If we had have traded Fyfe?

[gungho]

Controversial opinion: can you imagine if we traded Fyfe at the end of 2019 (after he just won a Brownlow)? Could have had added 2 first rounders like Tom Green

12

Tom Green

Age

23

Ht

192cm

Wt

92kg

Pos.

Mid

Career

Season

Last 5

D

11.5

3star

K

4.3

2star

HB

7.3

5star

M

1.8

2star

T

2.3

4star

CL

2.8

4star

D

11.5

3star

K

4.3

2star

HB

7.3

4star

M

1.8

2star

T

2.3

3star

CL

2.8

4star

D

11.5

3star

K

4.3

2star

HB

7.3

5star

M

1.8

2star

T

2.3

4star

CL

2.8

5star

and Kozzie pickett, who would be playing their 4th season next year and hitting their prime. Is there actually a case to trading out your superstars once the hit 28 (aka the Clarkson model)?

 

[Taylor]

There's no situation I can see where Fremantle can have Tom Green

12

Tom Green

Age

23

Ht

192cm

Wt

92kg

Pos.

Mid

Career

Season

Last 5

D

11.5

3star

K

4.3

2star

HB

7.3

5star

M

1.8

2star

T

2.3

4star

CL

2.8

4star

D

11.5

3star

K

4.3

2star

HB

7.3

4star

M

1.8

2star

T

2.3

3star

CL

2.8

4star

D

11.5

3star

K

4.3

2star

HB

7.3

5star

M

1.8

2star

T

2.3

4star

CL

2.8

5star

and Kozzie Pickett unless Fremantle traded Fyfe to Carlton and for some reason GWS don't match the bid on Green at the exact pick that Carlton bid on him in 2019 and they matched it then.

Not to mention that if Freo has pick #7 (Young), #8 (Serong) and then two more picks in the top twelve they are probably trading up to get that pick #3 off Melbourne to take Luke Jackson

9

Luke Jackson

Age

22

Ht

199cm

Wt

102kg

Pos.

F/R

Career

Season

Last 5

D

8.3

2star

K

3.3

1star

HB

5.0

4star

M

1.5

2star

T

1.0

3star

G

0.3

3star

D

8.3

2star

K

3.3

1star

HB

5.0

3star

M

1.5

2star

T

1.0

2star

G

0.3

3star

D

8.3

3star

K

3.3

2star

HB

5.0

4star

M

1.5

2star

T

1.0

3star

G

0.3

3star

themselves.

... also not mentioning that Fyfe on $1.3m a season for another four years isn't something Freo get good picks for if they are willing to trade their captain, dual Brownlow medalist. There's no world in which Freo are happy to trade Fyfe there.

 

[gungho]

There's no situation I can see where Fremantle can have Tom Green and Kozzie Pickett unless Fremantle traded Fyfe to Carlton and for some reason GWS don't match the bid on Green at the exact pick that Carlton bid on him in 2019 and they matched it then.

Not to mention that if Freo has pick #7 (Young), #8 (Serong) and then two more picks in the top twelve they are probably trading up to get that pick #3 off Melbourne to take Luke Jackson themselves.

... also not mentioning that Fyfe on $1.3m a season for another four years isn't something Freo get good picks for if they are willing to trade their captain, dual Brownlow medalist. There's no world in which Freo are happy to trade Fyfe there.

I reckon GWS would have paid 1.3 million in a heartbeat for Fyfe in 2019. They were in their premiership window then, and one of their biggest problems was player retention. Would suddenly solidify their position as a serious AFL club if a Brownlow medalist went there (not to mention membership spike, merch sales ect not dissimilar to buddy heading to Sydney).
We might not have got Green (as he was academy) but could have got creative with picks if needed and scored a 2019 first and 2020 first.

 

[Sky]

I reckon GWS would have paid 1.3 million in a heartbeat for Fyfe in 2019. They were in their premiership window then, and one of their biggest problems was player retention.

Of course mate, because these people originally wanted Selwood before going for Dusty. Fyfe worth every cent homie

 

[Taylor]

I reckon GWS would have paid 1.3 million in a heartbeat for Fyfe in 2019. They were in their premiership window then, and one of their biggest problems was player retention. Would suddenly solidify their position as a serious AFL club if a Brownlow medalist went there (not to mention membership spike, merch sales ect not dissimilar to buddy heading to Sydney).

That same season they were dropping Patton, Bonar etc for basically free to clear salary cap space with both Cameron and Williams as free agents the following year seeking deals above $800,000.

