Is THIS what the AFL wanted?

[Pessimistic]

I love the term disgruntled

Lets have a think
Aker. Lake. Griffin and so on

Serial disgruntlement at the dogs, despite probably huge turnover of staff

Cant see why everyone is down on griffin as a person, we dont know what went on

 

[stanley]

I think a number of us are being caught in the moment. Players have walked out of clubs before and star players (and captains) have requested trades. The AFL needed to introduce some free agency as there was always the threat of players arguing for restraint of trade in their employment. If that was to happen the whole system would crumble and we would have an EPL set-up. Free agency was the AFL getting in early so the whole fabric of the system would not be destroyed.

As been pointed out, a number of clubs who have supposedly 'benefited' from free agency have also seen other required players leave.

Finally, as much as I love club loyalty, I would hate to imagine that I am required to stay in my place of employment because my company picked me 8 years ago. If I missed my family or Dad was sick or for any other reason why shouldn't I exercise some ability to leave.

 

[iameviljez]

When the AFL introduced free agency did it envisage a succession of contracted players would suddenly and seemingly unexpectedly become disgruntled and ask to be traded? I'm sure not. Free agency this year has been overshadowed by controversy after controversy this week. We weren't entirely surprised to hear Paddy Ryder wanted out of Essendon. But to hear Dayne Beams, the Pies No.2 player, wanted out, hotly followed by "Bundy" Christensen, and now Ryan Griffen. And to hear talk of Cooney, Lonergan, and possibly Rance being targeted, where will it end?

Meanwhile, Hawthorn is quietly and confidently replenishing its stocks and all but guaranteeing 3peat in 2015

What does free agency have to do with contracted players requesting trades?

I agree with Tayl0r here. None of these other players were free agents, I don't think they're following any free agency-set trend.

I think the trend here is actually one set by the Nick Stevens, Brad Ottens and Chris Judd trades - where players have not only wanted out, but have then specified which club they will deal with, effectively forcing the original club to trade at highly limited value.

Ryder and Beams have gone about it the right way in at least once sense, in that they have made their intentions clear prior to Trade Week. Griffen and Bundy, on the other hand, seem to have left their clubs in the lurch somewhat - surely we would have, for example, chased harder after Greenwood had we known earlier.

 

[Happy Mastenator]

Weren't Ottens and Mooney, two key components of cats flags traded in? OP needs to suck it up.

 

[BlakeyNoFlakey]

When the AFL introduced free agency did it envisage a succession of contracted players would suddenly and seemingly unexpectedly become disgruntled and ask to be traded? I'm sure not. Free agency this year has been overshadowed by controversy after controversy this week. We weren't entirely surprised to hear Paddy Ryder wanted out of Essendon. But to hear Dayne Beams, the Pies No.2 player, wanted out, hotly followed by "Bundy" Christensen, and now Ryan Griffen. And to hear talk of Cooney, Lonergan, and possibly Rance being targeted, where will it end?

Meanwhile, Hawthorn is quietly and confidently replenishing its stocks and all but guaranteeing 3peat in 2015

But players asking to be traded while still under contract has nothing to do with FA. Sure, I get your point that maybe FA has led to a culture shift where players are becoming more assertive about where they want to play. But technically, that's not FA, and it has happened before in the past when FA didn't exist. eg Judd to Carlton, Colbert to North.

 

[Upgrayedd]

Let's all pretend this is a great situation because our personal clubs are fine! Yeah!

There is no point in an 18 team comp where half the teams can never climb into serious contention.

Clubs like Melbourne, St Kilda, Western Bulldogs getting reamed is bad news for footy as a whole.

IMHO there needs to be urgent reform - the AFL might not be able to stop limited free agency, but they can sure as hell make it hurt a bit more for the clubs that take free agents. As has been suggested elsewhere, I think a great solution would be that whatever compensation the club losing a player gets, the club receiving that player should lose. This means that they have to actually give something up, it's not just a 'free' player from a trade/draft pick point of view.

2 of those 3 teama were heavy contenders for finals within the last 10 years. Saints made 2 grand finals. Dogs about 4 prelims. Ask richmond carlton or essendon if they would want those oppotunities. Then equilisation kicks in and the roos/port are up amd about. What else do you want?? Turns fo who plays in a premiershop?

 

[Upgrayedd]

I blame ron barrassi going to carlton imo

 

[bugalugs213]

Garbage!! What is happening now is concealing the fact free agency is working well for Hawthorn (hats off to you) and Collingwood, i.e., the power-clubs

Um...

.

 

[kangaspurs]

All this stuff about the AFL heading towards a football/soccer setup is absolute nonsense. With every single team having a salary cap do you really think that all the richest clubs are going to get the best players? Of course they're not, the salary cap ensures the evenness of the competition. People who claim this sound like they have no idea how the transfer system works in football either.

I think this issue is way blown out of proportion this this year because there's a number of high profile players that have requested trades, but don't forget that the reasons for some of these are personal reasons (Beams, Christensen) and others are discontent with the club (Griffin), some want more money/opportunity/to go home (Greenwood, Membrey, O'Rourke etc). It's hardly a situation where players are desperate to get to successful clubs, therefore keeping those successful clubs at the top for longer, I mean look where those players have requested to go. As others have pointed out also, its hardly been the rich getting richer through free agency either, Hawthorn have gained Frawley but remember they lost one of the best players in the game the year before.

TLDR: ITT so much overreaction.

