Opinion Is Buddy's nine year contract finally coming back to haunt the Swans?

Is Buddy's nine year contract finally haunting the Swans?


  • Total voters
    251
Jul 13, 2015
36,294
40,453
AFL Club
Hawthorn
Really Buddy's contract is perfect timing for the Swans as he is being paid the most in 2021 out of every year of his contract, getting around $1.4 million, and that is a perfect year for us as right now we are a developing list who may even be struggling to meet the 95% minimum cap requirements under normal circumstances. Paying Buddy a lot of money in 2021 is no big deal and him being on less in 2022 and then his contract ends after that means as our young players develop we are naturally going to have more space in the cap for when we do need that money.

Also side note, Papley I think said a few days ago that Buddy is still a possibility for round 1 so don't rule him out.

Yep. Trust the pre season hype. Its never wrong.
 
Feb 28, 2007
51,375
66,869
Sydney
AFL Club
Sydney
You can spin it however you want. A player who is still owed millions of dollars and can’t get on the park is a bust. I would hate for many of you to be running my business.

Not a problem when we are a young team that would probably be struggling to meet our cap requirements otherwise. We are not losing any players due to Buddy's contract right now.
 
Jun 12, 2018
4,156
7,918
AFL Club
Fremantle
Not a problem when we are a young team that would probably be struggling to meet our cap requirements otherwise. We are not losing any players due to Buddy's contract right now.
I agree it’s better to pay stars to much cash early in a rebuild then paying overs to unproven young talent.
A lot of young players need the carrot of a large paycheque to progress/develop in to better footballers.
If they get the carrot before they deserve it like some dees/blues/suns kids in the past.
there’s little development and your swag of early picks become irrelevant.
 
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Cotchins Hair Piece

Bouffant Flat Top
Mar 6, 2019
4,774
10,355
AFL Club
Melbourne
I agree it’s better to pay stars to much cash early in a rebuild then paying overs to unproven
1613638728064.jpeg

He’s no longer a star though and hasn’t been for some time, is the issue.
 
Jun 12, 2018
4,156
7,918
AFL Club
Fremantle
View attachment 1060707
He’s no longer a star though and hasn’t been for some time, is the issue.
Did you get the rest of the message
You have to pay the cap
Every young swans player is striving to have the career buddy had so they can get paid a million to do * all!
If I had time I could give you a very long list of highly talented kids that were paid to much to soon and did * all their whole career.
 
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Bjo187

Premiership Player
Apr 30, 2020
3,067
3,976
AFL Club
Essendon
I think it's been a good deal for the swans but i can see the afl's disappointment that he didn't get to gws. I think gws would have been 10 years ahead of where they are now with Franklin's star power.

An argument can be made that Sydney actually weakened afl footy in sydney by snatching him, which indirectly would affect them. I know you always put your own club first, but gws being bigger and more popular helps football in nsw as a whole and therefore indirectly helps the swans, which i'm not sure they thought of.

Actually martin could have been at gws too, but i think the afl blocked it last minute. Imagine both those guys at gws they would be killing it both on, but more importantly for a new club 'off' field now too. I doubt we'll see another player with Franklin's star power for a while so definitely a missed opportunity for the development of gws.
 
Mar 31, 2006
1,195
213
Melbourne
AFL Club
West Coast
who's he thrown up against in the big discussions? stay modern and...

Wayne Carey: mostly spoken about in regards to being the greatest ever, not just as a full forward. Made those around him play better, won games off his own boot, campaigner of a bloke but...
Gary Ablett Senior: ...same thing, probably the clear best player at his club and dragged them to Grand Finals and still performed in them
Plugga: goals galore – playing for ******* St Kilda, then went to Sydney before they were the constant finals pests they are now
Dunstall: 300 more goals in 50 less games

Buddy is probably the best power forward since he's debuted but if I'm starting a new team in 2007 and knowing what they were and what they'd become, I'd genuinely take Pav and Riewoldt over him. they brought far more as people, even if theyre deadshits as commentators, and never got to prove themselves in actual really good teams.
Carey is still the best I've ever seen.
 
They won the flag in 2012 and finished top 4 in 2013. They were in a flag window at that point and went on to make a GF in 14 and 16. It is fair to make the point that they may have had a better chance to win one if they could have spread that contract over multiple players.

Not saying right or wrong but a valid point of view.
While yes you can make that argument, you could also say the Swans may of dropped out of the top 4 had they not recruited Buddy. Buddy perhaps kept them in contention longer and got them back in to 2 Grand Finals

Did the Swans lose many players after the 2013 season?
 
