Opinion [POLL] Would you support an attempt at Buddy

[JJHunter]

With the 95% cap rule being introduced this is irrelevant, we have to pay 95% regardless.

The issue is how to we accommodate that sort of cap space on the 1 in 1,000,000 chance he'd want to come to us whilst we are competing with GWS who have COLA + a $1m marketing allowance

Just as aside - I hate the mandatory 95% payment thing.
As if the melbourne GWS and Suns playing groups should be entitled to the same total payments as the Hawks, Pies or say cats with their premiership players etc. You need more scope than just the 5% IMO.

 

[Zgope1]

We have a coach who preaches a team first mantra. He shoots down talk of injured Cooney and previously Brian Lake because he suggests that we are a team. Recruiting Buddy 'have a shot from 70 instead of squaring it up to utilise your free teammates' Franklin would crap on everything we've been developing. It also sends a bad message to Jones and Cordy who have years of service to give us and are taking steps forward at a good enough rate for me.

 

[Mutt]

I voted no, although I concede Buddy is a 'difference maker' and if you are going to bet the farm (salary cap wise) on one player, they damn well have to make a huge, positive difference. Buddy is one of the top two or three players of the current decade - he certainly ticks the "can he play?" box like few others can.

However, if we recruit Buddy, what as a club do we stand for? Brendan McCartney's club and team values go out the window in my view (and not just because of the off-field time bomb we would have paid dearly to acquire.) Buddy appears to me to be selfish and self-absorbed on and off the field. Maybe most of the greats are - and Buddy is one of the greats of the current era, no doubt.

Beyond the character questions, I can't reconcile getting ourselves back into the situation we found with Brian Lake. In Buddy we would have a player who is being paid far more than anyone else on the list and whose paycheck creates real problems when it comes to getting other players to re-up.

All of the players on our list would know that Buddy cares little about our club - he would only ever have come to the Western Bulldogs because we are writing a substantially larger paycheck than anyone else. Why then shouldn't all of the players on our list have that same attitude? It's a free-for-all right?

"Loyalty...bah humbug!"
"Chris Grant... was a fool and a loser for not going to Port for the big bucks."

Having Buddy soaking up that much of our cap for 5 years is gambling with the future of our club and I oppose it.

Lastly, Buddy is a restricted free agent. Hawthorn have the right to match the offer from another club, although this does not require Buddy to accept the Hawks matching offer. If Hawthorn refuses to match the offer, what does that say about Buddy and his standing at Hawthorn? If Hawthorn do match but Buddy decides not to accept the Hawks matching bid, what does that say about Buddy? Either way, why would we want to be involved in that scenario at all?

I'd love to know what Chris Grant thinks about paying Buddy $1.5M per season for 5 years...because that's what it would take for us to get Buddy in my view.

 

[DogDays]

I voted no, although I concede Buddy is a 'difference maker' and if you are going to bet the farm (salary cap wise) on one player, they damn well have to make a huge, positive difference. Buddy is one of the top two or three players of the current decade - he certainly ticks the "can he play?" box like few others can.

However, if we recruit Buddy, what as a club do we stand for? Brendan McCartney's club and team values go out the window in my view (and not just because of the off-field time bomb we would have paid dearly to acquire.) Buddy appears to me to be selfish and self-absorbed on and off the field. Maybe most of the greats are - and Buddy is one of the greats of the current era, no doubt.

Beyond the character questions, I can't reconcile getting ourselves back into the situation we found with Brian Lake. In Buddy we would have a player who is being paid far more than anyone else on the list and whose paycheck creates real problems when it comes to getting other players to re-up.

All of the players on our list would know that Buddy cares little about our club - he would only ever have come to the Western Bulldogs because we are writing a substantially larger paycheck than anyone else. Why then shouldn't all of the players on our list have that same attitude? It's a free-for-all right?

Loyalty...bah humbug!
Chris Grant... was a fool and a loser for not going to Port for the big bucks.

Having Buddy soaking up that much of our cap for 5 years is gambling with the future of our club and I oppose it.

Lastly, Buddy is an unrestricted free agent. Hawthorn have the right to match the offer from another club, although this does not require Buddy to accept the Hawks matching offer. If Hawthorn refuses to match the offer, what does that say about Buddy and his standing at Hawthorn? If Hawthorn do match but Buddy decides not to accept the Hawks matching bid, what does that say about Buddy? Either way, why would we want to be involved in that scenario at all?

I'd love to know what Chris Grant thinks about paying Buddy $1.5M per season for 5 years...because that's what it would take for us to get Buddy in my view.

Chris Grant had (has) something that (some) modern players, coaches, teams and the AFL don't - integrity. While he might not have been paid the money that Port would have given, he stood by his own morale code and finished his playing days with his integrity and reputation intact. I don't think he deserves you or anyone else calling him a fool and a loser.

 

[Mutt]

Chris Grant had (has) something that (some) modern players, coaches, teams and the AFL don't - integrity. While he might not have been paid the money that Port would have given, he stood by his own morale code and finished his playing days with his integrity and reputation intact. I don't think he deserves you or anyone else calling him a fool and a loser.

You've completely misread my post - I agree with everything you've said about Chris Grant - he is a hero to me.

 

[_Mike_]

Loyalty...bah humbug!
Chris Grant... was a fool and a loser for not going to Port for the big bucks.

