Recruiting AFL Trade & Free Agency XII - 💰💰💰

[Lore]

Quick links: Player Contract Status | Draft Watch 2023 | AFLW Draft, Trade & Sign

The embedded resources below are kept up to date by the trade board mods (as much as possible – we are human after all). Enjoy!

Spoiler: 2023 Draft Order

Spoiler: 2024 Draft Order, aka Future Picks

Spoiler: Blue Tick Rumours

 

[eth-dog]

We do look better with him out of the forwardline.

You mean where he's played the entire year?

 

[Rick Ross]

We gave up our 2018 and 2019 first rounders, with GWS's 2019 second coming back to us with Shiel. That's the long and the short of it. Anything about who we took with other picks has nothing to do with it. Drafting other players, trading up selections etc all comes at further cost.

Yeah, facts and logic.
Totally agree subsequent trade periods (Caldwell, Dursma etc) is separate.
Is interesting.
But 100% separate.

Who was drafted / was left on the board from the Shiel traded picks is important. the direct cost of the trade. Too simple to just reference the actual pick or cherry pick the hindsight best from who was left - as like you say, dependent on what the club thought it should do at that time.

Eye test of those two drafts -

2019 - was a pretty solid draft with lots of great players at the top end. From the Shiel pick (18 onwards) it’s more miss than hit and maybes versus Shiel known class at the time

2018 - arguably an even better draft. Obviously one player taken after the pick (Butters) has turned out ok, but it’s arguable those golden draftees were expected to be gone or at least weren’t assessed to likely get to Shiel level

 

[eth-dog]

Yeah, facts and logic.
Totally agree subsequent trade periods (Caldwell, Dursma etc) is separate.
Is interesting.
But 100% separate.

But the Jones cherry was part of it (conveniently ignoring what I posted about Harry after the Hawthorn game), even if we traded up.

Who was drafted / was left on the board from the Shiel traded picks is important. the direct cost of the trade. Too simple to just reference the actual pick or cherry pick the hindsight best from who was left - as like you say, dependent on what the club thought it should do at that time.

Eye test of those two drafts -

2019 - was a pretty solid draft with lots of great players at the top end. From the Shiel pick (18 onwards) it’s more miss than hit and maybes versus Shiel known class at the time

2018 - arguably an even better draft. Obviously one player taken after the pick (Butters) has turned out ok, but it’s arguable those golden draftees were expected to be gone or at least weren’t assessed to likely get to Shiel level

Jones wasn't the result. Bryan was.

 

[Rick Ross]

Jones wasn't the result. Bryan was.

Ok, scratch that bit… I’ll correct.

 

[Call Me Cake]

No one said the trades are connected. But when you mess up in life, you look ahead to see the total damage.

Hindsight shows that we've covered the loss of the Shiel trade reasonably well with manoeuvres that have followed. What could have been a "black hole" in those drafts had ultimately found players from said drafts onto our list one way or another. Is it ideal? No. Would you prefer to make those subsequent trades without giving up what was given up? Of course. However, the claim that we've sold the farm and it's been a disaster is complete propaganda.

We got let off by a bit. Not many clubs can say that about their f*ck ups. We take it, and the lesson we learned from it (invaluable) and run. Our issues as a club that have kept us down were way bigger than this.

 

[Keystone agony]

Daniel for Setterfield would be horrible. Even if Setterfield isn’t best 22 with the rise of Durham and Caldwell he’s still great depth and abit of a pod in our midfield

We already have midfield depth without setterfield

Adding LDU in 12 months and a 1st round draft pick even more so strengthens that

I think Durham, Perkins and Hobbs offer more than Setterfield and also think Tsatas will not far away

 

[Keystone agony]

If im North im offering L.Hayes a 4-5 year deal

Id hate to lose him

Could potentially manage Heppell and replace with L.Hayes as a game to keep him happy

Hard to see him getting a game considering at the moment we have 2 best 22 195cm+ tall DEFs missing

Eagles are actually quite tall with

Darling, J.Williams, Waterman, R.Maric

 

[Yoda_]

Isn’t Elijah Tsatas just a younger, more incomplete version of what LDU is anyways?

