Craig Moller has signed!

[Bluto]

You can't read anything "worth" wise into his signing. It is a pretty simple option set.
1. Don't sign and go into the draft...which means playing the rest of the junior season etc. This opens him up to potential for injury. Who knows what could happen. There is a reason why Anthony Davis isn't doing draft workouts in the NBA right now...guaranteed #1 pick so why risk it?
2. Sign, stop playing meaningless junior matches and start AFL style conditioning. Protected from a long-term injury souring his draft prospects (locked in job). Also allows him full access to club resources.

He would be insane to keep playing without a contract if one is on the table.

Sounds like we are going to be open to a deal, but I hope Bond sits back and waits for the offers...I reckon there will be a few clubs who might be interested. Don't go chasing GWS, let them come to us.

 

[DR JAY]

This is purely the Moller family repaying Fremantle in terms of giving us another asset in negotiations and a pretty good one at that. Nothing is related to his ability to play.

Malpaso your normally on the money, as read elsewhere over here in the east those inthe know reckon he is around back end 1st to 2nd pick. I would say the Mollers weighed all things up & thought freo have been excellent, lets take the opportunity. Poition & salary gets negotiated & earnt. By the way that is last years nationals the photo is taken & Moller is out jumping Grundy, tipped top 5 pick this year.

 

[leeloo]

Does this mean Fremantle are now paying his medical bills? Or were they already as a scholarship player?

Maybe this was a factor in getting him the best treatment as far as the Moller family are concerned? I have no idea who pays for this sort of thing for the juniors! Not that I would be unhappy about it, if Freo were, just curious.

 

[Clay Davis]

Yeah, I don't really see the rookie pick as indicating anything except our desire to get the best deal for Freo.

Moreover, it's the mention of being traded in that article that leads me to suppose a deal is in the works.

 

[blue shark]

If we get this guy as a rookie, we have already done nicely. People were saying get Sandilands brother on the rookie list, this guy is streets ahead.
With free agency and our draft picks, I think we can fill the holes in our list next year, the kids in the mini draft would have to be exceptional to take such a huge gamble.

 

[Purple Suit]

Who know's what the contract says. It could be a two year rookie contract on a higher base salary and automatic upgrades if he meets certain targets or after just 1 year. I'm sure it was in both parties best interest and the rookie status doesn't neceesarly mean where he would be going in the normal draft. The club would be crazy to not looked into this option as the difference is the last or extra player we pick up will be at the end of the national draft, rather than at the end of the rookie draft. That's effectively 70 spots higher in player terms.

Well done Freo and Craig for signing, no matter the final outcome in six months.

 

[masai]

Pretty much.
Looks to me like the family are repaying Freo for 3 years of scholarship funds by signing up and giving us the whip hand in negotiations.

Good point, but why the heck are we talking about trading him ??!!!.

Yes I can see you want to get gun players in other areas, but Moeller is a keeper.

Just love to see him developing at the Black Ducks for 2 years, then in year 3 to 4 popping his head up ( or down as you see it ) for a senior game.

 

[Lach72]

I don't see him playing for 4-5 years personally. Our need for KPF and inside mids are much higher, now and in the future.
We can take a ruck later in the draft or as a rookie.

If trading him back to GWS means we get Hogan or Martin and can then grab Shaw or, Vlastuin or Toumpas or Wines then lets do it.
Even grab Hogan and take Shaw too, and go for an inside mid using our second round.

I'd also be inclined to put Duffield and Ibbotson on the block to see if we could net another second rounder. Grabbing 2 2nd round midfielders in this draft would be very handy.

 

[theGav56]

Interesting news that Rookie listed players (who haven't actually started their contract period) can be traded.

 

[IanW]

I can't see any mention of draftees contracts in the new CBA summary and on page 51 of the last CBA it has this chart outlining draftee payments

Bender,

Yeah, there will be an equivalent table outlining the new rookie scale in the new CBA. I was a little bit sloppy in saying that all draftees are paid the same - but at the end of the day, in a $8m salary cap, the difference between (probably) $65k for a 3rd rounder and $75k for a 1st rounder isnt important.

