Free Agent 2: Sam Draper - Off to Brisbane as a free agent

[Dave]

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

 

[FootyGuru]

The more people chasing him the better? Ups our compo?

I think Essendon needs to be prepared to lose players if the price isn’t right. Previously have afraid of the backlash and optics. I was happy to lose fa parish, but we ended up paying him for 6 years. We are at another cross roads with Draper, we should negotiate that’s fair but without getting in a bidding war.

I really like Draper and think he adds a lot of X factor to our midfield and team, but we can afford to lose him. Especially with likely long term deals to injury prone talls Ridley and ried.

 

[Vindicater]

4 years.

Don't go more to keep him.

 

[cAsEy_18]

I think Essendon needs to be prepared to lose players if the price isn’t right. Previously have afraid of the backlash and optics. I was happy to lose fa parish, but we ended up paying him for 6 years. We are at another cross roads with Draper, we should negotiate that’s fair but without getting in a bidding war.

I really like Draper and think he adds a lot of X factor to our midfield and team, but we can afford to lose him. Especially with likely long term deals to injury prone talls Ridley and ried.

Agree on the overall principle. The parish one was a bit tricky because from memory it was the same offseason that we were signing McKay. (Aka - any compensation for parish would have cancelled out). We possibly could have matched and forced a trade.

But yes, I agree with the overall premise.

 

[Calthorpe14]

4 years.

Don't go more to keep him.

Not sure I’d even go that long. Achilles injuries have a habit of taking away your explosive ability and if he can’t get around the ground in the same way, he’s going to be a very expensive statue. Even if he does recover fully, it won’t be until 2027 where he’s back to full fitness

You’d rather be wrong and have him play well elsewhere than pay him and have him not return to who he was.

 

[Don Won]

Agree on the overall principle. The parish one was a bit tricky because from memory it was the same offseason that we were signing McKay. (Aka - any compensation for parish would have cancelled out). We possibly could have matched and forced a trade.

But yes, I agree with the overall premise.

Yes this is correct, but no one will ever remember

 

[ant555]

Last report in the media the other day was there is still a gap how much we are offering compared to how much they want. Our offer is 4 years but obviously not in the same ball park as what may have been before he got injured. Band one compo could be questionable if the numbers are more in the $700k - $750k range.

 

[blitzer]

I'd be OK with letting Draper go. He was playing the best footy in his career before injury but the thing that was enabling him to do that was that he was fitter than he had ever been and the sad reality is his body has consistently let him down in his entire career. So I have severe doubts he'll ever get to the level where he plays like that for a full season and if he does it'll be years away. Next year is going to be heavily impacted by the Achilles injury.

I'm also concerned about having 2 ruck options in Bryan and Draper both coming back from long term injuries. Draper is worth more and will cost more salary cap and is older so makes more sense to let go if it came to a pinch. It also seems like we have some taller options coming through that are quite likely in Vigo plus we have a few options as that KPF/Ruck role including Gerreyn, May. Feels like a good amount of coverage for a role that I don't think is nearly as important as other roles to begin with.

 

[Howard Moon]

These fox knuckleheads think we would be interested in ROB from Adelaide should Draper go the other way, why on earth would be dilute our compensation on a journeyman - it's more dumb footy media fodder

 

[eth-dog]

These fox knuckleheads think we would be interested in ROB from Adelaide should Draper go the other way, why on earth would be dilute our compensation on a journeyman - it's more dumb footy media fodder

We'd probably move to a trade in this scenario. We don't dilute our compensation, they get something in return. Similar to how we traded Monfries to Port when we signed Goddard through FA

 

[Yoda_]

These fox knuckleheads think we would be interested in ROB from Adelaide should Draper go the other way, why on earth would be dilute our compensation on a journeyman - it's more dumb footy media fodder

summed up why I hate sports 'journalism' in this country

you either know or don't know, stop making shit up

 

[boncer34]

summed up why I hate sports 'journalism' in this country

you either know or don't know, stop making shit up

What did they make up?

