BRADLESTICKS
Team Captain
- May 12, 2015
- 369
- 1,263
- AFL Club
- Carlton
1) I’m just using Selwood and Hawkins as an example there are many others but it’s well known they took unders through their careers and rarely waited until the years their contract was up to sign long term deals.Not a fair comparison for a number of reasons;
1) In which year did Selwood and Hawkins sign their big contract(s)? I can't recall off the top of my head, but I'd wager a significant amount that it was before these long-term deals became commonplace.
2) 29/30?
Cripps was 26 and has since won the Brownlow
Curnow was 25 and has since won the Coleman
Harry was 24 and had just won the Coleman
Hewett? Yeah, this is recency bias.
Has been down this year - probably largely due to injury - but he was worth every bit of that last year.
In fact I recall that deal being queried at the time and those who queried it were rightly ridiculed weekly, with George having a terrific year and playing a huge part in the complete transformation of our midfield.
If you really think George is easily replaceable, you are simply ignoring what he adds to the team, or forgetting what the midfield was like before his arrival.
2) Cripps is a star but the position he plays and the smashing his body takes the end comes very quickly for these types of players Voss and Ratten are perfect examples of this.
3) Charlie and Harry have both had major injury issues throughout their careers having them signed up for 7/8 years is way overboard if they are not happy to stay loyal with say a 4/5 year deal have the courage to let them go, look at the ridiculous price Fremantle paid for Jackson no player is irreplaceable.
4) Hewitt had a solid year last season but Sydney new what they were doing letting him go, they new he had back problems, they new he was slow one positioned and they needed to create midfield space for Warner, Rowbottom, florent and others to thrive, reality is Hewitt wouldn’t get a game In half the afl teams at the moment, look at Matt crouch, jarrod lyons and other slow one position players who are equal or better than Hewitt who don’t get games for their respective teams.








