Free Agency Zac Williams [joins Carlton as an RFA for a 1st round compensation pick]
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Peel67skin
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- May 21, 2017
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As long is AFL approve, better than salary cap breach.
Interesting post. How much does it vary from club to club, when clubs are on the nose to a player what premium do they pay to sign the player.
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18 clubs, ~800 players - that's a lot of different circumstances.
My original point is that successful clubs don't tend to go out and buy players above market rates. Geelong, Hawthorn, Sydney, even Richmond and WC recently, these clubs didn't build good teams by offering Brad Hills and Jared Polec more money than others would be prepared to pay. Those guys are good players but they aren't superstars. Danger is a star but only wanted to go to Geelong and reportedly signed for $800k ish. If he was testing the FA market and chasing a big money move to any Vic club I doubt Geelong would've gone after him, not how they operate.
AFL is a bit like AFL fantasy/dream team. You really need players that perform at or above how they are priced to be successful. Sydney looked like they were going backwards after their early/mid 2000s run then signed Josh Kennedy, Ben McGlynn, Marty Mattner, Shane Mumford, Rhyce Shaw over a couple of years. I wouldn't call any of these guys high profile moves but they all played in the 2012 flag and Kennedy has been a star. They saw that he had potential to be a quality player and stuck behind Mitchell, Sewell and Lewis so traded for him. So he would've gone from a rookie contract player at Hawthorn to maybe $2-300k per year at Sydney, then by the time he was star of the comp they were paying him peanuts and in a position to offer him say $600k when he could get $800k on the open market rather than the other way around.
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I agreee with the general thrust of your post but I have an underlying willingness to accept that all clubs are not the same, that all clubs have their own pros and cons especially when recruiting players. My guess is the even though West Coast would be considered on the high end financial clubs they still have their pros and cons, my guess the travel component plays a part for some players that choose other options, but I suspect that WC would find it easier to recruit than Freo. Take our recent discussion point player like Kelly.. he had has own desires and preferences, and if media are correct Freo would have been willing to try to redress the imbalances in comparison with more money.
In Melb some clubs like Coll and Ess have the appeal of Anzac Day and big blockbusters, other clubs have their own story that may or may not appeal. I think the Dogs and the Saints have tended to appeal as something closer to a traditional suburban club rather than the big mega experience. Geelong traditionally tried to use the county separation as something that would appeal to some from a country background..but the biggest appeal I feel has been it being reasonably successful, consistently competitive.. Gee could not always trade in players as first choice.
Going back I remember Geelong tried to lure many players but were unsuccessful, many excuse were made. Rawlings said the travel up and down the highway would be to harsh on his body. At that time I think Geelong were offering over the odds to some degree but once Geelong rebuilt its list thru draft, had established that they were on the up..they were then able to bring in someone like Ottens. My preference is this method , its more sustainable but I can understand some clubs trying to stop the 'rot' and change the way they are looked upon.
The Sydney reference is on point, they have shown how a side can change and become aspirational. I can see a time when Gold Coast could become that, it seems unlikely atm but at times in the past the Swans were not much different to them now. The swans players that you have mentioned seem all relatively recent but watching all the old games recently reminds me of a time when they had to go hard at certain players, that Syd market need a headliner that would then draw others to the club at a more reasonable rate whether its Buddy or Hall or Locket or going back Williams and Healy etc in the Edelstone era. Not saying its ideal but it is a method to try to turn it around.
I think one can sort of see that at StK. The players they have brought in appear to have changed the perception, so at least if they courted a FA like a Williams he might be willing to consider them more than he would have before. Dangerous? Yes. It only helps short term. It has a shelve life before SC issues can cause list erosion.
How this relates to Williams situation Im not sure. He is at potentially a successful club, most player move to successful clubs not away from them. He is not fringe and has regular spot. It make me think he will stay unless ist some sort of extraordinary offer.
How many premiership teams give opportunities off the field and after their careers?
Geelong major benefactor build a house at cost price for a player parent’s. The player now is a coach at the club.
A three team player with three flags brought a house from a director of the club and two years later the director purchased the house back for double the value.
West Coast still have Jakovich on their pay roll.
The thing is the big clubs don’t overpay for players but the players are well looked after their career has ended.
Only teams in the flag window in the next 3 years should chase Williams, so that would rule out thr likes of Carlton, Freo, North Melbourne etc
Geelong's Cap should open up soon with the expected retirement of GAJ, they should try have a serious crack at him (imo) whilst their window is still open.
