawthorn is mentioned and he has no hesitation is saying he hates us. It's not just in the fans' heads.

 

[Strapping Young Lad]

With so many teams wanting points this year to match bids, no picks are worthless.

 

[Billyc]

Listen to any Joel Selwood interview where Hawthorn is mentioned and he has no hesitation is saying he hates us. It's not just in the fans' heads.

Different players, different personalities. I’m sure Sam Mitchell or Lewis would have spoken similarly about Geelong or Essendon too. But Smith has always been a lover, not a fighter. It doesn’t really surprise me he’s not fussed about going to Geelong