 

[boncer34]

We'd probably move to a trade in this scenario. We don't dilute our compensation, they get something in return. Similar to how we traded Monfries to Port when we signed Goddard through FA

Port also didn't want to dilute their compensation.

 

[Yoda_]

What did they make up?

do they know or do they think

think means they are parading ones opinion around

 

[boncer34]

do they know or do they think

think means they are parading ones opinion around

So what?

 

[Beerfish]

So what?

Unpopular opinion but they should just keep their thoughts to themselves. If the result is a show where they just sit there looking at each other for half an hour then so be it!

 

[boncer34]

Unpopular opinion but they should just keep their thoughts to themselves. If the result is a show where they just sit there looking at each other for half an hour then so be it!

The world would screech to a halt.

 

[Old Campaigner]

do they know or do they think

think means they are parading ones opinion around

These are people with far better connections than random bigfooty amateurs so it's worth them airing their opinions imo

 

[Phone]

well yeah if we lose a ruckman and the crows are kicking out a ruckman, we probably would look at ROB. seems pretty obvious.

the main reason not to look at him is so that he's not referred to an ex-essendon when his inevitable post-career right wing grifter gig starts

 

[eth-dog]

Port also didn't want to dilute their compensation.

Yeah, but it's basically the reverse in this case. They get a pick along with Draper, we don't dilute our compensation

 

[Zach Package]

I'd be OK with letting Draper go. He was playing the best footy in his career before injury but the thing that was enabling him to do that was that he was fitter than he had ever been and the sad reality is his body has consistently let him down in his entire career. So I have severe doubts he'll ever get to the level where he plays like that for a full season and if he does it'll be years away. Next year is going to be heavily impacted by the Achilles injury.

I'm also concerned about having 2 ruck options in Bryan and Draper both coming back from long term injuries. Draper is worth more and will cost more salary cap and is older so makes more sense to let go if it came to a pinch. It also seems like we have some taller options coming through that are quite likely in Vigo plus we have a few options as that KPF/Ruck role including Gerreyn, May. Feels like a good amount of coverage for a role that I don't think is nearly as important as other roles to begin with.

Well said. He was tracking in the right direction and doing all the right things and he is a bit of a late bloomer but if he signs on we’re banking on the continued improvement of his forward craft and him learning to not just fly at absolutely everything and clod around or improving his endurance to be able to ruck most of a game.

Right now he exists in a bit of an awkward in between space where his value is as a bit of a spark plug and a spirit animal rather than someone you can set and forget as your number 1 ruck or as your third tall forward.

Brisbane and Collingwood probably look as the two best actual fits if I’m honest.

 

[ant555]

do they know or do they think

think means they are parading ones opinion around

Or are the clubs and player managers feeding them various info to suit their own agenda ?
And yes this is a rhetoric question.

 

[Agronomus]

Well said. He was tracking in the right direction and doing all the right things and he is a bit of a late bloomer but if he signs on we’re banking on the continued improvement of his forward craft and him learning to not just fly at absolutely everything and clod around or improving his endurance to be able to ruck most of a game.

Right now he exists in a bit of an awkward in between space where his value is as a bit of a spark plug and a spirit animal rather than someone you can set and forget as your number 1 ruck or as your third tall forward.

Brisbane and Collingwood probably look as the two best actual fits if I’m honest.

So makes even more sense for him to go to the crows with our blessings

 

[jdstorm]

It only makes sense to keep 1 of Draper and wright and due to our low finish and how the compo system works even if we got Band 3 for Draper it would be more then what wright would fetch.

That plus Sams injury history and it’s just in Essendon’s best interest to let him go. To better balance our list.

 

[DERO]

Unpopular opinion but they should just keep their thoughts to themselves. If the result is a show where they just sit there looking at each other for half an hour then so be it!

That sounds a bit shit

 

[kelvin_sheedy]

I haven't kept up with the details but he's a free agent I believe. If someone makes a decent offer we get a first rounder?

If thats the case I'll help them pack his bags. We need a list reset and this is a perfect scenario for us.

We will have 3 first rounders, use 1 to trade in someone that can kick or a small forward or a defender.

If we don't get band 1 then we might as well keep him.