Free Agency Harley Bennell [joins Melbourne as a delisted free agent]

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Davichi

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Oct 8, 2019
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Why? We are what, 5-6 years into the Roos/Goodwin 'rebuild' and have just one finals series (which left us with far more questions than answers). There were already doubts about his relationship with the playing group before dropped like a sack of crap in 2019. If there is no improvement next year I don't really know where to next.

That all said, Melbourne remind me a bit of the Tigers 2014-16. I remember Matthew Lloyd (I think) saying of the Tigers: "there's a feeling around the other teams that if you hit them hard enough, they'll roll over". There is still that hint of a soft underbelly with the Demons, and if their leaders can squash that laissez-faire attitude then there's no doubt they have the talent to go all the way.
Pretty spot on I reckon. Got the talent just need to mentally switch on for a whole year. Tigers also shat the bed in 16 before going bang
 

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Would look good back in the Gold Coast colours.
 
Dec 10, 2003
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He’d be smart to choose Sydney or Geelong.

Melbourne: its an inexperienced playing/leadership group who’ve found themselves already struggling to motivate individuals and to be on the same page. They could already be facing a change of coach before the end of the season if things go pear-shaped early.

St Kilda: already so many unknowns. New coaches and players all round. Ratten is a quality coach, and Harley might end up there, but their recent diligence around McCartin and Hannebery wouldn’t fill me with confidence if I were him.

Im not sure who is after him but id have thought after doing the hard yards at clubs when they were struggling he may like to try a west coast or a collingwood where its a big clubs with regular success ....
 

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big_bazza

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Id love to see Harley in red and white next year, the reward far outweighs the risk for which ever club picks him up.
 
Im not sure who is after him but id have thought after doing the hard yards at clubs when they were struggling he may like to try a west coast or a collingwood where its a big clubs with regular success ....
After 2 games in the past 4 years I think his priority would be to get his body right and break into the best 22 rather than looking to get into a top 4 club
 
Dec 10, 2003
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After 2 games in the past 4 years I think his priority would be to get his body right and break into the best 22 rather than looking to get into a top 4 club

Thats true..I think that would be a major concern ..but I think thats a tick that he would have to check no matter where he gos... and certainly a Collingwood or Rich etc would do that. I know Geelong have been linked and we sort of fit that ..but if have thought a big Melb club would be the best chance IF he has really changed his ways
 

Ok Boomer

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Geelong would be the best option for Harley.

Either Sydney or Geelong would suit for football, but Sydney is a pretty expensive place to move to for presumably minimal AFL wage.
 
Jul 14, 2007
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Thats true..I think that would be a major concern ..but I think thats a tick that he would have to check no matter where he gos... and certainly a Collingwood or Rich etc would do that. I know Geelong have been linked and we sort of fit that ..but if have thought a big Melb club would be the best chance IF he has really changed his ways
Given the issues Collingwood have with injuries, probably not best chance.
 
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I see a team doing a Sydney Stack with Harley.

Train all summer and show us what you got and we'll add in in Feb-March.

Unless there's legit competition from two teams where he might be a late draft pick or PSD pick.
 
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Given the issues Collingwood have with injuries, probably not best chance.

Maybe ... you get what Im saying. Melb may be a good fit ..they need his type for sure. ..I just dont think he should be going into a struggle street club again although few in Victoria are that I guess....or one poorly resourced. In the end ..its up to him where he go's but I doubt there will be a 4th chance ..he best make a good choice.
 
Maybe ... you get what Im saying. Melb may be a good fit ..they need his type for sure. ..I just dont think he should be going into a struggle street club again although few in Victoria are that I guess....or one poorly resourced. In the end ..its up to him where he go's but I doubt there will be a 4th chance ..he best make a good choice.
What the hell is a struggle street club? Lol
 

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Jul 14, 2007
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I see a team doing a Sydney Stack with Harley.

Train all summer and show us what you got and we'll add in in Feb-March.

Unless there's legit competition from two teams where he might be a late draft pick or PSD pick.

He won't need to go into the drafts, he'll sign on to train with a club (hopefully Melbourne going by the photoshopped photos on Instagram he's liking) for December who will then just sign him in the supplemental selection period.
 
Jul 14, 2007
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So 5 clubs circling and not one would touch him all he gets is an invitation to train, please fix him melbourne would love to see him in full flight again

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This is the way it has to happen so he doesn't go into the draft, he starts training with Melbourne in December after the draft and Melbourne can sign him in the supplemental selection period.

If he started training with a club before this then he would need to go into the draft, it would have been done the same way no matter what club was involved.
 
This is the way it has to happen so he doesn't go into the draft, he starts training with Melbourne in December after the draft and Melbourne can sign him in the supplemental selection period.

If he started training with a club before this then he would need to go into the draft, it would have been done the same way no matter what club was involved.
I think Barry was saying he could only get at training invite instead of one of the 5 clubs after him signing him up as a delisted free agent.

I guess no club would sign a guy onto the main list after he’s only managed 2 games in 4 years without looking at him on the training ground first.

Perhaps Harley is set on getting to Melbourne (he my like the medical team, best role for him to get back to AFL level) and would prefer to train after the draft instead of getting picked up elsewhere.
 
Dec 28, 2007
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So 5 clubs circling and not one would touch him all he gets is an invitation to train, please fix him melbourne would love to see him in full flight again

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Which would be the best way to see if he is over his issue's

whats the point of taking him and next week breaks down again
 
Jul 30, 2011
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Seems like a free hit to me. Minimum $$$'s, no pick used and if he is a bust then he is a bust. But if he is over his injury issues and has grown up a bit, then we will have a very good player for the next 4-5 years
 
This is the way it has to happen so he doesn't go into the draft, he starts training with Melbourne in December after the draft and Melbourne can sign him in the supplemental selection period.

If he started training with a club before this then he would need to go into the draft, it would have been done the same way no matter what club was involved.

He has to nominate for at least the PSD and rookie drafts doesnt he? or under the rules he isnt eligible for the SSP as he was never in the draft pool.
 
Jul 14, 2007
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He has to nominate for at least the PSD and rookie drafts doesnt he? or under the rules he isnt eligible for the SSP as he was never in the draft pool.

From everything that I've seen and read he doesn't have to nominate and even the AFL website report agrees.

HARLEY Bennell is another step closer to resuming his injury-plagued AFL career with Melbourne after accepting an offer to train with the Demons during the pre-season.
The 27-year-old will start training with the Demons in December and is eligible to play in practice and pre-season games.
He can then be selected in the supplementary selection period ahead of the 2020 season.

The fact that he's agreed to train with Melbourne further pushes this or else what's the point of announcing it? Would be quite strange that he's agreed to start training with Melbourne in December.
 
From everything that I've seen and read he doesn't have to nominate and even the AFL website report agrees.



The fact that he's agreed to train with Melbourne further pushes this or else what's the point of announcing it? Would be quite strange that he's agreed to start training with Melbourne in December.

Because i thought the SSP only applied to players who nominated for a draft in the last 2 years. Bennell didnt nominate last year so he would have to nominate this year though i could be wrong. That article doesnt really tell us one way or the other.
 
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Because i thought the SSP only applied to players who nominated for a draft in the last 2 years. Bennell didnt nominate last year so he would have to nominate this year though i could be wrong. That article doesnt really tell us one way or the other.

Just found another article from last season talking about it.

Players eligible for selection under the pre-season supplementary selection period cannot train with their new club until December 1.
To qualify as a rookie-list replacement, players must have previously been nominated for the draft or have previously been on an AFL list.
Retired players or players who had not been on an AFL list for more than one year were also eligible.
 

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