Toast LeCras re-signs until 2017!

[Chris_6678]

I think 500k a year is fine..just hope they have front loaded his first year so that in 2015 we have lots of money to give to Nic Nat, Darling, Hurn & Gaff.

If Embley and A Selwood retire that should free up cash.

Cox will not be on a massive contract like last time and same with Glass.

Kerr will probably retire the end of next year and that would free up a fair bit of cash also.

 

[Jimmy_the_Gent]

FWIW:

Nick Rynne ‏@NickRynne

19h​

The LeCras deal was a quick turnaround for West Coast given they didn't sit down with him until the bye. He wanted 4yrs and got it.

Providing the above is accurate, to me, it suggests we know what we're doing. No long negotiation about money, no long negotiation about length - just LeCras' people coming to us and asking for what we were willing to offer.

(Unless we're a total mess and just agreeing to all demands without really thinking about them).

 

[larrikin]

I said "assuming those numbers are correct", you believe they aren't?

I don't know, but you are criticising the club's decsion making process based on guess work on contract value, which is why I said it was a big assumption.

 

[Eagle87]

I don't know, but you are criticising the club's decsion making process based on guess work on contract value, which is why I said it was a big assumption.

I actually criticised it before anyone even speculated on dollars. Read my first post.

Those dollars would simply reinforce my criticism.

4 year contracts for physically brittle 27 year olds playing out of Perth are an awful idea.

 

[Eagle87]

So the feeling is that LeCras new deal is $500K a year? We got a bargain.

Whether go got a bargain or not will depend on his future performances especially in 2016 & 2017 when he turns 30 and 31.....

 

[Spooky17]

Whether go got a bargain or not will depend on his future performances especially in 2016 & 2017 when he turns 30 and 31.....

Mmm, I agree the four years was a bit of a gamble. Especially with our current players around that vintage (i.e. A.Sel, Embers, etc) not performing consistently. LeCras may be a step above so hopefully happy days ahead.

 

[Eagle87]

Mmm, I agree the four years was a bit of a gamble. Especially with our current players around that vintage (i.e. A.Sel, Embers, etc) not performing consistently. LeCras may be a step above so hopefully happy days ahead.

Kerr is 30. He's 4 steps above.

How's that working out?

 

[Scotland]

$500k per year - yeah, maybe. Glass, Cox, Kerr, Embley and Adam Selwood will all go off the list soon. Unless we identify a FA target that money has to go somewhere as draftees will be paid small bikkies regardless if they are pick 1 or pick 100. Veterans list will save us ~$225k over the course of the contract.

4 years - yeah, nah. Almost 27, missed half of 2008, all of 2012 and part of 2013 through injury. Would have offered 3 years at most.

 

[greennick]

$500k per year - yeah, maybe. Glass, Cox, Kerr, Embley and Adam Selwood will all go off the list soon. Unless we identify a FA target that money has to go somewhere as draftees will be paid small bikkies regardless if they are pick 1 or pick 100. Veterans list will save us ~$225k over the course of the contract.

4 years - yeah, nah. Almost 27, missed half of 2008, all of 2012 and part of 2013 through injury. Would have offered 3 years at most.

or 4 years at 350k

 

[bodazoka]

I rekon if he was kicking near his previous averages we would have 8 more points in the bank.

 

[Eagle87]

$500k per year - yeah, maybe. Glass, Cox, Kerr, Embley and Adam Selwood will all go off the list soon. Unless we identify a FA target that money has to go somewhere as draftees will be paid small bikkies regardless if they are pick 1 or pick 100. Veterans list will save us ~$225k over the course of the contract.

4 years - yeah, nah. Almost 27, missed half of 2008, all of 2012 and part of 2013 through injury. Would have offered 3 years at most.

I reckon we got spooked by FA. A lot of young players coming out of contract over next 2 seasons. An extra $500k per annum to throw at someone, on top of the money freed up by some senior retirements might have allowed us to go "offer too good to refuse" for an O'Meara or someone. Sure, maybe we can go that route anyway, but this sends a message that either (a) we are easily spooked by FA or (b) we reward players regardless of fitness, form or age ...

 

[spacejam]

Good to see he won't be playing for another club anytime soon!

 

[Doughboy]

Well done to Lecca and the club!

 

[Scotland]

I reckon we got spooked by FA. A lot of young players coming out of contract over next 2 seasons. An extra $500k per annum to throw at someone, on top of the money freed up by some senior retirements might have allowed us to go "offer too good to refuse" for an O'Meara or someone. Sure, maybe we can go that route anyway, but this sends a message that either (a) we are easily spooked by FA or (b) we reward players regardless of fitness, form or age ...

In $, duration or both?

LeCras is in his 9th season, so is already a restricted FA. If he wanted to chase big coin, the time was now. If he was on GWS' radar he could probably secure a 4 year deal for $600k+.

A simple two year extension would've taken him to the end of 2015, at which point he would be 29 and assuming fitness and form in the position to bargain for another two year deal. A three year deal would've taken him to 30. Not a whole lot of interest out there for 30 year old half forwards. Four years smacks of insurance for the player, rather than the club for mine.

 

[Eagle87]

In $, duration or both?

LeCras is in his 9th season, so is already a restricted FA. If he wanted to chase big coin, the time was now. If he was on GWS' radar he could probably secure a 4 year deal for $600k+.

