Will the Tim Kelly trade go down as one of the worst ever ?

javaguice

Premiership Player
Feb 29, 2012
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5,166
AFL Club
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Yeah Hawks would kill for Tim Kelly right now, this blokes short a few
 
May 18, 2004
1,212
776
Melbourne
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Geelong
We already had Sam Mitchell, we've reached our quota of Hawthorn Brownlow medallists thanks.
West Coast is adopting the No Homers rule, they're only allowed to have one Hawthorn Brownlow medalist named Mitchell.

And yeah, Kelly is really good. He's been a little bit down at the Eagles compared to what he was in his AA season with us but I said back when the trade happened that while I was surprised at what we got from the trade I'd still rather have kept him and it's still true. And to make it worse, the irony is that we'd have probably then also been able to get Cameron for nothing last year if we were able to keep Kelly since GWS would have just accepted their top ten compensation pick since we wouldn't have had any of the decent draft picks that we had from losing Kelly.
 

javaguice

Premiership Player
Feb 29, 2012
4,208
5,166
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But yeah... I won't rate the trade till he plays like that in a final for us.
 
May 3, 2007
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Fremantle
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BOG against St Kilda and Adelaide last year, good games against Collingwood (first time), Carlton and Essendon. BOG today, also had good games for all of our wins (shockers against Geelong and St Kilda but he's not alone there).

The picks given up were 14, 24 and 37.

We're quite happy.
Yeah beating Freo justified the reason for everything LoL.

Still there's another 15 games to go.....
 

THE A5

Norm Smith Medallist
Jul 26, 2020
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My view of TK hasn't really changed over his career. Absolute gun but the bloke played his best footy in a midfield that consisted of Danger/Selwood and even Ablett. While Sheed, Redden and Gaff are good mids, their no where close to being in the same air as those blokes mentioned above and hence why TK's has struggled at time. Once Shuey and Yeo comes back it's going to be different.
 
Jan 19, 2008
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My view of TK hasn't really changed over his career. Absolute gun but the bloke played his best footy in a midfield that consisted of Danger/Selwood and even Ablett. While Sheed, Redden and Gaff are good mids, their no where close to being in the same air as those blokes mentioned above and hence why TK's has struggled at time. Once Shuey and Yeo comes back it's going to be different.

Agree that West Coast's midfield does not have the same depth as we did. From afar my knock on Kelly would be that he has not been consistent, he plays excellent games for WC but he is not the consistent top level mid he was for us.

With the trade though, the Eagles hands were tied, you commit to a player before the season starts then he has a career best year and you have to trade with a grumpy team to get him across.
 
Aug 4, 2003
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He definitely hasn’t been consistent - but it’s been hard to gauge - I think he’s played about 8 games alongside a full strength midfield brigade (Yeo, Shuey, Gaff, Sheed, Redden) since crossing to WCE - the majority in that first hub where the Eagles started really poorly and he was obviously adjusting to a new team. Kelly is definitely a guy you want to be your 3rd or 4th tagging option - he struggles with a hard tag because he does his best work in space - he has been forced to become the #1 attacking mid at West Coast and it’s been hit and miss.

His understanding with Naitanui is improving though, definitely building a good dynamic there - not quite ‘Naitashuey’ levels yet but getting there.

The Eagles cop flak for ‘paying up’ for him (when really it was pretty much a case of handing over what we could, because we didn’t have anything particularly juicy) but what’s done is done and I’ll back him in to come good. He was really busy against Freo, could have topped it off with a couple of goals too but didn’t finish - if he can start hitting the scoreboard more often that would definitely help.
 
He definitely hasn’t been consistent - but it’s been hard to gauge - I think he’s played about 8 games alongside a full strength midfield brigade (Yeo, Shuey, Gaff, Sheed, Redden) since crossing to WCE - the majority in that first hub where the Eagles started really poorly and he was obviously adjusting to a new team. Kelly is definitely a guy you want to be your 3rd or 4th tagging option - he struggles with a hard tag because he does his best work in space - he has been forced to become the #1 attacking mid at West Coast and it’s been hit and miss.

