AFL Player # 2: Sam Draper

[Dave]

Contract Status: Out of contract 2025
My Boy Draft 2024: Pick 20, TheUnicorn

 

[kelvin_sheedy]

The article suggests that we'll be demanding a first round pick for him which is totally unrealistic. The hidden meaning to that is the offer he is getting from St Kilda is too good to refuse and we cannot get anywhere near close as we have mismanaged our salary cap by paying two backmen close to a million dollars.

The fact that we didn't play him in a few games this year is a disaster and it looks as though we have a promising young ruck on the way out.

Only saving grace is we can use the second/third round pick on someone like Ryder and then try and grab another promising ruck in a year or so but if we can't pay Draper then we won't be able to fit in someone like Ryder. Zac Clarke 3 year contract is our saving grace.

 

[Lore]

The article suggests that we'll be demanding a first round pick for him which is totally unrealistic. The hidden meaning to that is the offer he is getting from St Kilda is too good to refuse and we cannot get anywhere near close as we have mismanaged our salary cap by paying two backmen close to a million dollars.

The fact that we didn't play him in a few games this year is a disaster and it looks as though we have a promising young ruck on the way out.

Only saving grace is we can use the second/third round pick on someone like Ryder and then try and grab another promising ruck in a year or so but if we can't pay Draper then we won't be able to fit in someone like Ryder. Zac Clarke 3 year contract is our saving grace.

 

[Bunk Moreland]

Can’t believe people are saying “match the offer”.

All successful clubs have salary guidelines they work to. And it works. Guys make sacrifices.

Paying a bloke who’s never played a game $450k a year will never be within that.

And the reason for doing it? Because St Kilda have offered him that. St Kilda. Football’s punchline with probably the worst record of list management in recent times.

Yeah, let’s follow their lead.

Absolutely laughable stuff. We’ll make him a fair offer, great if he stays, if he doesn’t... well he’s one player. We’ve lost plenty of others before.

Glad fans don’t run footy clubs!

 

[Lore]

Going back to the original article (not the journos quoting journos nonsense) it also says;

It’s understood Draper is well-liked at Windy Hill and rated highly. Internally, they are confident he wants to stay.

It also says his manager wasn't available for comment.

AFL trade news: St Kilda set to offer $1.7 million deal to untried Essendon ruckman Sam Draper

Saints set to offer $1.7 million to ruckman yet to play an AFL game

www.foxsports.com.au

Not sure why the journo would bother making it up, if you were going to make something up surely you'd pick a free agent or a big name player to talk about, not an injured rookie ruckman. Can't imagine too many journos doing enough homework to come up with that, and given they've quoted a dollar amount and a contract length, its far more likely that it came from someone who'd know about it.

Who has an incentive to leak that an injured rookie ruckman has been offered a 4 year contract a touch above average wages, but is keen to stay at his club?

St Kilda get to signpost to their supporters that they're actively recruiting in June, and let the world know they have a war chest to throw at someone (it's noted in the article, though 1.7m/4 isn't a great indication of that). At the time that the article was posted they were one game out of the 8 with a percentage of 83.4%. Is that an admission of defeat then? They still have to play five of the bottom six, and four of the top 12. If they're any good they'll make it on wins, percentage be damned. Might as well keep the feel good recruiting stories for when you actually need them, eh? Not really sure what they're getting out of it at this stage.

Essendon has no incentive to leak it, but it does say we rate him highly and believe he will stay. The article makes references to how Essendon think of Draper and whether he'll leave, but probably after being rung up and asked about it specifically, or perhaps the original source already had an idea about how Draper is perceived at the club?

But, but... Draper's manager was unavailable for comment??? Why would the article say that if he's the one leaking it? I don't know. Maybe the leak was anonymous and he didn't pick up his phone. Or maybe someone else from the same agency made the call, but the guy specifically handling Draper's contract was "unavailable". Weasel words, most likely. The fact is that Draper/his manager are probably in the middle of negotiations. There's no reason to wait until the end of the year to re-sign as he won't be playing and his value isn't going to increase on the back of good form. The only way his value increases is through competition for his signature. It even says he's keen to stay at the club. If St Kilda are leaking it, why would they say he's keen to stay at Essendon? Why would the journo go to the effort of making an article counter-productive to the source, if St Kilda are the source?



