heard a discussion on the radio today... Bulldogs Pres. I think. He was talking about the coming SC increase , possibly up to 2M , and how some clubs may not be too perturbed to loose a player... they mentioned Martin .. disappointed to see you go but that gives me 1.5M to 2.0M in the cap. Add the increase and a club may say..sure we are loosing a Martin but 4M gives us a real chance and hunting for a big name ourselves.I had this vision of the 80's where Collingwood and Richmond got in a dollar bind because they were targeting each other players and paying well overs.It was an arms race or sorts. It was also wrapped into a discussion in relation to the Boyd deal , and perhaps Buddy. I guess you could also look at Geelong with Danger as well. In that these happened and club have had some success following these big name recruits.
We sort of know what happens here..some club will bite it off hard , offer a fortune a Martin or Fyfe and a blackhole of player payment will open. You either stay on the outside , be responsible and possibly be left behind or get drawn into the blackhole and place the club in a tenuous position . Id say Geelong will avoid that blackhole , mainly because they have a structure and because they have had recent success. Just what will a Melb or a StK do I wonder or a Rich or an Ess... not to mention those well resourced non vic clubs.
In relation to StK... I was thinking... would they really be that peeved to loose McCartin? They may or may not be totally happy with him..but watching him for a few minutes this afternoon , I had to compare him to Hawk. Hawkins has been at our club since 2007.Like Selwood he really has had a charmed time at an AFL club. Rarely has he had poor sides ahead of him.. and I wonder just how much better would McCartin look in a better side with support around him. He is probably an old fashioned body shape and player... he is more the Hawk , Lockett type than Tom Lynch Matty Boyd etc. and he lacks that athletic exuberance that you see in young players , but he does have a natural big body strength. Very hard to judge what he would be worth if he did come on the market.