Opinion Is Buddy's nine year contract finally coming back to haunt the Swans?

[Buzz Hawk]

most overrated power forward of all time.

 

[Power Raid]

33 years old with recurring hamstring injuries (a definitive sign of the body giving in). He missed half the season last year with a hamstring injury and it was only the second time in 17 years that Sydney had missed the finals. Big Bud still has two more years to run on his nine year contract after the 2020 season. The AFL have made it clear that regardless of a retirement announcement, the Swans will still have to pay the back-ended deal and it will count towards their salary cap in their intended respective years. Also, Sydney have not won a flag while Buddy has been a Swan.

So, is this infamous nine year contract finally coming back to haunt the Swans?

2014 - $700,000
2015 - $700,000
2016 - $1.2 million
2017 - $1.2 million
2018 - $1.2 million
2019 - $1.3 million
2020 - $1.4 million
2021 - $1.5 million
2022 - $1 million
Total - $10.3 million

I have loved watching buddy over the years but this is going to end in tears.

As of 2018, I was still thinking he could become the highest goal scorer in the history of the AFL but he'll be lucky to kick 1,000 best on the rapid decline.


Still a champ and I hope he kicks 50 plus a season until he retires in 2022 or 2023.

 

[Wesley2]

Buddy definitely contributed to a lot of off field success. But if he doesn't play again for a significant time, that's at least a million per year the Swans can't use to build their list (and you may have heard how much the trade ban affected them, this'll be worse).

If he can't get back on the park Buddy can still sit in the stands in a red and white tracksuit and be the world's most expensive Santa Claus.

 

[jim boy]

Footy-wise probably ok - no premierships, but the Swans have remained there-abouts - No other single player was going to win one for them
Financially - no brainer - a massive success, Sydney can't flop around the bottom of the ladder like most other teams and they would have without him

 

[QuietB]

AFL made sure Sydney had no get out clause after they snatched him from GWS

It is Sydney - come on!

Could have had 2 more flags, similar money, and a retirement at the time his body was ready to give up.

Compare Rough's farewell to the way its looking for Buddy.

I don't think Hawthorn necessarily win two more if Buddy stays. $1m is a massive hit to the cap with a stacked team. If Buddy stays can Hawthorn afford to keep everyone else and can they afford to add the pieces they did?

If he retires, he breaks the contract and doesn't get paid though right?

Therefore surely it doesn't get included in the salary cap?

But obviously he'd be off his nut to retire when he can just sit in the grandstand for 2 years and collect his cheque still.

Why will Buddy retire? What is Buddy in a rush to do next? He can swan around in Sydney counting his sweet sweet cash.

 

[hawkman]

It is Sydney - come on!



I don't think Hawthorn necessarily win two more if Buddy stays. $1m is a massive hit to the cap with a stacked team. If Buddy stays can Hawthorn afford to keep everyone else and can they afford to add the pieces they did?

Probably no McEvoy and Frawley. That would cover most of Franklins cash then maybe another medium ranger would go as well

 

[Slysh]

I am not going to say it was a terrible deal for the Swans or even that they shouldn't have done it (they totally made the right choice).

But this idea that no premierships doesn't matter because of all the off field attention he has brought them is stupid. They have been one of the consistently top teams for close enough to 2 decades now. They were not some basket case like the Suns that just needed to be competitive and bring fans in, the end goal for them is flags. They won the flag in 2012 and made a prelim in 2013 despite a ton of injuries (i think) that year.

Never seen a top team like that get the cop out of it isn't all about flags. He has lived up to his end of the bargain but still a disappointing result for the club in the end.

 

[Heeney2Franklin]

Its a bad tear slightly worse than last year where he missed 9 weeks, bit of a disrespectful thread title.

 

[Turnover]

Swans made the deal knowing the AFL will help them out even more in the future if the s**t hit the fan. Can’t have an empty SCG. Well maybe this year.

 

[Jammer]

I think a few of you are being pretty kind in regards to his onfield performance.
He was paid big money to fire/be a major contributor in finals.

I like Buddy putting up a 10 v the Saints at the SCG on a sunny afternoon too, however his record
in finals is well below a pass mark.

2014 Played well in Grand Final team still beaten by 10 goals
2015 Finals Did not play
2016..Poor in the semi final loss to GWS poor in Grand Final Injured early
2017 Horrid and goalless in 2nd semi loss to Geelong
2018 Poor in knock elimination loss to GWS ( team was horrid in fairness to him )

 

[Minidisc MD]

who's he thrown up against in the big discussions? stay modern and...

Wayne Carey: mostly spoken about in regards to being the greatest ever, not just as a full forward. Made those around him play better, won games off his own boot, campaigner of a bloke but...
Gary Ablett Senior: ...same thing, probably the clear best player at his club and dragged them to Grand Finals and still performed in them
Plugga: goals galore – playing for ******* St Kilda, then went to Sydney before they were the constant finals pests they are now
Dunstall: 300 more goals in 50 less games

Buddy is probably the best power forward since he's debuted but if I'm starting a new team in 2007 and knowing what they were and what they'd become, I'd genuinely take Pav and Riewoldt over him. they brought far more as people, even if theyre deadshits as commentators, and never got to prove themselves in actual really good teams.

 

[HairyO]

I think a few of you are being pretty kind in regards to his onfield performance.
He was paid big money to fire/be a major contributor in finals.