 

[cayze]

The sport is becoming a farce, there is no consistency in anything whether it be rules, Free Agency or laws of the game i.e. COLA.

The game is less of a spectacle these days and more of an empire based on revenue. It has been a downhill trajectory since the fat man took over and to be frank I along with a lot of others are seriously losing interest.

 

[jwint43]

it is an overreaction. Success goes in cycles, People forget the bullies and saints were contenders a few years ago while port were the laughing stock 2 years ago. Build a culture, play your kids and they will stay. Hawthorn and Geelong will fall away soon. I don't think free agency is having the massive effect people are thinking it is having. Greenwood wants to go to collingwood who didnt even make the 8, same with Beams and Christensen going to Brisbane who have been useless for 10 years. Griffen is going to *in GWS. The only cases where good players have gone to elite teams via free agency are Buddy and Frawley. Clinton Young probably thought he was but look how that turned out.

 

[ausbacker]

Players now have too much power. The clubs have to start to put their foot down and stop pandering to players who request trades while on contract.

Teams delist players when they believe they have younger, cheaper or better options available to them. I have no issue with the players taking their immediate future into their own hands. Smart clubs will appropriately adjust their strategies and be compensated accordingly.

 

[Adelaide Hawk]

The AFL are an appalling group of administrators. Good at making a quid through TV rights and ripping off the public, bloody useless at everything else associated with running a competition. They just get far too much wrong. They can't even solve a simple problem such as clashing jumpers.

 

[Sir Priddis]

Herp derp only Hawthorn, Sydney etc are signing players, getting stronger.

Meanwhile North have signed Dal Santo, Waite and Higgins??

Why are players wanting to join Brisbane when so many left last year??

Just relax, success will still be in cycles.

 

[Albert Ross]

Winners are grinners, and the best way to fix trouble at a club is for the club to start winning. To do that you need to be able to retain your best talent. The Dogs are now less likely to win games, and so will have more unhappy players who leave, and round and round it goes.

Gary Ablett and Buddy Franklin board.

 

[joop]

When the AFL introduced free agency did it envisage a succession of contracted players would suddenly and seemingly unexpectedly become disgruntled and ask to be traded? I'm sure not. Free agency this year has been overshadowed by controversy after controversy this week. We weren't entirely surprised to hear Paddy Ryder wanted out of Essendon. But to hear Dayne Beams, the Pies No.2 player, wanted out, hotly followed by "Bundy" Christensen, and now Ryan Griffen. And to hear talk of Cooney, Lonergan, and possibly Rance being targeted, where will it end?

Meanwhile, Hawthorn is quietly and confidently replenishing its stocks and all but guaranteeing 3peat in 2015

And which one of those players is a free agent?

 

[Hawthorn United]

This is what the AFLPA wanted.

 

[dmc333]

Think of the 100+ players who'll be on the scrapheap.

 

[Falchoon]

Crowds didn't decline.

http://afltables.com/afl/crowds/summary.html

And there would have been a strike if players didn't get free agency. The AFL didn't want this.

they won't want the supporter strike either

 

[final fight]

This is the new world order lads, get used to it.

 

[shintemaster]

Unrelated. Players have been asking for trades for 20+ years. Paul Roos, Alastair Lynch etc etc.

If players are more likely to ask for trades now, and there is no evidence that they are, it is because the salaries available have sky-rocketed.

Previously did players not have to enter one of the drafts when out of contract if they wanted to move? Now they can use their impending free agency status in a way that they previously could not.

Herp derp only Hawthorn, Sydney etc are signing players, getting stronger.

Meanwhile North have signed Dal Santo, Waite and Higgins??

Why are players wanting to join Brisbane when so many left last year??

Just relax, success will still be in cycles.

Hopefully. I believe in this as a philosophy. These issues are warped by the constant tinkering by the administration though. New teams, new financial rules, new cap rules, new trade rules, new draft pick rules, new F/S rules, new game rules. All of these things fundamentally alter list management and IMHO we have too many new things in a certain amount of time. The AFL come up with new ruck rules on the back of a coaster and announce them in the middle of a season. If the average ruckman doesn't hit his peak until late 20's how the frick are teams supposed to fairly plan their lists? The answer is they can't. If they are lucky the rule change suits their profile and if they're unlucky well they're stuffed.

 

[Southern Urchins]

Garbage!! What is happening now is concealing the fact free agency is working well for Hawthorn (hats off to you) and Collingwood, i.e., the power-clubs

Other than Frawley, please list all Hawthorn's free agent acquisitions.

 

[maxmustard]

People are acting like this is a whole new thing

Have people forgotten Chris Judd hand picked Carlton as his club?

Have people forgotten Nick Stevens leaving Port, or Shaun Burgoyne?

Contracted players have been leaving clubs by request since the dawn of time, why are people only shouting about it now?

Fair point but I don't think we've seen the amount of contracted players walking out like this. The examples you mentioned were exceptions to the norm where as I think people are noticing a trend. Everything is about the individual.

 

[Strapping Young Lad]

Beams wants to be closer to his ill father. Ryder wants out of a club that is a laughing stock. Griffen doesn't like being told home truths.

Nothing to do with free agency.

Hawthorn have lost more players to FA than they have gained( and the biggest name of all), yet people are losing their minds.

 

[The Old Dark Navy's]

When players left before they were accused of disloyalty. So few used to make such a move because there was a stigma. Now because of free agency, the stigma has gone. I suspect we will all be lamenting huge moves over the coming years.