It's not just them. Imagine if you are trying to sign a contract at your club, but you find out that you're being put back while the club is negotiating with a premium a-grader. That would get your heckles up and question your commitment to the club.
The talk is we haven't put a contract in front of Danger (no idea re Sloane/Dougie), but if you're one of those blokes and you hear that Jeremy Cameron has turned down $1m per year at a club that hasn't yet signed you, then you might be a bit miffed. Now, each and every unsigned player might have been inside knowledge on the overall strategy. But I doubt this us the case. I'll move to another paragraph.
Depends on the a-grader and how your squad status. I don't think you'd be that fussed if you were moved back a bit if you were in Sloane/Dangerfield as you're position here isn't in danger and your potentially closer to a flag.
If you were lets say where Wright is currently, well your have the potential to really lose with an premium a-grader coming in and would be pissed
Whilst we haven't put a contract down in front of Danger and Sloane, both of them would be in loop with what we are trying to do and what we plan to offer them if we attract an A grader and if it doesn't seem likely we will attract one. Who knows with Douglas as he isn't in the leadership group.
Noble has probably effed this up. He's been at the club the entire time that we've been ordinary. The people that valued his input are either gone or new enough to not have worked it out yet. He signed (appol's again
AFC979810 ) Mackay for 4 years whilst we were waiting on JR to be able to come on board. Apart from the Bulldogs wanting him, I cannot see a single thing that he's got right. Tex signing aside, although we've had Jezza say no whilst Danger and Rory remain un-signed.
He must be the next guy to go. He weaselled his way to the top under Trigg and it's time he went elsewhere.
Firstly, Mackay on 4 years well internally you know he is rated and if he was in Sando's plans at the time then arguably Noble has done the right thing by signing him long term as it would be based of the coaches wishes. Now you could argue Mackay might of got an extra year due to our outside stocks being terrible, but that's for another debate. 400k isn't much in the AFL world anymore either and if it finally clicks (a miracle... praise the lord) well, it's a bargain
This brings to the second point and that is Nobles main strength and that's been recruiting, which arguably has been the only part of the club we've done a decent job in for the past couple of years.
Jezza we did our due dilligence, we offered him the money that we'd be happy to pay (if the media is believed) and did everything in our power to make it happen (you'd like to believe so after offering 8m x 7yrs), it wasn't meant to be.
Tex was an important signing because having your new captain unsigned is a very bad look (worse than now...) and apparently he was happy to take a paycut regardless so... that was spot on. With Danger and Sloane, one thing keeps coming back to me and that was this post by the man himself:
I'm just saying there is so much to play out and it makes sense for both parties to not sign till later in the year, EVEN IF they are 100% committed to the club. Tex is an anomaly and that's why we love him/wanna boof him.
in 25 years, have we ever re-signed a Victorian after they have become an All Australian player?
Yes, B.Rielly.

(Squad of 40 counts man)