I like Buddy putting up a 10 v the Saints at the SCG on a sunny afternoon too, however his record
in finals is well below a pass mark.

2014 Played well in Grand Final team still beaten by 10 goals
2015 Finals Did not play
2016..Poor in the semi final loss to GWS poor in Grand Final Injured early
2017 Horrid and goalless in 2nd semi loss to Geelong
2018 Poor in knock elimination loss to GWS ( team was horrid in fairness to him )

2014 he carried Sydney on his own.

I agree that Sydney got him to win Premierships. The marketing is the bonus, but it was flags.

So you have to say it was a bust.

 

[hawkman]

If you look at his Swans career, I'm not even sure he has been worth what he has been paid so far let alone the next 3 years.

3 great seasons and 1 good season out of 6 so far

 

[BOMBERS 4 LIFE!!!!]

Cooked

 

[Xtreme]

Yes

Both club and player had the desire to win premierships. And both failed in their objective. What a massive waste of time and money for Sydney and the AFL. You reap what you sow. Hawthorn got screwed in the events, but eventually won out... Karma loves Hawthorn.

 

[eldorado]

I get the feeling Buddy wouldn't have the same number of soft tissue injuries if he dropped a few kegs.

He needs to get his frame back to c.2006-2007-2008 shape.

Too much bulk for him to carry as it is, now.

I strongly agree. he's too big to do what he does as a 33 year old.

 

[Dark Avenger]

I understand the pro-rata argument but I think they they might try to manipulate the reduction in list size. Something along the lines of “if we had known list sizes would only be 35 players we would never have signed him for nine years”.

I hope not because the same argument can be made for any player that's contracted beyond this season.

 

[QuietB]

I only did a quick scan but to put this all in perspective Buddy is the only guy left from the 2004 draft

(I think)

 

[jwikked]

Reverse his contract. If 2021 and 2022 were worth $700k each, would people be as concerned?

The guy has been worth every cent, even if he misses this year.

 

[Sweet Jesus]

So, is this infamous nine year contract finally coming back to haunt the Swans?

What have been the negative consequences to date?

 

[bluespooner]

What have been the negative consequences to date?

He can't get on the field and is getting paid $1.3M+ for seasons 2019 - 2021. A further $1M in 2022.

 

[Minidisc MD]

I am not going to say it was a terrible deal for the Swans or even that they shouldn't have done it (they totally made the right choice).

But this idea that no premierships doesn't matter because of all the off field attention he has brought them is stupid. They have been one of the consistently top teams for close enough to 2 decades now. They were not some basket case like the Suns that just needed to be competitive and bring fans in, the end goal for them is flags. They won the flag in 2012 and made a prelim in 2013 despite a ton of injuries (i think) that year.

Never seen a top team like that get the cop out of it isn't all about flags. He has lived up to his end of the bargain but still a disappointing result for the club in the end.

this precisely.

the Swans have been in Sydney for 30 years and have won two flags and win a final every *in year, basically.

they've reached their ceiling. everyone who would go to a game, has.

 

[Sweet Jesus]

He can't get on the field and is getting paid $1.3M+ for seasons 2019 - 2021. A further $1M in 2022.

Yeah, it's bad when any highly paid player gets injured. I'm not sure that's enough to say the club is "haunted" by the contract. Were WC "haunted" by paying Naitanui $1 million a year, only for him to do his knee twice? Or did they pay him what he was worth and then rotten luck intervened?

My point is that for the questions posed in the OP to be salient, there must be identifiable knock-on effects from that contract. There may indeed be knock-on effects but it's not yet clear to me what they are.

Regardless of Franklin, the Swans are probably entering a transition period. Who are the top-liners who might be forced to take less money during the final years of Franklin's contract? As long as they look after Isaac Heeney and probably Callum Mills, who else do they need to worry about leaving for big money elsewhere?

 

[Pessimistic]

For those who can't read writing that small:

2014 - $700,000
2015 - $700,000
2016 - $1.2 million
2017 - $1.2 million
2018 - $1.2 million
2019 - $1.3 million
2020 - $1.4 million
2021 - $1.5 million
2022 - $1 million
Total - $10.3 million

2020 pay cut?

 

[bluespooner]

Yeah, it's bad when any highly paid player gets injured. I'm not sure that's enough to say the club is "haunted" by the contract. Were WC "haunted" by paying Naitanui $1 million a year, only for him to do his knee twice? Or did they pay him what he was worth and then rotten luck intervened?

My point is that for the questions posed in the OP to be salient, there must be identifiable knock-on effects from that contract. There may indeed be knock-on effects but it's not yet clear to me what they are.

Regardless of Franklin, the Swans are probably entering a transition period. Who are the top-liners who might be forced to take less money during the final years of Franklin's contract? As long as they look after Isaac Heeney and probably Callum Mills, who else do they need to worry about leaving for big money elsewhere?

Well they've lost start-up best 22 players in Tom Mitchell (Brownlow medallist) and Zak Jones. Almost lost Tom Papley in the off season, possibly homesickness a component, but also due to be offered substantially better pay elsewhere.

Trade targets on the swans list, due to not receiving salary market value via the Franklin salary commitment, could be Jordan Dawson, Will Hayward, Oliver Florent and Tom McCartin.