Geelong's Cap should open up soon with the expected retirement of GAJ, they should try have a serious crack at him (imo) whilst their window is still open.
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I consider us in the flag window in that time
And we have a shit ton of cap space to use
Have to disagree.
Both the Blues and Fremantle has a lot of great kids.
Fremantle has finished the rebuild and now it’s letting the young players grow.
Williams is a 5-7 year player and therefore every club should be attempting to sign him.
Fremantle need an outside runner. We have the cap space and he is a free agent.
Not sure how you define a rebuild?
I define it as turning over your list, getting rid of deadwood and recruiting heavier. has already been done in the last 4 years.
Fremantle has the lowest Age of any team with only Mundy entering into retirement.
Young,Serong,Henry,Sturt,Cerra,Brayshaw,Logue, Ryan, Darcy, Tucker, Hogan, Pearce, Acres, Aish, and Cox all best 22 in the next 2 years
and under 25 years old.
Supported by Fyfe, Walters, Lobb, Wilson, Hamling, Hill And Conca. None of them are over 30.
When I look at my own team, we’re near the end of a rebuild, but I wouldn’t say we’re finished.
Then I look at Fremantle and think you’re a year or two behind us, and there are questions over some of the young players you listed.
I do worry about the impacy losing two A Grade quality stars in Heale and Hill, in consecutive years, will have on Freo's list balance.
Hope I am wrong but I fear another season of pain for The Dockers, or at the very least, take at least a couple of months for the players to adjust to Longmuir's game plan.
Am curious as to what the plan is to play Blake Acres ? Could be an amazing wildcard recruit for Freo (wanted Carlton to nab him tbh)
I think we have a different idea of rebuilding and when it ends.
Yes, young players have question marks. In a few years we will know if the rebuild was done right or wrong.
Fremantle list is young and the core have been recruited.
From now, Fremantle needs to bring top up the gaps ie Outside midfielder or two and maybe, a small forward.
Majority of the pieces are there. Just need to grow into their boots.
The big if for the Dockers is injuries.
When we have a near full list on park we are better than 50%.
The last 2 years we have been in 8 just before the bye. Injuries hit and young players lost stream.
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Prior to losing Hill, Freo were a top 8 quality side when not ruined by injuries. Although part of a rebuild is assembling some depth to cover yourselves - Richmond, GWS, Collingwood and West Coast all suffered pretty harsh injury lists for chunks of the last few years, but all remained highly competitive. That's what a complete list looks like. I'd say Freo is a few years from being finished yet
Fremantle had 10 best 22 players out in round 1 and lost by a kick in away game against a finals contender.
Sure, the Premiership contenders can handle that but the other teams can’t.
As for Fremantle, we have a near best 22 on the park we make finals. That’s not a team in rebuilding mode.
We lost Neale but gained Hogan and Lobb. Hogan needs to get on the park. We lost midfield strength but gained two tall forwards.
Neales production may not be replaced by player but Brayshaw, and Cerra in their 3 years. Two years time combined production will over take Neale.
We lost B Hill and Langdon but gained Serong, Aish, Henry, Young, and Acres.
Hill is a big loss and we haven’t replaced him but the improvement from a number players outweighs any production from him.
Getting back to the point, Williams would be good addition to the list.
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Look how Freo performed second half of the year. That's not a team with enough depth
I can easily think of 8 teams, if they have a near best 22 in the park, that are ahead of Fremantle’s best 22.
And no, Essendon isn’t one of those teams.
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He’d be the perfect replacement for Houli. Doubt we can afford him though
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Depends how the Rance money gets absorbed. I can imagine a number of middle of the pack players who would want a nice pay bump.
Jack Graham, Marlion Pickett, Nathan Broad and Toby Nankervis are all out of contract this year. Sydney Stack, Shai Bolton, Nick Vlastuin, Jason Castagna, Jack Higgins, Dion Prestia, David Astbury and Daniel Rioli all OOC in 2021.
I'm sure not all will still be around by end of 2021, and you'll have further retirements along the way, but a lot of the Rance money could be taken by these guys. If not, that's way more than enough to cover a bid for Williams
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Was he a Hawthorn fan growing up?
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They all were weren't they?
If we're free of Beams' contract and can't land a KPF like a Cameron or Daniher, Williams would be top of my list by a long, long margin.
Would be taking the spot currently filled by John Noble.
Would be taking the spot currently filled by John Noble.
