Recommitted Andrew Gaff [re-signed]

[Chadwiko]

You do understand what happens when West Coast match the bid.

Yup; West Coast keep their player at a significantly inflated salary and North Melbourne walk away.

 

[Chadwiko]

If we match he will be playing for us. Pretty simple. There will be no matching to force a trade because no one is going to fork over the picks and the $ for that size of contract.

Bingo.

 

[Chadwiko]

No we're just enjoying the authoritative North fans who think that they'll just get all the players they want and everyone else will go along with it.

You didn't get Martin. You didn't get Kelly. You didn't get De Goey. I admire the confidence after repeat failures.

Literally no NMFC posters are acting like that.

There's a big difference between disagreeing with you regarding trading for Gaff if WCE match our offer, and what you're accusing NMFC posters of doing.

 

[Snake_Baker]

If we match he will be playing for us. Pretty simple. There will be no matching to force a trade because no one is going to fork over the picks and the $ for that size of contract.

If West Coast match it will be because he has decided to stay anyway.

 

[Chadwiko]

Not sure I see the business sense for WCE matching, and seeing some Eagles supporters talking in here as if such an outcome is a fait accompli is a bit amusing.

If WCE is willing to pay Gaff that amount of money to keep him, they would have ensured that Gaff & his agent know about it and would move to get the contract signed ASAP. Being so cavalier with one of your star-players futures and financial wellbeing does nothing for instilling faith and trust from your players in your club's administration.

The facts as we know them today are as follows;

1. WCE have not upped their financial offer to Gaff
2. Gaff has not signed the offer from WCE that has been before him for some time
3. Gaff and his manager have acknowledged that there is interest from "other clubs" that they are considering
4. To public knowledge, North's offer to Gaff is significantly higher than any other, including WCE's

At the moment, based on what I've been told from reliable sources and based on what we know, I don't imagine WCE will actually match North's offer. I believe any reports about WCE pondering matching are simple posturing moves.

 

[Snake_Baker]

I believe any reports about WCE pondering matching are simple posturing moves.

It's a stalling tactic to keep focus off Gaff and on the team where it belongs.

 

[pantskyle]

If West Coast match it will be because he has decided to stay anyway.

Ahhh no. If he stays it'll be for less than the North offer.

 

[Chadwiko]

Ahhh no. If he stays it'll be for less than the North offer.

I agree with the principles behind what you've been saying, but just to clarify on this one;

IF WCE match, they can't then lower the contract they offer to him. Matching North's offer means they are obligated to actually pay him that.

So IF Gaff stays because WCE have matched the offer, then he'll be getting paid what North's offer was.

Again though; based on what we currently know I do not believe WCE will actually match.

EDIT: to clarify, WCE won't match without first talking to Gaff and ascertaining his desire to remain in WA. I believe he will make it clear to the club he wants to leave WA, which is a big part of the reason I don't think WCE will match.

 

[Scotland]

It's a stalling tactic to keep focus off Gaff and on the team where it belongs.

Plus the whole Scott Lycett thing.

North aren't the only club with contracts to worry about.

I'm sure Gaff has a point where the financial difference is so large that he's undervalued at WC. If we offer him $600k and North offer him $1.2m I'd expect him to go. If the best we can do is $700k with Lycett or $900k without (for example) then the extra money might not be as much of a factor.

We may lose Gaff and/or Lycett and each of those scenarios poses different challenges. If we lose both then we're down two best 22 players and probably have $1m in cap space to play with and would be mad not to be looking at who else is available.

 

[pantskyle]

I agree with the principles behind what you've been saying, but just to clarify on this one;

IF WCE match, they can't then lower the contract they offer to him. Matching North's offer means they are obligated to actually pay him that.

So IF Gaff stays because WCE have matched the offer, then he'll be getting paid what North's offer was.

Again though; based on what we currently know I do not believe WCE will actually match.

EDIT: to clarify, WCE won't match without first talking to Gaff and ascertaining his desire to remain in WA. I believe he will make it clear to the club he wants to leave WA, which is a big part of the reason I don't think WCE will match.

If he stays it'll be for less than Norths offer, the only possible reason we match is to force a trade. And that would be done based off of discussions with North.

Or maybe Gaff accepts an offer from another side which we match. Several scenarios available with only one or two being plausible at this stage.

 

[Snake_Baker]

Ahhh no. If he stays it'll be for less than the North offer.

Money won't be the reason he leaves, as "Nizza" can fix up that stuff, so West Coast would be nuts matching on that basis and having a disgruntled player on their hands. He could end up walking to a draft on that basis.

He wants to come home.

