View Full Version : Free Agency
Minimum Chips
23 Feb 2010, 13:08
So with free agency coming in 2012 our list should look something like this:
Unrestricted Free Agent:
Fletcher (Yes, he'll still be going around)
Hille
McVeigh
Welsh
Dyson (assuming he's not in the top 25%)
Laycock (if he still there)
Restricted Free Agent:
Winderlich
Watson
Stanton
In my opinion there shouldn't be too much to worry about on the essendon front. Thoughts?
So with free agency coming in 2012 our list should look something like this:
Unrestricted Free Agent:
Fletcher (Yes, he'll still be going around)
Hille
McVeigh
Welsh
Dyson (assuming he's not in the top 25%)
Laycock (if he still there)
Restricted Free Agent:
Winderlich
Watson
Stanton
In my opinion there shouldn't be too much to worry about on the essendon front. Thoughts?
The top 3 probably won't be around.
Mr Mosquito
24 Feb 2010, 07:58
Monfries will be a restricted free agent i believe
Death of the Australian Football League.
Or at least Richmond, Bulldogs, North Melbourne, Melbourne. That I can live with.
Minimum Chips
24 Feb 2010, 09:55
Monfries will be a restricted free agent i believe
Yeah, I was thinking that it was coming at the start of the 2012 season, but it's at the end. So Monfries and Slattery would be restricted free agents, and Winda, Watson would be unrestricted.
Big Blow Hard
25 Feb 2010, 18:46
Yeah, I was thinking that it was coming at the start of the 2012 season, but it's at the end. So Monfries and Slattery would be restricted free agents, and Winda, Watson would be unrestricted.
Winda (maybe) and Watson(definite) might very well be in our Top 10. They would be restricted by the rules wouldn't they. They could field offers, we could match the offers. Then if they want to leave, a trade or the draft would be their avenues. I dunno, I haven't read it properly tbh. Don't care. I am sure we have the front office management in place now to be able to deal with it and use it to our favour.
windyhill
25 Feb 2010, 18:51
there shouldn't be too much to worry about on the essendon front. Thoughts?
My worry is being unable to attract a name player, unless you count ben haynes and hayden skipworth. (although Prismall will prove to be a brilliant pick up, but there were no clubs rushing to get in line for him)
stay true
25 Feb 2010, 21:19
My worry is being unable to attract a name player, unless you count ben haynes and hayden skipworth. (although Prismall will prove to be a brilliant pick up, but there were no clubs rushing to get in line for him)
Who knows if we start winning games consistently again. Maybe by then Andrew Bogut will be rich enough to become president and finance some Judd-esque signings.
Giggidy Giggidy
26 Feb 2010, 07:48
My worry is being unable to attract a name player, unless you count ben haynes and hayden skipworth. (although Prismall will prove to be a brilliant pick up, but there were no clubs rushing to get in line for him)
I recall some very strong rumours that Prizz had all but signed for Melbourne. Willo isn't a bad pick up either.
Did we ever really approach any 'name players' when we were a force? Only really seemed to target fringe/young players, but may have been able to land a big fish (other than Salmon:cool:) had we tried? As we move up the ladder we will become a more attractive destination.
2012 will CHANGE footy forever. We will slowly get to a stage where clubs will drop off (which is what the AFL want) and the stronger clubs will get stronger.
Essendon will be a part of that and by that stage we'll most likely be signing stars from poorer clubs.
IMO this is really bad for AFL.
Wouldn't surprise me to see two of the battling clubs fold, or even three merging, in the next 10-15 years.
So we'd have GC17 and GWS making the league 18 teams; North, Western Bulldogs and Melbourne/Richmond merging to become one club, leaving us with 16 again.
To be honest I'm torn on this whole issue; I certainly don't want an EPL-style competition where the clubs with the richest backers prosper and the others merely exist for numbers. However I've long thought that clubs like North, Richmond, Melbourne, St Kilda & Bulldogs until recently, and even Carlton during the 00's were extremely lucky to be in business. Not only did they receive special consideration finance from the AFL, but they were often kept alive on-field by the flawed drafting system that exists.
I wouldn't be devastated to see these clubs finally have to fend for themselves and disperse.
shifty mp
26 Feb 2010, 15:29
Death of the Australian Football League.
Or at least Richmond, Bulldogs, North Melbourne, Melbourne. That I can live with.
Not sure the game can live with 14 clubs, add Tassie, but these clubs have been living on handouts for too long .. cant put bums on seats, cant attract sponsors, cant attract members .. the big A for all of 'em.
Valve Bounce
27 Feb 2010, 12:35
I have my doubts that the proposed Free Agency system will ever reach fruition by 2012. Some other player, like Ball, could be just as unhappy about playing for his current club this year, and take his case to the courts in a Restraint of Trade action. In fact, it could have been Ball if some other team like North or Freo had picked him up instead of letting him pass all the way down the list to Collingwood.
I can see that there could be unlimited Free Agency before 2012 with the argument that the salary cap would be sufficient to prevent any team from poaching the better players in the League.
I am laughing at all the idiots on here (BigFooty, not specifically this board) who continue to say "Demetriou has said the AFL are committed to 10 Victorian teams". Complete ****ing idiots if they believe that.
Free Agency will kill off the smaller teams like Kang and quite possibly the WBD (as they'll be on the slide soon after 2012).