Grant was above the money.. A s**t bloke would have left a struggling club that needed him more than ever at the time. Grant was those 1%'ers who gave everything to the club that put some faith in them.. Much more than you can say for a number of other players.

If it wasnt for Grant then I dont think we would have gotten as close as we did in 97, but the fortune of a club does not, or should not rest on the shoulders of one player

 

[DogDays]

You've completely misread my post - I agree with everything you've said about Chris Grant - he is a hero to me.

Good to hear - i was getting worried about you for a minute!

 

[DogDays]

Grant was above the money.. A s**t bloke would have left a struggling club that needed him more than ever at the time. Grant was those 1%'ers who gave everything to the club that put some faith in them.. Much more than you can say for a number of other players.

If it wasnt for Grant then I dont think we would have gotten as close as we did in 97, but the fortune of a club does not, or should not rest on the shoulders of one player

While it should not - there have been times in the past where it did (and may again in the future). Can you imagine if Chris Grant had gone to Port? Would we all be on a board like the Fitzroy one lamenting our beloved Bulldogs?

 

[fitzroybowiedog]

its not lamenting, its celebrating.

 

[_Mike_]

While it should not - there have been times in the past where it did (and may again in the future). Can you imagine if Chris Grant had gone to Port? Would we all be on a board like the Fitzroy one lamenting our beloved Bulldogs?

The strength of a club is measured on the success of its core unit. You only need to look back at how Geelong went from 07-11 with and without (Sc)Ablett.

We'll never know the what-ifs had Grant left. Thankfully the right decision was made for the future of the club

 

[Mutt]

I'm a bit worried that I've accidently shot Bambi here. For those of you who think I believe Chris Grant is a fool and a loser for not taking the big bucks from Port, please re-read my post, and in particular the para immediately above the Chris Grant reference.

 

[_Mike_]

I'm a bit worried that I've accidently shot Bambi here. For those of you who think I believe Chris Grant is a fool and a loser for not taking the big bucks from Port, please re-read my post, and in particular the para immediately above the Chris Grant reference.

I think most would see that. Its not easy to detect the demeanor of the poster when reading the thread. I only picked that out of the thread to reitterate to others who might jump in on the defensive

 

[_Mike_]

And on another note, I would have preferred matching GWS' offer to Ward rather than sinking it on someone like Franklin. But thats a whole other can of worms and debate

 

[DogDays]

And on another note, I would have preferred matching GWS' offer to Ward rather than sinking it on someone like Franklin. But thats a whole other can of worms and debate

We should get Franklin for free - sheesh, we've already given them Lake and Fantasia, what more do they want?

 

[_Mike_]

We should get Franklin for free - sheesh, we've already given them Lake and Fantasia, what more do they want?

Dahlhaus, Libba and Wallis..

 

[DragzLS1]

Franklin isnt the right type of person for teh club. Absolute star he definitely is, but not teh right person.

 

[stmookeyj]

The worst that could come out of an attempt is a No from the player (or his greedy yap dog known as a player manager), so why not?

 

[The Original Swooper]

NO

If Franklin is willing to leave a club he has played in Premierships with for extra $ (it's not like he's on a pittance) he is not the type I'd want to risk the future of retaining our kids with. The Chris Grant anaolgy being used here is so apt. Sure, make a play for 1M. We know that won't get it, but any more is risking the stability of our future list.

I believe Jones & Stringer represent a bright future for our forward line, Cordy would be a bonus (or a bloody tall decoy!!) because I think Williams will eventually be tall forward #2.

 

[Leon]

Buddy is my favourite non Bulldogs player and I'd give anything for him to play with us but I can't imagine he would want to come to a club like us due to

a) We are rebuilding and 3-4 years away at least from being contenders where as Buddy is in his footballing prime. If he were to leave Hawthorn (FWIW I highly doubt he will) I'd suspect he would want to join another club entering a premiership window. Hence I also doubt he'd join GWS, regardless of how much they offer him

b) We are a low drawing and low profile club that wouldn't suit a player with his sort of profile and celebrity


On the logistical side of things, would we even have the cash to even make him an offer worth considering?

I'd doubt it.

 

[Bulldog Banana]

I voted yes for under 1.2 mill.
Im sick of our club being treated like the 2 headed freak that lives in the cellar by the AFL & the media.
If Buddy gets us out of that position due to us getting more exposure and the uttimate success we would all be applauding the decision to go after him.
At least he would be 5 years younger than Barry Hall when we went after him.
If you look at our list, who do we have that we can say is a "game changer"?
Griffin is the most probable but he gets a hard tag each week. Cooney at his best was, but thats now a "was" due to his knee. Stringer looks like he could be, but that remains to be seen.
I reckon with our forward line with Jones / Cordy could be great foils for a player like Buddy.
Having said all that, he would most likely go back home if he doesnt stay at Hawthorn, so it probably wont matter anyway.

 

[Butane]

Would be suicidal for our long-term development and any future chances of a flag.

Remember, it's not $1.5+mill. It's $1.5+mill for 5 YEARS.

By Buddy's 3rd year we would be losing key players because of salary cap reasons.

This hasn't happened to any other club yet. Not saying it's not a possible consequence but I'm just yet to see it.

 

[fronkalicious]

Nah. Waste of time. He won't come and we'd just risk upsetting some of our own crop in the process. Daisy Thomas on the other hand.....