His understanding with Naitanui is improving though, definitely building a good dynamic there - not quite ‘Naitashuey’ levels yet but getting there.

The Eagles cop flak for ‘paying up’ for him (when really it was pretty much a case of handing over what we could, because we didn’t have anything particularly juicy) but what’s done is done and I’ll back him in to come good. He was really busy against Freo, could have topped it off with a couple of goals too but didn’t finish - if he can start hitting the scoreboard more often that would definitely help.

Shuey's impact for the eagles is amazing. The side is the next level when he's playing.
 

Happy Mastenator

Chris Masten's Sock Puppet
Apr 16, 2010
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His first year was COVID impacted. Making it difficult to adjust to a new team.

He’s been much better this year.

Having Shuey and Yeo back would make a massive difference as well. At the moment he gets the hard tag as the entire focus of the other team, as he’s the only one worth tagging, try that when Shuey and Yeo are up and about and it will go very badly for a team.
 

THE A5

Norm Smith Medallist
Jul 26, 2020
9,110
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Agree that West Coast's midfield does not have the same depth as we did. From afar my knock on Kelly would be that he has not been consistent, he plays excellent games for WC but he is not the consistent top level mid he was for us.

With the trade though, the Eagles hands were tied, you commit to a player before the season starts then he has a career best year and you have to trade with a grumpy team to get him across.
like I said he’s more 2nd/3rd fiddle. He wouldn’t have looked good at the Cats too if he was leading a midfield of That had no Danger and Selwood. He’s forced to play a more contested game atm and we can see that its not really his natural game.

Shuey's impact for the eagles is amazing. The side is the next level when he's playing.

I think Elliot Yeo played as important or bigger role than Boots. During 2018/19 he was the barometer and when he lifted the side lifted underneath him. We tend to lack the intensity and defensive edge in the midfield and he brings that in spade. I love both players. Structurally and leadership wise Boots is important but defensively and intensity wise Yeo is more important.
 
Jul 26, 2007
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Darwin
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His first year was COVID impacted. Making it difficult to adjust to a new team.

He’s been much better this year.

Having Shuey and Yeo back would make a massive difference as well. At the moment he gets the hard tag as the entire focus of the other team, as he’s the only one worth tagging, try that when Shuey and Yeo are up and about and it will go very badly for a team.

Covid in year 1.

Fractured his hand late in pre-season but didn't miss a game and played with heavy strapping.

Been building......
 

Vaccination

Senior List
Oct 29, 2020
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I think we all know by now the answer is no. He had a rough start in a covid impacted season, how has been solid for us over the 25 or so games he's played. In my opinion here is every worst trade for 5 years since the 2019 trade period.

2019: Hugh Greenwood (Adelaide) to Gold coast for a 2020 3rd and a 2020 4th. Greenwood becoming a mainstay for the Suns. 3rd was shipped off with Jenkins to become Ronin O'Connor. Think they traded the 4th rounder. HM: Dan Butler (Richmond) to St Kilda for pick 56 (Bigoa Nyuon). Shipping off a guy who should've been All-Australian last year for a 4th rounder isn't good value. Richmond get a pass because they won the flag.

2018: Pick 11 and 2019 4th (North) to Port for Polec, Pittard and pick 48. While the value may be there, the idea of the trade itself is why I hate it so much. Two fringe players who aren't going to push you over the edge whilst giving up a 1st to do it. This is the draft where Port got younger and traded away some middling pieces while North tried to grab more experienced players. Delayed North's rebuild by a couple of year imo. HM: Fremantle Hogan deal. Not much they could do given Neale wanted to leave and they needed a key forward, just went bad for all parties involved.
Edit: Fully missed the Dayne Beams trade. Probably would be worse than Polec, Pittard one given where Beams and Collingwood are now vs where the Lions are.