In any case, if Draper is seriously considering it then conventional wisdom says it costs more to poach a player than it does to re-sign one, so if the big leak is barely above average wages then the expected increase (matching it outright is unlikely) is somewhere between the current offer and the leaked one.

If such an offer is brought to us then you make a pitch and a counter-offer. You don't need to match it, just provide enough incentive to get a signature. If he's bought in at Essendon, and he likes it here, and the money isn't that different (short term vs long term as well) then I don't see what there is to be worried about in a random journo's report. All this seems to be is a negotiating tactic.

 

[BrunoV]

Can’t believe people are saying “match the offer”.

All successful clubs have salary guidelines they work to. And it works. Guys make sacrifices.

Paying a bloke who’s never played a game $450k a year will never be within that.

And the reason for doing it? Because St Kilda have offered him that. St Kilda. Football’s punchline with probably the worst record of list management in recent times.

Yeah, let’s follow their lead.

Absolutely laughable stuff. We’ll make him a fair offer, great if he stays, if he doesn’t... well he’s one player. We’ve lost plenty of others before.

Glad fans don’t run footy clubs!

We will be signing him up on a deal that is essentially "matching the offer".

If we are low balling him (which in this case would be $75k to 100k) a year to the point that going to St Kilda is serious consideration, and if that's a limitation based on salary cap constraints, it would be disgraceful.

 

[Bunk Moreland]

We will be signing him up on a deal that is essentially "matching the offer".

If we are low balling him (which in this case would be $75k to 100k) a year to the point that going to St Kilda is serious consideration, and if that's a limitation based on salary cap constraints, it would be disgraceful.

I’m sure we could afford to, but there’s more to it than that when it comes to salary cap management. It’s planning for the future, it’s being fair across the board to other players who’ve made sacrifices. I’m sure we’ve got players who’ve stayed for unders and we’ll be asking others to do so every year. That’s how it works.

To go outside of your salary cap planning for any one player is a risk, let alone one player who’s never played a game!

What do you say when you’re asking Parish to stay for $100k or $150k unders come contract time?

If you just pay blokes overs every time then you very quickly run out of space and players leave anyway.

We probably could’ve given Carlisle another $200k a year and kept him. But what would that mean now?

Draper will get a fair offer. Hopefully he stays. If he doesn’t, well that sucks, but * me the club will move on quickly. It’s one player.

 

[Red Black and Blue]

We won’t trade him but he is clearly worth a first rounder. The only reason it’s seen as ridiculous is that he was a rookie. If he was a first rounder showing the same at VFL a first rounder wouldn’t be in question.

 

[BOMBERS 4 LIFE!!!!]

The article suggests that we'll be demanding a first round pick for him which is totally unrealistic. The hidden meaning to that is the offer he is getting from St Kilda is too good to refuse and we cannot get anywhere near close as we have mismanaged our salary cap by paying two backmen close to a million dollars.

The fact that we didn't play him in a few games this year is a disaster and it looks as though we have a promising young ruck on the way out.

Only saving grace is we can use the second/third round pick on someone like Ryder and then try and grab another promising ruck in a year or so but if we can't pay Draper then we won't be able to fit in someone like Ryder. Zac Clarke 3 year contract is our saving grace.

Hurley and Hooker are worth every penny if we didn't have them 2 we will be bottom 4

 

[SherbertLemon]

He hasn’t even played an AFL game lol wtf is this all about.

 

[BOMBERS 4 LIFE!!!!]

He hasn’t even played an AFL game lol wtf is this all about.

Recovering from a ACL as well just crazy

Would lol if Saints get him and Draper just becomes an average ruck. If I'm not mistaken didn't even play footy as junior comes from a soccer background

 

[Yoda_]

The article suggests that we'll be demanding a first round pick for him which is totally unrealistic. The hidden meaning to that is the offer he is getting from St Kilda is too good to refuse and we cannot get anywhere near close as we have mismanaged our salary cap by paying two backmen close to a million dollars.