I say save the $1,000,000 in salary and develop ET

 

[Yoda_]

If im North im offering L.Hayes a 4-5 year deal

Id hate to lose him

Could potentially manage Heppell and replace with L.Hayes as a game to keep him happy

Hard to see him getting a game considering at the moment we have 2 best 22 195cm+ tall DEFs missing

Eagles are actually quite tall with

Darling, J.Williams, Waterman, R.Maric

Any of our tall defender youngsters could be offered a chance. Even Reid if the price was right you would need to consider

 

[Keystone agony]

Any of our tall defender youngsters could be offered a chance. Even Reid if the price was right you would need to consider

Hopefully they target the mature age types of Laverde and Baldwin ha

Zac Reid is contracted though and probably cant feel as though hes been left out as its mainly been due to injury

 

[yodellinhank]

You mean where he's played the entire year?

We look better with him out, like ANZAC day. The whole structure suffers from Jake playing for highlights, not offering leads and blocking space.

 

[JayJ20]

I find discussing the Shiel trade incredibly boring. This is our third coach since and Dodoro is gone along with other execs from that time. Players who weren't drafted/traded for then are contributing to the current best performing midfield in the competition. Whatever you all think we lost in the trade we gained with Durham in the MSD and Martin as a SSP. We have moved on.

 

[yodellinhank]

I find discussing the Shiel trade incredibly boring. This is our third coach since and Dodoro is gone along with other execs from that time. Players who weren't drafted/traded for then are contributing to the current best performing midfield in the competition. Whatever you all think we lost in the trade we gained with Durham in the MSD and Martin as a SSP. We have moved on.

Durham and Martin aren't going to make us a top club without support. What we lost we lost.

 

[Pweter]

heck we like to live in the past around these parts. If only all moves were dominant boss like moves like bringing in Syd Barker. Ah the good ol' days.

Every criticism of the Shiel trade is backed by hyperbole as nobody has a clue how we would've used the picks, how we would've developed the players and whether it would've worked (my tip is undersized inside mid to play half back, half forward or wing).

We paid what we paid for Shiel. It was too much but oh well, we move on.

 

[ghostdog]

The main thing is we signed him and Carlton ****ed it up. Nothing else matters.

 

[Snake Charmer]

Lol I think I started it in reference to LDU. Last time we traded 2 firsts for a “gun” it didn’t work out to well.. talk about making a mountain from a mole hill…


Anyway, who are we taking in the msd. Maybe Frank Szekely is one. Has elite pace and agility and would be ready to play the week of the draft

 

[joey_jo_jo]

is will hayward

9

Will Hayward

Age

25

Ht

186cm

Wt

83kg

Pos.

Fwd

Career

Season

Last 5

D

10.6

3star

K

6.6

3star

HB

4.0

3star

M

3.4

3star

T

2.8

4star

G

1.1

4star

D

9.0

2star

K

4.3

2star

HB

4.7

3star

M

2.7

3star

T

2.7

4star

G

0.7

4star

D

9.4

3star

K

6.2

3star

HB

3.2

3star

M

2.6

3star

T

3.4

5star

G

1.4

5star

a defensive/ pressure small forward or similar to gresham type? is he worth sniffing around?

 

[eth-dog]

Lol I think I started it in reference to LDU. Last time we traded 2 firsts for a “gun” it didn’t work out to well.. talk about making a mountain from a mole hill…


Anyway, who are we taking in the msd. Maybe Frank Szekely is one. Has elite pace and agility and would be ready to play the week of the draft

I want Jasper Scaife (unlikely) or Oskar Smartt

 

[Snake Charmer]

I want Jasper Scaife (unlikely) or Oskar Smartt

Smartt would be high on my list too. Scaife has been talked up abit as the top pick would be unreal if he fell

 

[JayJ20]

Durham and Martin aren't going to make us a top club without support. What we lost we lost.

I agree with that but many draft picks around that selection range are speculative at best. If the picks we gave away for Shiel (with Caldwell coming back anyway) is the reason we miss a premiership, then it isn't those picks. There are far greater issues than relying on a couple of mid-range first rounders. This isn't a North and Harley Reid situation.

Many probably go back to the Shiel trade because Butters went after our pick, but the problems at Essendon are far deeper than just drafting. Would he have even become the powerful mid we know him as today? Would Butters have been the player he is today under Woosha and Rutten? I highly doubt it. A better club in GWS with far better recruiting didn't select Butters. Development, list balance and injury management were far bigger issues at Essendon over the last 20 years than talent selection. Would Dodoro have even used those picks to select players that balance the list?

