GWS cunning blindside?

[Allefgib]

So - Thommo is an unrestricted free agent. He isn't signed up yet.

He's been mentioned by some as a potential trade bait for clubs like GWS. Part of the justification as to why this might work for him is the fact his missus is an actress trying to create a career in Sydney (which I know nothing about but taking on face value - correcting my ignorance is more than welcome).

GWS absolutely blindsided us in taking Davis. No one talked about it and it caught us all by surprise.

So - what are the chances of GWS throwing a ton of money at Thommo, that we don't care to match, and grab him as an unrestricted free agent?

Why hasn't he re-signed as yet?

PS Rooch, if you could just throw a small reference to 'big fellas' in your report that would be greatly appreciated.

 

[Bacon8]

She's probably more concerned about a career in Hollywood, tbh.

 

[Cleric]

GWS if they pick up Buddy wont have money for anyone else. They are going to have cap issues in the next couple of years. Time to poach their kids.

 

[Smoooothy]

gotta say, the dots kinda line up here..

 

[Draft Bored]

So - Thommo is an unrestricted free agent. He isn't signed up yet.

He's been mentioned by some as a potential trade bait for clubs like GWS. Part of the justification as to why this might work for him is the fact his missus is an actress trying to create a career in Sydney (which I know nothing about but taking on face value - correcting my ignorance is more than welcome).

GWS absolutely blindsided us in taking Davis. No one talked about it and it caught us all by surprise.

So - what are the chances of GWS throwing a ton of money at Thommo, that we don't care to match, and grab him as an unrestricted free agent?

Why hasn't he re-signed as yet?

PS Rooch, if you could just throw a small reference to 'big fellas' in your report that would be greatly appreciated.

I said this a week ago.

It's going to happen and we are going to get a decent concession pick.

 

[Skippy231]

We will take whatever we get, would be a good deal if it were a top 20-30 pick

 

[Smoooothy]

We will take whatever we get, would be a good deal if it were a top 20-30 pick

you'd think he'd attract a mid 1st round pick

2 time b&f winner, 4th in the brownlow last year and consistent results there for a few years, genuine star of the competition, best arms in the afl by a distance

 

[alex_is_on_fire]

3 questions -

1) have the AFL come out this year and said compensation picks will for the loss of free agents will be significantly lower than last year

And

2) port Adelaide got a 2nd round pick for the loss of Danyle Pearce and St Kilda received a 1st round pick fir the loss of Brenden Goddard, therefore we should receive a pick somewhere between that.

What kind of compensation should we receive should be leave with free agency?

3) should we actively be encouraging him to leave via free agency?

 

[AdelaideFan14]

Isn't the best compo a pick after your first pick? In the unlikely case of Thompson leaving, would we get a pick in the spot where we would have had our first pick if it weren't taken away (7-9) or would they give an end of first round compensation or would it be after our first active pick in the draft (46ish)? Did the AFL specify this when it handed down the penalties?

 

[SugarShane]

...or would it be after our first active pick in the draft (46ish)? Did the AFL specify this when it handed down the penalties?

Don't give them ideas.

 

[alex_is_on_fire]

Isn't the best compo a pick after your first pick? In the unlikely case of Thompson leaving, would we get a pick in the spot where we would have had our first pick if it weren't taken away (7-9) or would they give an end of first round compensation or would it be after our first active pick in the draft (46ish)? Did the AFL specify this when it handed down the penalties?

If they wanted to give us another whack - it will be the latter.

If they want to be nice, it will be the former.

Hopefully he stays and it's neither.

 

[Vader]

Firstly, he's not an unrestricted free agent. He arrived at the club at the end of 2004, so 2013 is his 9th season on our list. I have no doubt at all that he's in our top-10 highest paid players, so that makes him a restricted free agent.

Does that throw a spanner in the works of your little conspiracy?

 

[alex_is_on_fire]

Firstly, he's not an unrestricted free agent. He arrived at the club at the end of 2004, so 2013 is his 9th season on our list. I have no doubt at all that he's in our top-10 highest paid players, so that makes him a restricted free agent.

Does that throw a spanner in the works of your little conspiracy?

Then, that leads to this question...


Should we match any offer he receives knowing he only has 2 or at best 3 seasons left and if he does leave, we can receive a 'good' draft pick.

 

[Vader]

you'd think he'd attract a mid 1st round pick

2 time b&f winner, 4th in the brownlow last year and consistent results there for a few years, genuine star of the competition, best arms in the afl by a distance

Highly doubtful. Thompson is 30 and will turn 31 around R3 2014 (March 14th). The AFL do take players ages into account when handing out the compensation picks.

I'd say we'd be looking at band 2 compensation - end of the 1st round. No way on earth we'll get band 1 for a player in his 30s, but he's too good for them to shaft us by giving us band 3.