Aug 9, 2017
18,572
47,084
Penguin
AFL Club
Tasmania
Other Teams
Hurricanes, Panthers
While yes you can make that argument, you could also say the Swans may of dropped out of the top 4 had they not recruited Buddy. Buddy perhaps kept them in contention longer and got them back in to 2 Grand Finals

Did the Swans lose many players after the 2013 season?
Mumford, Malceski, Jetta, Mitchell the notable ones from 13-17 when they were in that window.

Whilst not ideal is not as bad as i thought it was.
 
Feb 28, 2007
51,375
66,869
Sydney
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Sydney
Mumford, Malceski, Jetta, Mitchell the notable ones from 13-17 when they were in that window.

Whilst not ideal is not as bad as i thought it was.

Malceski wanted a 3 year deal and the Swans were only willing to offer him a 2 year deal, something that was proven correct, and Jetta wanted to go back home. Neither was an issue of the Swans not having enough money in the cap.
 
Aug 9, 2017
18,572
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Tasmania
Other Teams
Hurricanes, Panthers
Malceski wanted a 3 year deal and the Swans were only willing to offer him a 2 year deal, something that was proven correct, and Jetta wanted to go back home. Neither was an issue of the Swans not having enough money in the cap.
Well yes and no, you have more money to offer per year maybe Malceski stays for 2 at a higher $ per year.
 
Mumford, Malceski, Jetta, Mitchell the notable ones from 13-17 when they were in that window.

Whilst not ideal is not as bad as i thought it was.
Mumford from memory was from the same season as Buddy and to GWS so it wasn’t like he trying to leave the Sydney area so I guess that was probably a direct loss.

Jetta going back to WA possibly would of happened regardless of Buddy, not sure of the circumstances surrounding him leaving or any of the others though.
 
Mar 31, 2006
1,195
213
Melbourne
AFL Club
West Coast
I genuinely think Sydney has got their money's worth so far. Maybe not a flag, but the exposure he's brought to them is great and he's still up there as one of the top KPFs in the comp. When fit, he always has an argument to the #1 spot.
It wasn't really their money, it was AFL money, But AFL - Sydney same thing, so, yeah
The next 3 seasons will be interesting, with 40% of his contract still to be paid out. Franklin would be absolutely laughing though.
Lolz.
 

Rich01

Brownlow Medallist
Oct 5, 2004
12,260
12,818
Melbourne
AFL Club
Richmond
Other Teams
Richmond
While yes you can make that argument, you could also say the Swans may of dropped out of the top 4 had they not recruited Buddy. Buddy perhaps kept them in contention longer and got them back in to 2 Grand Finals
Yep, he gave them that shot to win another flag and they just missed out.

The penalty for getting him is the crippling aspect of the last years of his contract, when the list needs to be strengthened again. The club knew this at the time and unfortunately it didn’t play out the way they were hoping.

Don’t think it was the wrong decision at the time though.
 

WCE_phil

Brownlow Medallist
Nov 14, 2009
13,147
21,981
perth
AFL Club
West Coast
Yep, he gave them that shot to win another flag and they just missed out.

The penalty for getting him is the crippling aspect of the last years of his contract, when the list needs to be strengthened again. The club knew this at the time and unfortunately it didn’t play out the way they were hoping.

Don’t think it was the wrong decision at the time though.

The swans would have also considered a continuation of increase to the salary cap. Covid has really made this much worse for them than what it would have been.
 
Oct 2, 2016
10,957
22,695
AFL Club
Sydney
Mitchell is the biggest loss from Buddy's contract, Mumford really stepped up when he moved to the Giants. We likely would have kept Membery had he played more senior footy & Aliir probably wouldn't have been edged out if we had more cap space.

The biggest difference is we couldn't recruit many players right now and are focusing on youth
 
Mitchell is the biggest loss from Buddy's contract, Mumford really stepped up when he moved to the Giants. We likely would have kept Membery had he played more senior footy & Aliir probably wouldn't have been edged out if we had more cap space.

The biggest difference is we couldn't recruit many players right now and are focusing on youth
tbf not being able to recruit players and having to focus on youth development has been a god send for you

The Sydney rebuild so far has looked perfect

Give it a couple of years when the rebuild should be bearing fruition and there will be a $1m in the salary cap freed up to go after a big name recruit
 
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