Even if we selected Butters and he became who he is today, then look at Port. A far better list than Essendon and Butters isn't winning them a premiership because of an average coach and an underwhelming culture that makes them perpetual non-contenders no matter how high they finish on the ladder. Mind you a coach and a culture that far exceeded anything we've produced the last 10 years.

Collingwood had a huge failed trade in the Beams trade that had no impact on their premiership chances in the long run. Brisbane's trade table "win" over Collingwood didn't help them beat Collingwood in the grand final 5 years later either. I think it's a trivial discussion that makes no difference because Caldwell is already here anyway.

 

[Keystone agony]

is will hayward a defensive/ pressure small forward or similar to gresham type? is he worth sniffing around?

It sounds like the cost hes garnering isnt worth his output imo

And more of a medium type player, not an exact need

 

[bombreys]

Bit early to say Hayes will not get a game this season if he does not play this week. I would play him but you can hardly blame the coach for not changing the line up that has worked for the last 3 weeks. Last year at this stage it was everyone questioning if Bryan would want to stay. Who knows what will be happening in round 12 or 15 or 20.

No I know, obviously nothing’s certain. I don’t really think Lav can play much worse though, nor Hayes much better. And there’s never going to be a perfect time. We haven’t omitted a player over the age of 20 this year, so we’re obviously hesitant with such moves, but it should be seen as a positive for a younger guy to overtake a senior player.

 

[Keystone agony]

No I know, obviously nothing’s certain. I don’t really think Lav can play much worse though, nor Hayes much better. And there’s never going to be a perfect time. We haven’t omitted a player over the age of 20 this year, so we’re obviously hesitant with such moves, but it should be seen as a positive for a younger guy to overtake a senior player.

Could play all Mckay, Hayes, Lav and Kelly down back this week

Eagles have
Darling, Waterman, Williams and Maric. Plus L.Ryan who Kelly/Lav would be possible matchups for

 

[brain taylor]

If im North im offering L.Hayes a 4-5 year deal

Id hate to lose him

Could potentially manage Heppell and replace with L.Hayes as a game to keep him happy

Hard to see him getting a game considering at the moment we have 2 best 22 195cm+ tall DEFs missing

Eagles are actually quite tall with

Darling, J.Williams, Waterman, R.Maric

surely north don’t need to lock down another kid on a long deal (especially one without a senior game under his belt), they need senior players who aren’t totally awful to support the talented kids they already have. Though if they wanted to give away their draft picks with tassie on the horizon i wouldn’t try to talk them out of it.

 

[yodellinhank]

I agree with that but many draft picks around that selection range are speculative at best. If the picks we gave away for Shiel (with Caldwell coming back anyway) is the reason we miss a premiership, then it isn't those picks. There are far greater issues than relying on a couple of mid-range first rounders. This isn't a North and Harley Reid situation.

Many probably go back to the Shiel trade because Butters went after our pick, but the problems at Essendon are far deeper than just drafting. Would he have even become the powerful mid we know him as today? Would Butters have been the player he is today under Woosha and Rutten? I highly doubt it. A better club in GWS with far better recruiting didn't select Butters. Development, list balance and injury management were far bigger issues at Essendon over the last 20 years than talent selection. Would Dodoro have even used those picks to select players that balance the list?

Even if we selected Butters and he became who he is today, then look at Port. A far better list than Essendon and Butters isn't winning them a premiership because of an average coach and an underwhelming culture that makes them perpetual non-contenders no matter how high they finish on the ladder. Mind you a coach and a culture that far exceeded anything we've produced the last 10 years.

Collingwood had a huge failed trade in the Beams trade that had no impact on their premiership chances in the long run. Brisbane's trade table "win" over Collingwood didn't help them beat Collingwood in the grand final 5 years later either. I think it's a trivial discussion that makes no difference because Caldwell is already here anyway.

It's the classic Essendon shortcut though, isn't it? The investment itself didn't pay off, and denied us picking players who might've fit holes over the next 8 or so years. Now we just need to add the support that could already have been there. Paper the cracks and a perennial 8-14th list.

Caldwell cost us on top of Shiel. He wasn't thrown in as part of the deal.