Rumour GFC 2024 Player Trading, Drafting FA, Rumours and Wish lists Pt 1

[FredLeDeux]

Send him to one of the state leagues for a year or two and see how much he really wants to play at the top level

He's forever poison at the top level; clubs and sponsors won't touch him, given his issues with women.

 

[CatToTheFuture]

Send him to one of the state leagues for a year or two and see how much he really wants to play at the top level

He's been given enough chances already. I would just move on

 

[Commando]

How many AFL players would walk away if you removed all wages? Just my take on ‘literally all they play for’.

10% maximum
Blokes love the game

 

[Lana]

How many AFL players would walk away if you removed all wages? Just my take on ‘literally all they play for’.

Gaelic football has no trouble finding people.

 

[CatToTheFuture]

One thing that stood out in the practice matches for me was how flat footed our younger mids were at centre bounces.

Bruhn, Clark, Bowes, Atkins. When that was the rotation we were either a step behind in defending or not finding adequate space in attacking it.

In the second half Holmes went in and just on his first three paces started breaking the stoppage open. He'd draw oppo players and suddenly Clark and Bruhn looked like they had space. Ditto Dangerfield doing this. Difference with Dangerfield is that he has the power mid size and Holmes at this point doesn't.

Why am I saying this. I think our 2025 midfield as is looks a bit like this

Holmes Bruhn Dempsey?
Conway Atkins Clark
Rotate Bowes in, Guthrie if he ever gets of the rehab group, Knev if he builds the size.

These players all have individual strengths and I think all are good but there's no one going to break senior level stoppage open except maybe a healthy Guthers.

This is a long winded way of saying we need Bailey Smith

3

Bailey Smith

Age

25

Ht

185cm

Wt

86kg

Pos.

M/F

Career

Season

Last 5

D

18.3

5star

K

8.5

3star

HB

9.8

5star

M

2.3

2star

T

3.8

5star

CL

2.7

4star

D

19.8

5star

K

9.6

4star

HB

10.2

5star

M

1.8

2star

T

3.2

4star

CL

3.2

4star

D

14.8

4star

K

7.6

3star

HB

7.2

5star

M

2.0

3star

T

3.4

5star

CL

1.6

4star

to go in like a wrecking ball. You add him, even if he's just busting through and drawing space for others. I think he's the kind of player that balances what he brings to the table against the strengths of our other mids. Don't care if he can't kick, he can handpass.

If not Bailey, then someone similar.

 

[Turbocat]

One thing that stood out in the practice matches for me was how flat footed our younger mids were at centre bounces.

Bruhn, Clark, Bowes, Atkins. When that was the rotation we were either a step behind in defending or not finding adequate space in attacking it.

In the second half Holmes went in and just on his first three paces started breaking the stoppage open. He'd draw oppo players and suddenly Clark and Bruhn looked like they had space. Ditto Dangerfield doing this. Difference with Dangerfield is that he has the power mid size and Holmes at this point doesn't.

Why am I saying this. I think our 2025 midfield as is looks a bit like this

Holmes Bruhn Dempsey?
Conway Atkins Clark
Rotate Bowes in, Guthrie if he ever gets of the rehab group, Knev if he builds the size.

These players all have individual strengths and I think all are good but there's no one going to break senior level stoppage open except maybe a healthy Guthers.

This is a long winded way of saying we need Bailey Smith to go in like a wrecking ball. You add him, even if he's just busting through and drawing space for others. I think he's the kind of player that balances what he brings to the table against the strengths of our other mids. Don't care if he can't kick, he can handpass.

If not Bailey, then someone similar.

What I felt was it was not Farmer Goggin at the CB. I hope as time together builds our mid cb will be less clunky. Shame we did not see the full trial. Id like to see the form of the others in there.

On Max. He seemed to be pushing it a bit ...'Back your pace" etc saw him try to go around nearly every player. He is fast ..but is he that fast?

If Smith signals he wants to come Im sure we will be saving the shekels but I think if I had a choice id still keep adding young talent. Up forward ..do we have talls covered? and on ball , we just need to keeping adding. Of course we probably keep trying to find players like Demp ...then we can have the Smith type as well.

 

[MacStradbroke]

Gaelic football has no trouble finding people.

Yet plenty Gaelic footballers cross the world to try a foreign sport they’ve never played…for love?

 

[Mr Meow]

Yet plenty Gaelic footballers cross the world to try a foreign sport they’ve never played…for love?

