What we don’t see with Smith is whether he will accept other offers. Lots of clubs would want him and then we would get a fair market. That is another option and a lot better than walking to the draft. I wonder what Smiths response was when other clubs spoke to him.
As in my previous spots Sam is in a hard spot that is not his fault.
A bit like Stringer - a vey very good player / got less than his fair value but are we worse off because he left?
I believe Smith is exactly the type of player who would be at the top of our list if we drafted for needs - so seems crazy that we would let him go for less but here is the argument for that.
17 and F2 (likely offer) and the distraction of Smith (very good player but hasn’t played for various reasons for a long time) is immeasurably better than getting nothing or maybe even keeping him.
Sam knows that the offer is way off Smiths value - Geelong knows we have a weak position (created by Smith) is playing us and so is Smith and his management. Dunkley didn’t the same and blocking him did nothing to damage his reputation.
So managers play hardball to get what the player wants, make more money themselves and f$&k the old club that supported him for two years plus not playing while going through injury and other healths problems and really bad self inflicted errors (white powder on camera).
Is that what you see from star players who you want to drive excellence in your team?
His best is better than most of our best 22 but his output is not. Fast car always in the pits.
The simple reality is that he now expects to get paid an amount that puts him on par with better and more valuable/output players in our team - and this is disruptive to the team - better players who produce more should get more - whatever extra he wants we could give to Bont and Red and Darcy etc or to lock in the ones coming through like Buss and Friejah.
As in my previous spots Sam is in a hard spot that is not his fault.
A bit like Stringer - a vey very good player / got less than his fair value but are we worse off because he left?
I believe Smith is exactly the type of player who would be at the top of our list if we drafted for needs - so seems crazy that we would let him go for less but here is the argument for that.
17 and F2 (likely offer) and the distraction of Smith (very good player but hasn’t played for various reasons for a long time) is immeasurably better than getting nothing or maybe even keeping him.
Sam knows that the offer is way off Smiths value - Geelong knows we have a weak position (created by Smith) is playing us and so is Smith and his management. Dunkley didn’t the same and blocking him did nothing to damage his reputation.
So managers play hardball to get what the player wants, make more money themselves and f$&k the old club that supported him for two years plus not playing while going through injury and other healths problems and really bad self inflicted errors (white powder on camera).
Is that what you see from star players who you want to drive excellence in your team?
His best is better than most of our best 22 but his output is not. Fast car always in the pits.
The simple reality is that he now expects to get paid an amount that puts him on par with better and more valuable/output players in our team - and this is disruptive to the team - better players who produce more should get more - whatever extra he wants we could give to Bont and Red and Darcy etc or to lock in the ones coming through like Buss and Friejah.