Note that a 3rd rounder who plays 12 games under the old CBA is getting a raise of $6900 and $26k in match payments, which is about $33k, on top of his $43k. This compares to a first rounder who doesnt get a game's $54k.

Its certainly not like it was under the old NFL agreement, where a top-three pick could and did command 10% of a teams total cap, while a late round pick got a twentieth of that.

 

[Swan Districts Kid]

Given that (A) GWS currently need a back-up ruck man, (B) Moller is from Sydney & (c) GWS have 2 of the best young KPFs going around in Patton / Cameron, I would have thought that there was a good chance of us being able to take advantage of the situation to get Jesse Hogan. We definitely need a Pav replacement more than a ruck man.

 

[BeinPurplenGreen]

Excellent news - and a fairly early time in the year to announce a signing, even by NSW scholarship holder or father and son pick standards.

Provides some early interest for what will be a key draft period for us.

The word over here is still that GWS are very keen on signing him up - he is already being used as one of the key promotion players for the GWS youth academy, which reflects the significant interest they have shown in him over the last 18 months. I am fairly comfortable in saying he'll wind up at GWS, though I think there is a fair way still to go before the exact details of how it happens are resolved, but even if he doesn't - at worst we have a young ruck prospect on our rookie list for the next few years.

Best news of all is that he can sit out and rest up - hopefully his injuries and niggles are put right before next year's pre-season. Plus he can focus on school and not get caught up in all the draft day uncertainty...

 

[yakka man]

Very pleased to hear that he has agreed to a rookie list spot. He could've demanded a spot on the senior list and held out for more money. Sydney have had to pay Tom Mitchell lots of extra money for him to agree to be selected under the F/S rule. I'm just relieved to hear that he has signed a contract so we can't get screwed over. The article illudes to trade talk regarding O'Meara last year and since he has joined the Giants academy so will be interesting to see if a deal can be done. Win/Win either way.

The bad news is his injuries, if he had a solid carnival and draft camp his value could've increased, although it may of gone the other way too.

 

[IanW]

Given that (A) GWS currently need a back-up ruck man, (B) Moller is from Sydney & (c) GWS have 2 of the best young KPFs going around in Patton / Cameron, I would have thought that there was a good chance of us being able to take advantage of the situation to get Jesse Hogan. We definitely need a Pav replacement more than a ruck man.

A. is true. But Moller isnt a backup ruckman, he's a project ruckman - and we have two of them already, one of whom in Phillips has 5 games at 6 disposals, 2 marks, 2 tackles, half a goal and 10 hitouts per game, which are fine numbers for a developing second ruck who starts on the bench.

B. isnt important. Moller signing with Freo is a good sign he will move anywhere.

C. Also irrelevant to this discussion.

In short, I can see why Freo want Moller. I can see why Moller signed the rookie contract. I can see how he has value in a trade. But I cant see why GWS should give up a heck of a lot for him.

Finally, Moller ending up in Fremantle is still a huge thing for the AFL Academy system in NSW - it validates to young athletes that playing AFL in NSW can end you up on an AFL list anywhere in the country.

 

[estibador]

B. isnt important. Moller signing with Freo is a good sign he will move anywhere.

I think he's talking from a GWS perspective.

GWS and the AFL would love to get as many highly rated local boys as possible playing for the Giants.

 

[Swan Districts Kid]

A. is true. But Moller isnt a backup ruckman, he's a project ruckman - and we have two of them already, one of whom in Phillips has 5 games at 6 disposals, 2 marks, 2 tackles, half a goal and 10 hitouts per game, which are fine numbers for a developing second ruck who starts on the bench. I'd still suggest that GWS' ruck depth isn't great.

B. isnt important. Moller signing with Freo is a good sign he will move anywhere. Fair Point, but all other things being equal, I'd always prefer a native son to one from the other side of the country.

C. Also irrelevant to this discussion. I think it has some relevance in that GWS's appetite for KPFs isn't as great as Freo's - I'm not suggesting that GWS will give the rights to a Jesse Hogan away for nothing, but they're more likely to be convinced into trading his rights away if they already have top players in that position.