The weather in Ireland is terrible, and in Australia everyone loves the accent.

 

[Kobe Gryant]

How many AFL players would walk away if you removed all wages? Just my take on ‘literally all they play for’.

Nowadays it would be close to zero I reckon.

The cutoff for those types was probably around the turn of the century, when the game went truly professional.

People say it a lot, stuff like "What are they whinging about? I'd play for free!!!" but they're not really thinking it through.

Are you prepared to give up your life to train in rain, hail or shine 4-5 times a week? On top of playing again on the weekend?

Are you prepared to give up your life to constantly monitor what you're eating, limiting your alcohol consumption to almost zero, and even on 'holidays', having to keep things in control?

Are you prepared to have next to no social life outside of your teammates, and be away from your family/friends every second week? Or have your name constantly in the papers for every minor stuff up you create?

All of this without earning a cent? Yeah, I'm going to have to doubt that belief.

There's a lot of benefits too, but there's not many people around who are doing all that for nothing.

Ray Lewis in the NFL summed it up perfectly when he said "You're paying me for what you make me do Monday through Friday. Sundays are for free".

It's so true. Many players speak about it too once they're retired. If they could just rock up on the weekend and play, they'd do it forever.

It's the other stuff that becomes a drain, not necessarily just playing footy.

 

[Lana]

Yet plenty Gaelic footballers cross the world to try a foreign sport they’ve never played…for love?

Like three a year out of how many.

 

[Kobe Gryant]

Like three a year out of how many.

I've got an Irish side of my family, so know a fair bit about the game and what goes on.

It's nowhere near the standard of professionalism that our league is.

It's closer to footy in the 70s or 80s in terms of players working, and then going to training once or twice a week, while not being monitored to the same degree in terms of diet, skinfolds, training and so on that AFL players are.

You saw it a bit during the international rules games we've had. Some of the Gaelic guys look like they'd just rolled out of the Pub in comparison to the AFL boys.

It's a very different concept, and makes playing for pennies a bit more acceptable than if our players did it.

For most of them, it's akin to people who work a 9-5 and then play in the state leagues on the weekend.

 

[Lana]

I've got an Irish side of my family, so know a fair bit about the game and what goes on.

It's nowhere near the standard of professionalism that our league is.

It's closer to footy in the 70s or 80s in terms of players working, and then going to training once or twice a week, while not being monitored to the same degree in terms of diet, skinfolds, training and so on that AFL players are.

You saw it a bit during the international rules games we've had. Some of the Gaelic guys look like they'd just rolled out of the Pub in comparison to the AFL boys.

It's a very different concept, and makes playing for pennies a bit more acceptable than if our players did it.

For most of them, it's akin to people who work a 9-5 and then play in the state leagues on the weekend.

To me all it states is how superflous much of the hangers on are to the AFL. A show would still go on, the fans would still be there.

 

[Hamingja]

I've got an Irish side of my family, so know a fair bit about the game and what goes on.

It's nowhere near the standard of professionalism that our league is.

It's closer to footy in the 70s or 80s in terms of players working, and then going to training once or twice a week, while not being monitored to the same degree in terms of diet, skinfolds, training and so on that AFL players are.

You saw it a bit during the international rules games we've had. Some of the Gaelic guys look like they'd just rolled out of the Pub in comparison to the AFL boys.

It's a very different concept, and makes playing for pennies a bit more acceptable than if our players did it.

For most of them, it's akin to people who work a 9-5 and then play in the state leagues on the weekend.

Gaelic football is amateur. Equivalent would be the VAFA. There would be a lot of players working favourable jobs via club networks but not supposed to be paid.

 

[4quarter_cat]

10% maximum
Blokes love the game

With the training requirements making it damn near impossible to secure a 2nd income outside of sponsorships I think many would drop away simply out of needing to pay the bills.

 

[Kobe Gryant]

Gaelic football is amateur. Equivalent would be the VAFA. There would be a lot of players working favourable jobs via club networks but not supposed to be paid.

I'd argue the state leagues purely because people actually give a s**t about the GAA in Ireland. Nobody's watching VAFA here, but the state leagues do get some decent traction.

Similar in pay too. There's maybe 3-4 guys nationwide playing in the state leagues who can actually make a living from it, and even then, it wouldn't be a great living if it's your sole source of income.

 

[cats_09]

 

[4quarter_cat]

I'd argue the state leagues purely because people actually give a s**t about the GAA in Ireland. Nobody's watching VAFA here, but the state leagues do get some decent traction.

