Free Agency James Worpel - Joins Geelong as a Restricted Free Agent, Hawthorn receive Band 4 Compensation

[Jack Richards]

End of 2nd round compo pick is going Hawks way

 

[crankygeese]

And by 2027 it would put him easily in the bottom 1/3 of age 25+ players. So he is being paid bugger all.

Yeah he really wouldn't be getting paid that much. 500k or so.

Though I wouldn't say 500k a year for 4 years is bugger all in the grand scheme of things.

 

[HairyO]

Yeah he really wouldn't be getting paid that much. 500k or so.

Though I wouldn't say 500k a year for 4 years is bugger all in the grand scheme of things.

For us regular folk maybe. By AFL standards it is sweet **** all.

 

[Art Vandelay_]

Lore

Hawthorn have not matched.

 

[Ashman23]

Good luck and thank you to Worps.

**** off AFL with your cooked secret herbs and spices.

Pick 40-ish is a ****ing joke. Band 4, my ass.

 

[MasterSamurai]

Where are people getting 500 K from? It's between the 650-700k mark. This was reported months ago .

 

[Lore]

 

[Snuffaluphagus]

Band 4 is crazy, band 2 is closer to his value. Would have thought that was worth being difficult from Hawks. Hes no star but just another Geelong get em cheap to add to the pile

 

[Ashman23]

They don’t exist. AFL have said dollars and age are pretty much the only components when trying to defend other moves but the maths don’t quite add up when looking at ones like this.

650-700k 26 year old is worth pick 40? Wouldn’t have thought so.

Holy shit, this must be unfair from the AFL if Coasters is on our side for a change.

 

[Scotland]

Band 4 wowee. So equivalent to Jack Graham

17

Jack Graham

Age

27

Ht

181cm

Wt

85kg

Pos.

M/F

Career

Season

Last 5

D

14.7

4star

K

8.0

3star

HB

6.8

4star

M

2.1

2star

T

6.3

5star

CL

1.8

4star

D

11.8

3star

K

5.3

2star

HB

6.5

4star

M

2.8

3star

T

4.2

5star

CL

1.2

4star

D

14.0

4star

K

6.0

3star

HB

8.0

5star

M

1.8

2star

T

7.0

5star

CL

3.2

5star

, James Jordon or Matt Flynn. That doesn't feel right, though he is joining Geelong so when you factor in fringe benefits it's more like an $800k p.a. deal.

 

[SSSSSS]

Band 4 is kinda crazy but band 3 isn't technically too far off band 4.

I thought he would get band 3 realistically.

 

[TheEscapeClub]

Band 4 is crazy, band 2 is closer to his value. Would have thought that was worth being difficult from Hawks. Hes no star but just another Geelong get em cheap to add to the pile

He's cheap because he can't kick, we've already got plenty of them.

A midfield rotation including Danger, Smith, Holmes and now Worpel, fmd.

 

[JasRulz63]

He's cheap because he can't kick, we've already got plenty of them.

A midfield rotation including Danger, Smith, Holmes and now Worpel, fmd.

He's kicking isn't great, but I reckon his bigger issue is it feels like he gets caught with the ball more than most players.

 

[Art Vandelay_]

There really needs to be a 1 point infraction handed out for spurious claims of under the table assistance with our players.
Getting ridiculous now with it just being an assumption for all players.

 

[Wojcinski]

Band 4 wowee. So equivalent to Jack Graham, James Jordon or Matt Flynn. That doesn't feel right, though he is joining Geelong so when you factor in fringe benefits it's more like an $800k p.a. deal.

Do people think Worpel is better than Graham and Jordon? I'd have put him in that very group as far as on field performance

 

[Hamingja]

Geelong not overpaying on his contract, who would have ever thought.

 

[crankygeese]

Band 4 is kinda crazy but band 3 isn't technically too far off band 4.

I thought he would get band 3 realistically.

It would also depend on guaranteed money. Compensation is based on guaranteed money only. So if Worpel has 100k-150k in performance incentives, they don't get factored in.

That might be the tipping point.

 

[HeHateMe]

Do people think Worpel is better than Graham and Jordon? I'd have put him in that very group as far as on field performance

If you look at measures like Brownlow votes, coaches votes or Best and Fairest results Worps is far superior.

You guys got a bargain, well done.

 

[Coasters7]

There really needs to be a 1 point infraction handed out for spurious claims of under the table assistance with our players.
Getting ridiculous now with it just being an assumption for all players.

So players take a 100k pa. haircut for the privilege of playing for Geelong? I wouldn’t have thought so.

Either he’s getting 650-700, in which case band 4 makes no sense. Or he’s getting ~500k which is massive unders.

Someone’s being dodgy somewhere. Either the compo or Geelong’s contract.

 

[Jeremy McLovin]

I know most folks on BigFooty will never read them, but they've been documented a fair bit over the years, and some folks went to great length to document them and source them.

Just go to the section about Compensation and Compensation Bands.

The only bit of information we don't have is the actual average salary. But we can at least narrow it down depending on the band.

Resource - FAQs: Rules, Regulations and Resources for Player Movements in the AFL

List sizes Club age and height profiles Salary cap information Trading rules including salary dumps Father/son & academy draft bids Free agency compensation formula & more

www.bigfooty.com

Wait, what does that bit about compo picks not being used pursuant to father son or academy rules mean? North used the McKay compo pick to bid on Walter, so can't be that - does that mean f/a compo picks can't be used to match a bid?

 

[Pomsta]

Brandon Ellis

4

Brandon Ellis

Age

32

Ht

181cm

Wt

81kg

Pos.

Mid

Career

Season

Last 5

D

21.7

5star

K

12.6

5star

HB

9.0

5star

M

5.3

5star

T

2.4

4star

CL

1.4

4star

D

18.4

4star

K

12.9

5star

HB

5.6

3star

M

4.7

4star

T

2.3

3star

CL

1.4

4star

D

15.0

4star

K

7.8

3star

HB

7.2

5star

M

3.4

4star

T

2.2

4star

CL

1.0

3star

got Band 4 back in 2019 when he went to Gold Coast for $550 for 5 years as a 26 year old. Is this more surprising? Don't think so.

 

[Art Vandelay_]

So players take a 100k pa. haircut for the privilege of playing for Geelong? I wouldn’t have thought so.

Proof?

Either he’s getting 650-700, in which case band 4 makes no sense. Or he’s getting ~500k which is massive unders

Any proof 650-700 isn't band 4 under the new CBA? or that he's getting 500?

Someone’s being dodgy somewhere. Either the compo or Geelong’s contract.

Again, proof?

I think I'll just call out the BS claims of wrongdoing from now on.

 

[Orange Agent]

Some salaries are going up significantly in 2026. All we need to know is what year do the AFL base it on, this year's salaries or future. WCE should prepare themselves for Allen's compo not being what they think it will be.

 

[SSSSSS]

Go well James.

 

[Hamingja]

Some salaries are going up significantly in 2026. All we need to know is what year do the AFL base it on, this year's salaries or future. WCE should prepare themselves for Allen's compo not being what they think it will be.

Eagles will still get top compo for Allen because they need it. That's the biggest part of the AFL's secret herbs and spices. There is no way they actually have a transparent system in place.