Ide take that in a heartbeat ...... Cripps/Kennedy/Ed/SPS would love knowing their hard work at stoppages was going to a smooth mover like Gaff. We would probably see (plucking a figure out of my arse), +10% in scoring just from his boot into the F50 alone.
Only thing is, he turns 26 mid this year ... so not 100% sure if the demographics are right.
I could watch his delivery all day ...
He is
exactly the kind of player we need. He runs hard each way and creates a lot of space. He is an excellent link up player, with very good disposal who gets it around 30 times a game. His contested numbers are low, but he is an outside player. He gets a lot of the ball on the outside (top three AFL level) and uses it well. His outside game is elite. We have contested players with Cripps, Dow, E Curnow and Kennedy.
I would be more than happy with a 3 million/ 4 year offer, front loaded in years one and two.
That is basically the less than the salary of Simpson (600 odd), Thomas (300 odd) and Rowe (300 odd) , all of whom are likely to retire this year. People need to remember we also lost Bryce Gibbs last year, and that has freed up 750,000 PA at least.
There is no way the Eagles would match that offer either, as it is close to band one compensation. At a bare minimum they would receive an end of first round draft pick for him with band 2 (pick 19) in a super draft, and seeing as they traded this year's first round draft pick to the Suns last year, they would let him walk for that compensation.
If we could land Gaff as a F/A plus grab someone like Isack Rankine with our first round pick (giving us two very offensive outside midfielders, with Rankine also ready to go next year) plus also have two 2nd round picks and a couple of handy father sons this year, I would be very bullish indeed about our list next year, and going forwards.
Those two would complement Cripps, Kennedy and Dow perfectly.
Im confident that we could safely afford Gaff as a free agent on that kind of coin and still have enough money left to not only bring in another free agent next year like Shiel on similar money +, but also safely accommodate for our kids
and fight off a free agency offer towards Cripps in a couple of years.
I hope we are in this up to our eyeballs.