In short, I can see why Freo want Moller. I can see why Moller signed the rookie contract. I can see how he has value in a trade. But I cant see why GWS should give up a heck of a lot for him.

Finally, Moller ending up in Fremantle is still a huge thing for the AFL Academy system in NSW - it validates to young athletes that playing AFL in NSW can end you up on an AFL list anywhere in the country.

 

[george2]

I dont think it has been brought up yet but if we do decide to trade Moller it doesn't have to be for a mini draft pick we could quite possibly get another first round pick in this years draft which i wouldn't be disapointed with.

 

[IanW]

I think he's talking from a GWS perspective.

GWS and the AFL would love to get as many highly rated local boys as possible playing for the Giants.

Im not at all convinced about that. Sydney, most of all, loves winners, and once you've been with the club for six or seven years, thats where you're from.

Dont forget that the Sydney Swans were perfectly happy to let Greg Stafford move to Richmond, and he grew up in Sydney and was the first player to go from the SFL to the AFL.

In short, dont expect GWS to overpay for Moller. If he comes to GWS, it will be in the context of being part of a deal for a 17 year old, not as a deal for a 17 year old.

 

[estibador]

I think it has some relevance in that GWS's appetite for KPFs isn't as great as Freo's - I'm not suggesting that GWS will give the rights to a Jesse Hogan away for nothing, but they're more likely to be convinced into trading his rights away if they already have top players in that position.

My understanding is they either trade away the rights or they lose them.

Don't think they can keep Hogan for themselves (unless he falls to them in the normal draft the year after maybe?)

 

[Dockernut]

Im not at all convinced about that. Sydney, most of all, loves winners, and once you've been with the club for six or seven years, thats where you're from.

Dont forget that the Sydney Swans were perfectly happy to let Greg Stafford move to Richmond, and he grew up in Sydney and was the first player to go from the SFL to the AFL.

In short, dont expect GWS to overpay for Moller. If he comes to GWS, it will be in the context of being part of a deal for a 17 year old, not as a deal for a 17 year old IMO.

Edited for accuracy.

 

[IanW]

Swan Districts Kid,

If Jesse Hogan is one of the seventeen year olds, he cannot, under any circumstances, play for GWS.

We tried that plan last time with O'Meara, and the AFL hit it on the head

Therefore, whether we need Hogan or not, if he's one of the two nominated 17 year olds, we simply can't get him.

 

[estibador]

Im not at all convinced about that. Sydney, most of all, loves winners, and once you've been with the club for six or seven years, thats where you're from.

Dont forget that the Sydney Swans were perfectly happy to let Greg Stafford move to Richmond, and he grew up in Sydney and was the first player to go from the SFL to the AFL.

In short, dont expect GWS to overpay for Moller. If he comes to GWS, it will be in the context of being part of a deal for a 17 year old, not as a deal for a 17 year old.

To me GWS looks like a massive push from the AFL to win over the hearts and minds of the locals and provide a local pathway/incentive for young talent from the area to see themselves in the AFL.

Having a few budding homegrown stars on the list helps them achieve both aims. Moller has the potential to be quite marketable too you'd think.

 

[Wigarus]

Nothing official from the club which is kinda weird for news like this...

 

[rgauci]

Knew the kid would sign up with us. Great venture by the club which has already paid dividends. Interesting to see if Josh Head is signed up also.

 

[IanW]

To me GWS looks like a massive push from the AFL to win over the hearts and minds of the locals and provide a local pathway for young talent from the area to see themselves in the AFL.

Having a few budding homegrown stars on the list helps them achieve both aims. Moller has the potential to be quite marketable too you'd think.

Estibador,

Sydney doesnt care where you're from. It cares about what you are.

If you're a success, it will love you forever. Or until you're a failure.

Moller is a skinny kid of ruckman. He hasnt dominated in the NEAFL. He's got some talent, but he's a project who needs another 15 kilos of muscle.

GWS needs a ruckman who *can* start if Giles goes down - its Brogan that needs replacing, not Phillips or Downie.