How is it that we've come to contracted players nominating clubs?

Jun 23, 2008
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Because it doesn't and never has made logical sense for an uncontracted player to be tradeable currency.

Hopefully players and clubs are realising this, and are back-door forcing a proper free agency and trade system to be introduced, by "rorting" the current farcical, half-arsed system.

The contract should be for a spot in the league, not tying you down to a particular club for the length of the deal, if you wish to leave or the club wishes to trade you.
 
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If the Dougal Howard rumors are true and he has in fact nominated North to play for while contracted until 2022. How the fu** is it that clubs are allowing this bulls**t to happen. It doesn't happen at Hawthorn. Clubs need to harden the fu** up and set the boundaries.
you must have been pissed off when Fantasia nominated Port last night
 

t0mmO

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Sep 10, 2013
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I understand nominating a city and think that it's only fair that even contacted players can nominate one.

Nominating a specific club, however, I do not like. Players should be forced to accepting a trade to any club provided it is in their city of choice.

Kelly is a good example. Geelong only have one bidder to work with since he nominated West Coast and it *s Geelong's negotiating position.
 
Aug 9, 2017
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Nothing wrong with a player requesting a trade to a particular club because the current club can hold him to it.

If i am a Hawthorn player and i want to request a trade to the Lions and only the Lions i should have every right to make that request, but if the Hawks can not come to a trade they are happy with they can just hold them. Nominating a club is not an issue because the clubs are not forced to trade them.
 

rmcq

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Sep 6, 2017
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Footballers are human beings. They're entitled to try to play wherever they want. Fact is, with free agency, clubs prefer to negotiate with other clubs while the player is under contract since they have more leverage.

But in short, I prefer that players have a say in where they want to play, just like everyone else in the world gets to choose who they work for.
 

Furn2

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Sep 27, 2012
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Clubs dont have to trade them.

Although you could have a penalty so that the new team has to pay more in cap than the actual player gets. 10% per year left or something.

EG player A has 2 years to go on his contract but asks to be traded.

His new deal is 500k a year over 5 years.

The new club/player gets a 20% penalty so 600k per year counts in the cap.
 

rmcq

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Sep 6, 2017
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Sorry I don't get it. If a player wants to leave, wouldn't you want them to go?
 
So basically players who willingly signed a contract should be allowed to not only break it but also chose the terms of how they break it....meanwhile kids get indentured to all corners of the country through the draft and that's OK.

I thought signing up kids to sweep your chimney died out two centuries ago.
 

rmcq

????????????
Sep 6, 2017
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So basically players who willingly signed a contract should be allowed to not only break it but also chose the terms of how they break it....meanwhile kids get indentured to all corners of the country through the draft and that's OK.

I thought signing up kids to sweep your chimney died out two centuries ago.
That's a pretty emotive response.

Everyone is entitled to break a contract. However, breaking contracts has consequences.

That said, no-one is breaking contracts. A contact can be terminated at any time if both parties agree. And that's exactly what happens in the AFL. Both parties agree. As I've already said, its in the club's interest to facilitate a trade rather than wait for a player to become uncontracted. And that's why there's more now than before.

As to your comments about first year players? They choose to enter the AFL draft system in the knowledge they may have to move away from home. They can choose a different career if they want. The 2 year minimum is in the player's interests, not the club's.
 
Aug 13, 2006
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I'm fairly certain that apart from disgruntled players or those with serious reasons to leave other players who are asking for trades whilst in contract are doing so with their clubs understanding that a deal is likely.

For someone like Tim Kelly last year he had a genuine desire to leave for family reasons and pushed the Cats to do a deal they didn't want to do. That is rare.

If Port had absolutely no intention of trading Howard it wouldn't have got this far.

Teams have had all year looking at potential recruits and who they might exchange for picks, they aren't just reacting on the fly. When Port decided Howard wasn't part of their first choice backline they would've started thinking about what to do with him.
 
Aug 13, 2006
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So basically players who willingly signed a contract should be allowed to not only break it but also chose the terms of how they break it....meanwhile kids get indentured to all corners of the country through the draft and that's OK.

I thought signing up kids to sweep your chimney died out two centuries ago.
Kids can always stay home and play state league footy if they want, they don't have to enter the draft. It's unfortunate it happens at 18 but doing 2 years service in your non proffered location for a minimum of 100k is a pretty good entry level deal. There's a lot of industries that ask employees to do shift work, move to rural or even remote locations and don't pay half as much as AFL football does.
 
That's a pretty emotive response.

Everyone is entitled to break a contract. However, breaking contracts has consequences.

That said, no-one is breaking contracts. A contact can be terminated at any time if both parties agree. And that's exactly what happens in the AFL. Both parties agree. As I've already said, its in the club's interest to facilitate a trade rather than wait for a player to become uncontracted. And that's why there's more now than before.

As to your comments about first year players? They choose to enter the AFL draft system in the knowledge they may have to move away from home. They can choose a different career if they want. The 2 year minimum is in the player's interests, not the club's.

What's the consequence for a contracted player breaking his contract and going to the club of his choice?
 
Kids can always stay home and play state league footy if they want, they don't have to enter the draft. It's unfortunate it happens at 18 but doing 2 years service in your non proffered location for a minimum of 100k is a pretty good entry level deal. There's a lot of industries that ask employees to do shift work, move to rural or even remote locations and don't pay half as much as AFL football does.

And contracted senior footballers....can you know, play out the contract they chose to sign.
 

BF Tiger

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A player signs a contract so that he has a guaranteed contract. If he does his knee he knows he’s getting paid regardless. He also knows that if a deal can’t be made he’s getting paid regardless, but if a deal is done then even better.
 
May 5, 2006
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Contracts should be enforceable and tradeable.

Brad Hill, Jon Patton, Josh Bruce... whoever, the clubs chasing them should be trading for the balance of their contracts however high or low they are. You want Patton you pay him $800k for 2020 and then re-sign him for whatever you like after that. You want Papley you pay him his next 4 years' worth. None of this sign for $500k, ask to be traded for $800k crap. You trade for someone like Brad Hill who gets itchy feet every 5 minutes you run the risk that he wants to move again in two years when out of contract.

Won't work unless the AFL do away with this front/back ending nonsense that undermines the salary cap.

How about this:

2 year draft contract as now, 2 x $100k ish
years 3 & 4 max contract $250k per season, original club can pay $300k
years 5-7, proper restricted FA. You can sign with whoever but the original club can match and that makes you contracted.
years 7+ proper free agency, no compo
 
Frankly they should just do away with the term contract and call them gentlemen's agreements.
Surely not a serious post. The consequence of breaking your contract would be that you can’t play AFL and you don’t get paid.

Really? These players are breaking their contracts and getting to not only do that but chose where they go. The whole point of my post you quoted the above in.

So, again, what are the consequences of a player breaking his contract and going to the club of his choice?
 
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