 

[Allefgib]

Firstly, he's not an unrestricted free agent. He arrived at the club at the end of 2004, so 2013 is his 9th season on our list. I have no doubt at all that he's in our top-10 highest paid players, so that makes him a restricted free agent.

Does that throw a spanner in the works of your little conspiracy?

Apologies - I meant to say restricted (hence the reference to not wanting to match the money).

Not a conspiracy theory - get off your high horse - just thinking through possible scenarios. I hope to shit the club are so we don't get blind sided AGAIN.

What were his reasons to coming back to Adealide? Family related?

Now his family has split and he has a new GF, I assume the draw of what she is doing and where she is going to be woudl be significant. Obviously his kids are likely to be a massive factor for him - so chances are he'd stay. But if its 2 years, on a shit load more cash, and fits with his desire to build a long-term relationship with a new woman. It could be on the cards and the club should be thinking about it.

If we know (and I have no idea, so people drop your views) the AFL is still giving reasonable compensation for losses to free agency, it might be worth considering letting him go if he is given a large offer.

 

[Allefgib]

Highly doubtful. Thompson is 30 and will turn 31 around R3 2014 (March 14th). The AFL do take players ages into account when handing out the compensation picks.

I'd say we'd be looking at band 2 compensation - end of the 1st round. No way on earth we'll get band 1 for a player in his 30s, but he's too good for them to shaft us by giving us band 3.

End of first round is a MASSIVE step up on where we are at right now...

 

[Allefgib]

Let me just say my ideal situation is Thommo gets fit and plays out 2 more magnificent years for the club in the top 5 in the BnF for a team that goes deep in the finals.

But we have to look at possibilities and options....

 

[Vader]

Then, that leads to this question...


Should we match any offer he receives knowing he only has 2 or at best 3 seasons left and if he does leave, we can receive a 'good' draft pick.

Depends on how "good" the draft pick would be. I'd be betting on band 2, not band 1. Also depends on how many $$$ they throw at him.

I've long said that Crouch is Thompson's replacement in the midfield. I love the way Crouch has developed so far, but he's still a year or two off being ready to take Thompson's mantle as our premier midfielder (along with Dangerfield). From that basis, I think it probably is important to retain him.

Then again, if the club is prepared to accept that bottoming out is a natural part of the AFL's life cycle, then letting Thompson go for a high draft pick may be in the club's best interests. Note that this would require a complete backflip, reversing the club's long standing policy of refusing to accept failure as an option.

 

[Skippy231]

If we lost Thompson as a FA and maybe another FA say Porplyzia would that give us a better FA compensation pick? or would we receive 2 picks and the one for Porps would be a possible 2nd or 3rd round pick? Im not too sure how it works but it seems like a logical way of getting some picks while opening up positions in the team for players like Lyons and Kerridge

 

[Vader]

End of first round is a MASSIVE step up on where we are at right now...

Indeed it is.. but we'd be paying a pretty major price to purchase it.

It would also prevent us from signing any players as Free Agents, because we'd lose that pick as a result. Remember, that's why Port opted to trade for Wantfrees, rather than signing him as a FA - because they didn't want to lose the compo pick they got for Pearce.

 

[Cap]

would be an interesting move by them, if not a good one for both parties IMO.

 

[alex_is_on_fire]

If he hasn't signed a new contract by the end of the minor round, I think he is gone as signing him shouldn't be a 'no brainer'

If they want to keep him, ths should be a high priority right now.

 

[Vader]

If we lost Thompson as a FA and maybe another FA say Porplyzia would that give us a better FA compensation pick? or would we receive 2 picks and the one for Porps would be a possible 2nd or 3rd round pick? Im not too sure how it works but it seems like a logical way of getting some picks while opening up positions in the team for players like Lyons and Kerridge

Unknown. The AFL has not revealed how it calculates the FA compensation picks. We know that it's supposed to balance things up, so if you lose a player to FA you get a pick - but if you lose one and gain another, then you get nothing (despite the fact that you may have lost a gun and signed a nug). We assume it's based on a similar formula to that used for calculating GC/GWS compo picks.. but that's only an assumption.

 

[Glenno23]

Then, that leads to this question...


Should we match any offer he receives knowing he only has 2 or at best 3 seasons left and if he does leave, we can receive a 'good' draft pick.

Great question....

I would be inclined to take the pick if it was a first rounder......

And i love Thommo to bits. But we have a ready made replacement or 2 (Crouch and Lyons)

 

[Elder van Berlo]

If we lost Thompson as a FA and maybe another FA say Porplyzia would that give us a better FA compensation pick? or would we receive 2 picks and the one for Porps would be a possible 2nd or 3rd round pick? Im not too sure how it works but it seems like a logical way of getting some picks while opening up positions in the team for players like Lyons and Kerridge

Pretty sure the bolded is how it works. Pretty sure Port got 1 pick for Pearce and Chaplin. And a pretty uninspiring one at that. I think we would be disappointed with what we get as FA compensation from Thompson and/or Porps.