There's no way GWS could afford to pay Fyfe that much.

 

[theGav56]

Controversial opinion: can you imagine if we traded Fyfe at the end of 2019 (after he just won a Brownlow)? Could have had added 2 first rounders like Tom Green and Kozzie pickett, who would be playing their 4th season next year and hitting their prime. Is there actually a case to trading out your superstars once the hit 28 (aka the Clarkson model)?

Green was Academy and not available, but I'm not a fan of your idea anyway.

 

[SiempreFreo]

Forgive me Gungho, all due respect to the interesting topic you raise, but please can you/Mods tweak heading?
There's no 'could of'- ever - it's always boringly eternally 'could have'.

 

[SiempreFreo]

Sorry again Gungho. My post should have read: there's no 'had of' (or 'could of') etc. etc.
Probably seems trivial but that's grammar for you....

 

[MakeshiftMartyr]

Would not have been worth it, draft picks aren't everything. Go ask Gold Coast.

 

[mayne iac]

IF it happened, we would be in a better position now for sure.

 

[Tonga Bob]

Controversial opinion: can you imagine if we traded Fyfe at the end of 2019 (after he just won a Brownlow)? Could have had added 2 first rounders like Tom Green and Kozzie pickett, who would be playing their 4th season next year and hitting their prime. Is there actually a case to trading out your superstars once the hit 28 (aka the Clarkson model)?

Forgive me Gungho, all due respect to the interesting topic you raise, but please can you/Mods tweak heading?
There's no 'could of'- ever - it's always boringly eternally 'could have'.

Thank goodness somebody picked it up before I started shouting incoherently.

Interesting conundrum though. On one hand we would have capitalised on the high value for Fyfe at the time. On the other hand it would of had sent a pretty clear message to any player who values loyalty that they only have a limited time at Freo, which may well affect stability.

 

[Square Peg]

Last time I checked a player has to want to be traded in order for them to be traded. Has there ever been any inkling that the guy isn't 100% Freo for life? I don't recall any Buddy/Dusty/Dangerfield murmurings, and this is the equivalent calibre of player we're talking about, not some two bit mediocrity.
I think the question is irrelevant if my memory serves me right.

 

[gungho]

Last time I checked a player has to want to be traded in order for them to be traded. Has there ever been any inkling that the guy isn't 100% Freo for life? I don't recall any Buddy/Dusty/Dangerfield murmurings, and this is the equivalent calibre of player we're talking about, not some two bit mediocrity.
I think the question is irrelevant if my memory serves me right.

There are countless examples of a player being traded against their wishes - it’s part of the reason I am never annoyed if someone jumps ship for more money/longer contract. Make no mistake, the AFL is a business

 

[Square Peg]

There are countless examples of a player being traded against their wishes

Such as?

 

[gungho]

That same season they were dropping Patton, Bonar etc for basically free to clear salary cap space with both Cameron and Williams as free agents the following year seeking deals above $800,000.

There's no way GWS could afford to pay Fyfe that much.

Putting GWS and Green to one side, the question is whether any team in the AFL would have paid 2 first rounders and a million bucks a year for a 27 year old 2x Brownlow medalist. I think you’d get pretty short odds that someone would. A more general point is are we ruthless enough as a club in the pursuit of success? I am not sure we are.

 

[Taylor]

Putting GWS and Green to one side, the question is whether any team in the AFL would have paid 2 first rounders and a million bucks a year for a 27 year old 2x Brownlow medalist. I think you’d get pretty short odds that someone would. A more general point is are we ruthless enough as a club in the pursuit of success? I am not sure we are.

... and the picks have to be high enough to warrant Freo even remotely looking at the offer, which means it's the lower ranked sides. Which ones would find a million a year and top top five picks for Fyfe?

 

[gungho]

... and the picks have to be high enough to warrant Freo even remotely looking at the offer, which means it's the lower ranked sides. Which ones would find a million a year and top top five picks for Fyfe?

Why would they be the lower ranked sides? Top ranked sides can get their hands on relatively early picks (look at Geelong this year or Freo the year before. You could package up picks to move up the draft table too). Plus, top ranked sides would be in their premiership window so they are precisely who would have gone all chips in for Fyfe. (With both draft picks and salary).