 

[Snake_Baker]

If we lose both then we're down two best 22 players and probably have $1m in cap space to play with and would be mad not to be looking at who else is available.

Enter, S. Coniglio!

 

[The Filth Wizard]

We may lose Gaff and/or Lycett and each of those scenarios poses different challenges. If we lose both then we're down two best 22 players and probably have $1m in cap space to play with and would be mad not to be looking at who else is available.

No doubt in that instance you guys are going to be some major players this year and next in the market.

 

[Kangas_11]

So what is the record for the number of players traded in / landed as FA's in one year?

4?

5?

6?

#destinationclub

 

[Obeanie1]

I agree with the principles behind what you've been saying, but just to clarify on this one;

IF WCE match, they can't then lower the contract they offer to him. Matching North's offer means they are obligated to actually pay him that.

So IF Gaff stays because WCE have matched the offer, then he'll be getting paid what North's offer was.

Again though; based on what we currently know I do not believe WCE will actually match.

EDIT: to clarify, WCE won't match without first talking to Gaff and ascertaining his desire to remain in WA. I believe he will make it clear to the club he wants to leave WA, which is a big part of the reason I don't think WCE will match.

So explain if Gaff said he was leaving even if the club matched why would the Eagles not match and force a trade?

They could match knowing they wouldn't be stuck with a huge contract.

Gaff and the club negotiate a trade or Gaff walks to the draft. Walking to the draft is extremely unlikely and please don't kid yourself that its a real option.

 

[Thewlis Dish]

So explain if Gaff said he was leaving even if the club matched why would the Eagles not match and force a trade?

Presumably because a trade that nets you better than the compo pick likely doesn't exist.

 

[Moo]

Nothing is happening until after the finals...either way.

 

[Kwality]

Yup; West Coast keep their player at a significantly inflated salary and North Melbourne walk away.

Its the term that does the damage to the Eagles, longevity is rare, big risk 7years.

 

[Don Won]

The concept of North trading is not impossible. Nth have put in a bid so high that they expect that west coast won’t match, and they will 100% say that they won’t match.

But by putting in that bid that high they are signalling how important gaff is to their future plans.

I think it’s perfectly reasonable for Eagles supporters to suspect that North Managment would take a couple of days of cursing, swearing and debating decide that getting Gaff sets them up for the next 7 years.

But equally it would be a bold move by the Eagles because pride and supporter backlash might sway them to just move on.

Nothing is certain, particularly if it gets emotional

 

[Roughies Boys]

Turns out North are interested in Gaff, Gaff interested in the money offered by North, but not interested in the actual club.

 

[amazingjoshy]

Money won't be the reason he leaves, as "Nizza" can fix up that stuff, so West Coast would be nuts matching on that basis and having a disgruntled player on their hands. He could end up walking to a draft on that basis.

He wants to come home.

t

If its not about money, which is also what his manager said the other day, (apart from probably being bullshit), its actually a very good thing for WC .

Means he either stays for less.....OR he's leaving regardless. Which means WC is basically free to match knowing he won't stay and simply to force a trade.

 

[Kwality]

the Eagles .... pride and supporter backlash might sway them to just move on.

We expect our managers to manage & win, lose or draw just get on with it, they've got their hands of the levers, deal or no deal !!

 

[Jugada]

t

If its not about money, which is also what his manager said the other day, (apart from probably being bullshit), its actually a very good thing for WC .

Means he either stays for less.....OR he's leaving regardless. Which means WC is basically free to match knowing he won't stay and simply to force a trade.

Or we match, get no one interested at the price on his head, he goes to the draft and we get nothing.

 

[dee64]

I'm staggered by the some of the posts of the North supporters.

First and foremost, Gaff has to nominate himself as a RFA. If he chooses to stay at WCE, they can negotiate a contract, and North's offer becomes irrelevant.

Secondly, if he nominates as a RFA and accepts North's offer, WCE can match the offer, but Gaff can then subsequently request a trade to North.

North supporters are naive to think that Gaff's manager hasn't canvassed all the scenarios with potential suitors. For example, Melbourne's financial offer to Gaff would easily be matched by WCE, and a subsequent trade would be impossible with our lack of high draft picks.

If Gaff leaves WCE, it will be on good terms because he holds no ill-will towards the club. It's conceivable that if North aren't prepared to trade for Gaff, he'll seek a trade with another Melbourne based club for less money.

 

[Thewlis Dish]

Which means WC is basically free to match knowing he won't stay and simply to force a trade.

The only way you'll match to "force a trade" is if you already have the framework of the trade in place. You're not going to match just as a bluff to try and get a better return via trade than the compo pick.