Similar in pay too. There's maybe 3-4 guys nationwide playing in the state leagues who can actually make a living from it, and even then, it wouldn't be a great living if it's your sole source of income.

Really? I find that surprising. 15 years ago I know that 3 guys were being paid 1.5k a week to show up on Saturday for one of the clubs in the KNTFL over in SA. Didn't train just drive down from from Adelaide for the game.

I know 30k a year isn't exactly killing it, but very nice top up to whatever your day job is.

 

[OzeSparky]

Really? I find that surprising. 15 years ago I know that 3 guys were being paid 1.5k a week to show up on Saturday for one of the clubs in the KNTFL over in SA. Didn't train just drive down from from Adelaide for the game.

I know 30k a year isn't exactly killing it, but very nice top up to whatever your day job is.

Nice top up to the gambling account.

I know of 4-5 guys around me that be getting paid up to 1k a week to play and gamble it all away.

 

[CatToTheFuture]

What I felt was it was not Farmer Goggin at the CB. I hope as time together builds our mid cb will be less clunky. Shame we did not see the full trial. Id like to see the form of the others in there.

On Max. He seemed to be pushing it a bit ...'Back your pace" etc saw him try to go around nearly every player. He is fast ..but is he that fast?

If Smith signals he wants to come Im sure we will be saving the shekels but I think if I had a choice id still keep adding young talent. Up forward ..do we have talls covered? and on ball , we just need to keeping adding. Of course we probably keep trying to find players like Demp ...then we can have the Smith type as well.

Yeah I just don't think another teenage midfielder is going to move the needle unless we have a cluster of a year and land the next Harley Reid at pick 1. A still young wrecking ball that can go on now is what we need.

 

[Turbocat]

Yeah I just don't think another teenage midfielder is going to move the needle unless we have a cluster of a year and land the next Harley Reid at pick 1. A still young wrecking ball that can go on now is what we need.

Im not looking at an immediate needle move...I want to build a group of youth that we can add to. If we draft a player ..and we get a Holmes it will take time no doubt but Im not in any hurry. The club on the other hand probably will look at more immediate needs to sate mature desires for 2025 competitiveness.

 

[CatToTheFuture]

Im not looking at an immediate needle move...I want to build a group of youth that we can add to. If we draft a player ..and we get a Holmes it will take time no doubt but Im not in any hurry. The club on the other hand probably will look at more immediate needs to sate mature desires for 2025 competitiveness.

The risk is that drafting doesn't move the needle in the future either, which is the most likely outcome with draftees. Long term predictions in footy aren't worth the paper they're written on. I would have a strong preference to make a midfield that works now because you add Smith and Bruhn/Clark/Holmes is a solid rotation.

A top 5 pick might change my opinion but it's pretty unlikely

 

[Kobe Gryant]

The risk is that drafting doesn't move the needle in the future either, which is the most likely outcome with draftees. Long term predictions in footy aren't worth the paper they're written on. I would have a strong preference to make a midfield that works now because you add Smith and Bruhn/Clark/Holmes is a solid rotation.

A top 5 pick might change my opinion but it's pretty unlikely

I agree, but the worry with Smith would be the knee and it takes him a out of the known quantity category a little bit.

Post ACL, is he just Jordan Murdoch with the face of Brad Pitt and a Tiger King mullet? You'd think not, but you just never know with those injuries.

You throw in his struggles with mental health, and while he's probably a safer bet than one of the top midfield draft prospects, I don't think the gap is so large that we need to worry about it.

You're right though, we're probably picking more in the Cooper Stephens/Darcy Lang territory than the Harley Reid/Nick Daicos echelon, so in that case, Smith probably is the safer bet.

 

[Turbocat]

The risk is that drafting doesn't move the needle in the future either, which is the most likely outcome with draftees. Long term predictions in footy aren't worth the paper they're written on. I would have a strong preference to make a midfield that works now because you add Smith and Bruhn/Clark/Holmes is a solid rotation.

A top 5 pick might change my opinion but it's pretty unlikely

Nothing is certain. Successful drafting is required to develop the foundation yet unsuccessful drafting can wreck a decade. I like how the club has tilted toward renewel thru youth since Hockings return. Similar can be said on bad trades ... the club will probably continue to blend the two approaches.

 

[Lana]

He's forever poison at the top level; clubs and sponsors won't touch him, given his issues with women.

Essendon would, St Kilda might

 

[FredLeDeux]

Essendon would, St Kilda might

Not counting deplorables