The fact that we didn't play him in a few games this year is a disaster and it looks as though we have a promising young ruck on the way out.

Only saving grace is we can use the second/third round pick on someone like Ryder and then try and grab another promising ruck in a year or so but if we can't pay Draper then we won't be able to fit in someone like Ryder. Zac Clarke 3 year contract is our saving grace.

You mean the front loaded contracts to Hooker and Hurley that gave us the ability to trade in 4 best 22 players in the past 2 seasons (Shiel, Stringer, Saad & Smith)?

Cause if that’s what you think, perhaps holding onto list cloggers like Jake Long, Mark Baguley, Matt Dea and to a lesser extent David Myers could have allowed more flexibility


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Nuggs Bunny]

Money aside, I have no idea what would make him view St. Kilda as a more attractive place to play football. Why move and be second fiddle to 23 year old Rowan Marshall when you can stay and wait for 32 year old Bellchambers to finish up?

It makes literally no sense that St. Kilda would offer a four year contract to a backup ruckman, also when they have Max King waiting in the wings. What an absolute rabble of a football club.

 

[Maddogm]

He hasn’t even played an AFL game lol wtf is this all about.

It's part of his contract negotiations blown out of proportion by bigfooty hysteria. Not helped by the media being as bad as bigfooty.

 

[Knighta21]

Exactly. If they want draper, may as well give us Marshall

 

[DapperDon]

* it's easy being a sports journo these days. They don't even have to leave the house anymore, just spout some BS on social media and watch as the braindead froth over it.

 

[BOMBERS 4 LIFE!!!!]

**** it's easy being a sports journo these days. They don't even have to leave the house anymore, just spout some BS on social media and watch as the braindead froth over it.

If there was any bs to it you would.think Essendon would have said something by now

 

[boncer34]

If there was any bs to it you would.think Essendon would have said something by now

Rubbish. Don't give oxygen to crap.

 

[BOMBERS 4 LIFE!!!!]

Rubbish. Don't give oxygen to crap.

And if it keeps gaining legs?

 

[boncer34]

And if it keeps gaining legs?

Who ******* cares? What impact will it have?

 

[BOMBERS 4 LIFE!!!!]

Who ******* cares? What impact will it have?

idk Worsfold will get asked about it at his weekly presser?

Not saying the club should release a full blown statement just a little message via social media saying that's it not true

 

[Bunk Moreland]

Money aside, I have no idea what would make him view St. Kilda as a more attractive place to play football. Why move and be second fiddle to 23 year old Rowan Marshall when you can stay and wait for 32 year old Bellchambers to finish up?

It makes literally no sense that St. Kilda would offer a four year contract to a backup ruckman, also when they have Max King waiting in the wings. What an absolute rabble of a football club.

No club was giving Hannebery 2 years. They gave him 5. They’re totally desperate. Overpaying our players just because those nutters offer them something would be the height of stupidity.

 

[CBombers17]

Money aside, I have no idea what would make him view St. Kilda as a more attractive place to play football. Why move and be second fiddle to 23 year old Rowan Marshall when you can stay and wait for 32 year old Bellchambers to finish up?

It makes literally no sense that St. Kilda would offer a four year contract to a backup ruckman, also when they have Max King waiting in the wings. What an absolute rabble of a football club.

You could finish every St Kilda post on here with your last line for the next 100 years and still be accurate.

Should be translated into Latin and made their motto.

 

[eth-dog]

You match it because by the end we'll be paying unders. Sometimes you have to pay overs to keep an asset.

 

[CBombers17]

What i read here:

1) St Kilda says words to his manager testing the water - probably one of a few clubs to do so.

2)Manager floats it to some scourge (AFL communication specialist) looking for low hanging fruit - to help boost his $$$ contract negotiation.

3) Because it's Essendon it gets a run.

And here we are.

 

[jmoo wan]

You could finish every St Kilda post on here with your last line for the next 100 years and still be accurate.

Should be translated into Latin and made their motto.

Quod vulgus absolutum esse a eu clava.

ooohhhh classy!