 

[Square Peg]

I don't think it has anything to do with ruthlessness. It was just a strategic decision. 2016 the club has two choices, go scorched-earth rebuild, or go a restump-rewire to try and get up to speed again as quick as possible whilst Fyfe and Walters were still in their pomp. Fyfe would have been involved in those discussions to choose the latter. It didn't work out. If Fyfe had a flag at the top of his wishlist, he's a victim of a failed strategy not a cause, as it now seems highly unlikely he'll ever win one by buying into our flag by 2020 strategy rather than asking for a trade. If we were ever going to trade him strategically it would have been by choosing a different path in 2016-17 and go full rebuild.

 

[gungho]

Such as?

Treloar, Grundy, Stephenson, josh kennedy x2, Tom Mitchell, (would even argue that Hodge, Lewis and Sam Mitchell would have happily stayed at the Hawks but were pushed out). Acres was pushed out too. If we had guaranteed the same amount of money as Carlton (not put our offer together with clauses and game targets) he would have stayed.

 

[Big Animal]

No doubt clubs are incredibly ruthless and drop people without a second thought every single year.

But as fans. If not for getting behind our players, particularly the ones that turn out to be great, weren't even a top 10 pick, skinny half-back flanker, 'bleed purple', do everything they can to bring us the results we crave, win 2 brownlows, and should have got a third, like Fyfe, what is left?

Literally the only thing left is a name and a jumper colour, and even that has changed.

So far we have changed:

• we're no longer in Freo so can't really be backing our home town of Freo (if it even is)
• the players, coaches, and staff continuously turn over
• the training facility changed
• mascots
• board

Honestly, there's not really anything much left. Just a name and a jumper (well the current version of it anywhere) and some history. I watch to support Freo players and get upset when they want to leave even if I see it is in their best interest. Actually, the more movement and change there is, the less interest I find I have. Trading out players like Fyfe is a fool's journey. It's not like Hawthorn have raced up the ladder. Rather, the incumbent coach who previously got the push to be traded has come back in and chopped the star coach off at the knees and they are still hovering around the bottom. Hasn't worked at all. Down the road, Pendelbury has helped his team race back up the ladder for a quick rebuild.

Don't mind if you disagree with me, but I don't like it. Blokes and particularly stars that choose to stick with Freo get my respect and am happy to keep them until their time is done in AFL.

 

[Square Peg]

Treloar, Grundy, Stephenson, josh kennedy x2, Tom Mitchell, (would even argue that Hodge, Lewis and Sam Mitchell would have happily stayed at the Hawks but were pushed out). Acres was pushed out too. If we had guaranteed the same amount of money as Carlton (not put our offer together with clauses and game targets) he would have stayed.

Fair enough if you have a broad definition of traded against their wishes. The two Kennedys were neophytes when traded, no where near Fyfe at their early career stage. The first few on your list and acres were about clearing money. Hodge retired and came out of retirement. I can't remember if Mitchell was the same but he was on the lookout for a coaching spot.
In short I am not sure any of them are applicable to Fyfe. He's a club champion that wanted to stay and bought into a strategy. Would the gain from pushing him out have been worth it?

 

[Taylor]

Why would they be the lower ranked sides? Top ranked sides can get their hands on relatively early picks (look at Geelong this year or Freo the year before. You could package up picks to move up the draft table too). Plus, top ranked sides would be in their premiership window so they are precisely who would have gone all chips in for Fyfe. (With both draft picks and salary).

Freo couldn't find a top five pick to trade for Jackson.

Why would Freo trade a dual brownlow medallist contracted for over three years to go for less than Chris Judd price?

It's not going to happen unless Freo were pushing out their captain. Even five picks in the teens wouldn't move Fyfe out.

 

[theGav56]

Cute spent a fair bit of time after that dract injured. I'm not suggesting we win a premiership if he wasn't, but he would have made us a different team.

 

[DocT]

View attachment 1563701

Thank goodness somebody picked it up before I started shouting incoherently.

Interesting conundrum though. On one hand we would have capitalised on the high value for Fyfe at the time. On the other hand it would of had sent a pretty clear message to any player who values loyalty that they only have a limited time at Freo, which may well affect stability.

Well put. A club with dignity and respect at its heart is worth two efficient and brutal clubs in the bush. Geelong have clearly made their club a great place to be and their players are willing to sacrifice to be part of it.

 

[Purple Suit]

It's hard to get the balance right but pushing out your Captain who has just won a Brownlow and who doesn't want to leave is not conducive to future success. I'd say you're on the pathway to a Melbourne/Hawthorn style cleanout and it hasn't been a good recipe to follow, especially as we were already losing 1 of our better players every off season for the past 4-5 seasons in a row.