The question is how desperate are we to get Carlisle.
We put up an offer, and let's say in the likely scenario- essendon is going to refuse everything we offer:-
A) would we let Carlisle go to PSD and potentially get drafted by someone else.
B) give in and pay a high price
It really comes down to whether we are bloody minded enough to risk not getting Carlisle. I would say, we need to be willing to walk away, if the price isn't right. It's as simple as that. If we can't do that, then we will pay overs.
We won't pay high, doesn't make sense to. We've offered the coin and the time, in essence we've offered security to the player and the player has accepted, Essendon have lost this, they deal with us, they deal with Carlton or they lose him for nothing as either of us two get him, Essendon do not retain him, they cannot retain him. Dons inflate his price to want picks 1 & 5 we walk out the door and tell them to enjoy their time with him, then watch as Carlisle nominates for either draft.
We want him, no doubt, but Essendon are dreaming if they think they'll get what they're expecting and currently asking for, it's posturing to say that you will fight for your club, but as soon as an OOC player comes to you with the ending Carlisle has (ie how he can't wait to GTFO in public, refused a contract and nominated another club) you deal, because otherwise you get nothing. You get as close as you can to parity and then you sell that outcome to the public because you fought for it and got the best you could and well, he was going to leave any way, so some view it as a win and your posturing paid off because a small section believed it.