A simple two year extension would've taken him to the end of 2015, at which point he would be 29 and assuming fitness and form in the position to bargain for another two year deal. A three year deal would've taken him to 30. Not a whole lot of interest out there for 30 year old half forwards. Four years smacks of insurance for the player, rather than the club for mine.

I like you can live with the dollars but the term is all wrong.

Unfortunately we've got FA but we've also got guaranteed contracts. We should use more an NFL model where he can earn the full contract amount only against certain agreed KPI's or the NBA system where we can make the last year or 2 optional at our option or the players depending on the contract.

Unfortunately the AFL seems incapable of properly committing to a genuine professional approach to these things.

For Lecca to leave at the end of this year, the size of contract and term together with his recent AA selection would have meant a first rounder as compensation. I don't want him to leave but if he wasn't prepared to accept 2 or a front loaded 3 with reduced amounts in the third then I'd consider an additional first rounder plus $500k to spend on free agents each of the next 4 seasons reasonable compensation. Especially since we have Hill, who is younger and plays a similar role.

But that's the bigger picture, professional comp, longer term view as opposed to the sky is falling view that often accompanies any player leaving.

It's only 10 or so years since a 25/26 year old Gehrig left us and we got pick 18 in return. Which would be a similar level of compensation as we'd get this year if Lecca had left.

That pick got us Daniel Kerr.

Sometimes you have to take the big picture view.

 

[Scotland]

It was even more recently we had picks 7, 21 and 22 in the same draft. That netted Brad Sheppard alone, so draft picks are no guarantee of anything.

LeCras reminds me of Mark Williams of Hawthorn in the mid 2000s. He was an injury prone, prolific goal kicker whose role changed when two quality key forwards established themselves in the side. He was still very good in 2008, but never as damaging as 2005/6 and fell away badly after that.

I would've been happy to let LeCras go if he was offered Goddard money and we were guaranteed a decent pick in return. He's very good, but he's not huge money good. To sign him up long term right now as one of our highest paid players just doesn't make sense to me.

 

[flamingEMBERS]

somewhat feel we have overpaid and/or given too much length

 

[Eagle87]

It was even more recently we had picks 7, 21 and 22 in the same draft. That netted Brad Sheppard alone, so draft picks are no guarantee of anything.

LeCras reminds me of Mark Williams of Hawthorn in the mid 2000s. He was an injury prone, prolific goal kicker whose role changed when two quality key forwards established themselves in the side. He was still very good in 2008, but never as damaging as 2005/6 and fell away badly after that.

I would've been happy to let LeCras go if he was offered Goddard money and we were guaranteed a decent pick in return. He's very good, but he's not huge money good. To sign him up long term right now as one of our highest paid players just doesn't make sense to me.

I understand draft picks guarantee little but if we are walking away from picks and overpaying existing players because we don't trust our drafting that's a whole different issue.

That draft was diabolical. Had the choice of Jetta or Fyfe and took Shep. Then had 2 picks who aren't on our list anymore with the 3 immediately after them being Carlisle, Black and Duncan! Hard to imagine a worse effort. Which has lead to precisely no consequences for our those who draft and manage our list. We need a shake up.

This may just be a further example of poor list management. Time will tell.

 

[dewcefault]

Wouldn't it make more sense that Lecras wanted security because of his injuries, and was willing to take a pay cut to get it? How many players has West Coast lost to lack of cap space in recent times?

I think it's good we show some loyalty to our senior players, and even when they aren't playing A grade football on the field anymore the learning they bring to the kids is hard to measure but you only need to look as far as Melbourne.
If the MC is willing to drop out of form vets then we won't have a problem!

 

[greennick]

Wouldn't it make more sense that Lecras wanted security because of his injuries, and was willing to take a pay cut to get it? How many players has West Coast lost to lack of cap space in recent times?

I think it's good we show some loyalty to our senior players, and even when they aren't playing A grade football on the field anymore the learning they bring to the kids is hard to measure but you only need to look as far as Melbourne.
If the MC is willing to drop out of form vets then we won't have a problem!

Yeah, I'm not taking those figures as granted.

However, if true, we're idiots if we agreed to that money ($500k) AND length (4 years).

 

[Spooky17]

I personally believe the dollars and contract length were probably a bit much.. too much doubt hanging over LC for my liking.

But let's look at the flip side for a moment... What if LC returns to even close to the form he showed in his AA year, then happy days knowing he's secured long-term. It's an interesting scenario. Just hope it hasn't cost us a Shuey/Gaff/etc down the way.

 

[Chris_6678]

I personally believe the dollars and contract length were probably a bit much.. too much doubt hanging over LC for my liking.

But let's look at the flip side for a moment... What if LC returns to even close to the form he showed in his AA year, then happy days knowing he's secured long-term. It's an interesting scenario. Just hope it hasn't cost us a Shuey/Gaff/etc down the way.

West Coast have always been good at keeping their players happy money wise so i trust the club knows what it is doing. When has a player left for money? ( Yes Lynch did but we didn't exactly try to keep him)

 

[the harry]

West Coast have always been good at keeping their players happy money wise so i trust the club knows what it is doing. When has a player left for money? ( Yes Lynch did but we didn't exactly try to keep him)

Also turning out to be a very good move by the club Re Lynch. Needs more credit to be that rational when it was someone as popular as Lynch.

 

[Jason223]

needs to kick 50 goals a year again.

 

[Chris_6678]

Signing Hill has now been a masterstroke two now with Nico not going to able to play at all this year.