2017: Picks 10, 16, 73 and 2018 2nd rounder (Adelaide) to Carlton for Bryce Gibbs, pick 77 and 2018 2nd and 3rd. Adelaide fans have already explained why this was a bad trade. On the plus side, Carlton trading away their 2018 2nd meant they needed to trade away their 2019 1st to the Crows to get Liam Stocker. Also Carlton haven't done much with the picks. HM: Pick 2 (Gold Coast) to Fremantle for Lachie Weller and pick 41. Weller isn't worth pick 2, simple as that. More the Gold Coast tax than anything else, plus imagine Gold Coast's midfield if you add Andrew Brayshaw into it.

2016: Jack Steele (GWS) to St Kilda for a 2017 2nd rounder (Became Brent Daniels). Yes, Steele probably wouldn't have fit into the Giants midfield given the talent, however a guy that has brownlow and game breaking potential vs a decent small forward isn't a fair trade. Don't think there were that many howlers this year. HM: Toby Nankervis (Sydney) to Richmond for pick 45 (Became Jack Naibaum). 3 time premiership ruckman for a guy who hasn't played a game for you is pretty rough.

2015: Pick 19 (Richmond) to Carlton for Chris Yarran. Whilst it's obviously sad that Yarran had battles with mental health issues, Richmond are probably a little annoyed they gave up a decent pick for someone who never played a game for them. Carlton used the pick on David Cunningham. HM: 2016 2nd rounder (Adelaide) for Curtly Hampton. Played 12 games and gave up a pick which GWS used to help trade up for Tim Taranto. Also 2016 2nd rounder (St Kilda) and pick 63 for Nathan Freeman and pick 68. Freeman played 2 games for St Kilda while Collingwood used the picks to trade for James Aish.

TL;DR: Plenty of trades in the last 5 years worse than Kelly trade
 
Sep 7, 2005
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Melbourne
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Geelong
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Happy with the compensation we got, TK is still a very good player even if he hasn’t replicated his AA Geelong form at WCE.

I did say at the time of the trade that I suspected he may not live up to the hype for WCE. When we drafted him he’d been overlooked numerous times, was desperate to make the most of his opportunity and was angling for a big pay day after his rookie contract. As is well documented he had no support network in Geelong so all his time was spent with his wife and kids or at the club / with teammates.

Now he’s home, around lifelong friends, around the support network he craved, earning more money than he probably ever thought possible. I’m sure he’d love to win a flag if he had the chance, but I think he’s already achieved everything he wanted.
 

bh90210fan

Norm Smith Medallist
Sep 4, 2017
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First game back for several weeks. Hes likely leading the club b&f at this point and has been sat on almost every week while Shuey and Yeo were out injured. If we didn’t have him we wouldn’t even be in the 8.
 
May 5, 2016
43,464
48,498
AFL Club
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I always laugh when some f*ckhead starts throwing out calls like this whenever someone has a bad game.

as though every sportsman in the world who is any good, wins every match or tournament they play.

‘remember all those excellent games you played? Well they don’t count. You got tricked. The REAL test of whether you’re any good was that 46th game where you were a bit below your best. That’s what determines your quality.’
 
Jun 30, 2009
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Deroesfromgero
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First game back for several weeks. Hes likely leading the club b&f at this point and has been sat on almost every week while Shuey and Yeo were out injured. If we didn’t have him we wouldn’t even be in the 8.
Reckon redden deserves that first spot for pure reliability week in week out

Then nn

then kelly
 

ExYarraValley

Team Captain
Apr 27, 2021
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380
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I always laugh when some f*ckhead starts throwing out calls like this whenever someone has a bad game.

as though every sportsman in the world who is any good, wins every match or tournament they play.

‘remember all those excellent games you played? Well they don’t count. You got tricked. The REAL test of whether you’re any good was that 46th game where you were a bit below your best. That’s what determines your quality.’

One particular group of supporters are always the first when one of their players play a good game or an opponent plays a bad game. No surprise to see this thread bumped after the weekend.
 
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