Free Agency Sam Draper [Joins Brisbane as UFA]

[M Malice]

 

[StevoJenkins]

Yeah Perryman was Band 1 and Draper is apparently looking at Band 2, so unless something crazy happens with Draper's offer Perryman will be getting more.

I think Brisbane's problem will be the cap in the next 2 years considering who they have to re-sign, and who is shaping as having cap space over the next 2 years. That doesn't mean that will stop them from trading, or even necessarily winning, it's just the cycle of teams losing depth players as they fill their cap in pursuit of flags, but it will be a factor for them over the next few years.

Geelong and Collingwood are looking at having cap space thanks to long term contracts already in place and retiring players and they are big fish.

Starcevich is already looking at being squeezed out this year, which is a hit, but can be dealt with as he hasn't played much anyway. They also need to re-sign Ah Chee and McKenna this year.
But then it gets interesting.

2026 they have Washcroft, Bailey, and Answerth. You'd assume Washcroft signs for slight unders but he will still be heavily pursued and will get a fat payrise. Bailey and Answerth will definitely be heavily pursued and the Lions will have to give them rises. Answerth especially if Starcevich leaves.
Neale finishes up in 2026 so that will free up some coin, but how much they will have to backend some contracts to fit everybody might eat that up, and if Neale stays on or retires or goes somewhere else will determine how much they have to spend.

2027 they have Wilmot, Lohmann, Morris coming out of contract who will all be heavily chased by everybody with cap space. They also have Marshall, Gallup, and Doedee out of contract that year, but that will depend on how they develop at the Lions as to how much they charge. Any of those latter three might leave for more opportunity or more money depending on how they're going.
The extra consideration for 2027 will be Tasmania. While their terms haven't been finalised, by all accounts they'll have extra money to throw around as signing bonuses for players, and will be able to sign out of contract players as though they were free agents, so you'd imagine they'll chase those guys pretty hard with money that Brisbane won't be able to match.

The Lions cap is going to be tight over the next few years, it probably is already, and signing Allen and Draper will just about top them off. So their player retention over the next 2 years will be very interesting.

I'm surprised they're chasing Draper and what it will do to their cap, when they could go a cheaper option like a Ned Reeves.

Briztoon has already covered a lot of this, but I'll add a couple of points here.

1. I don't think cap space is going to be an issue. The older part of our list is going to be retired by the end of 2026/27. I doubt Zorko plays on in 27 after he hits 300. By then, we'll (hopefully) have Coleman in his spot, or Fletcher can be moved down there to pair with Answerth.

Lester probably retires this year or in the next, Omac and Day probably retire this year, McKenna, Doodee and Fort will follow in suit in the next couple, and whatever money Neale is on will be significantly less in his next deal.

We already have a decent amount of cap space free already from Daniher, so I don't think Marshall, Kai, Answerth, the Ashcrofts, Ah Chee or Morris have much to worry about in 26/27.

2. Another cap space argument, but the club is known to backend and frontend our contracts in order to make sure we have space to retain players. Still don't think retaining these players will be hindered by cap space. Starce potentially leaving will relive more cap here.

 

[crankygeese]

Briztoon has already covered a lot of this, but I'll add a couple of points here.

1. I don't think cap space is going to be an issue. The older part of our list is going to be retired by the end of 2026/27. I doubt Zorko plays on in 27 after he hits 300. By then, we'll (hopefully) have Coleman in his spot, or Fletcher can be moved down there to pair with Answerth.

Lester probably retires this year or in the next, Omac and Day probably retire this year, McKenna, Doodee and Fort will follow in suit in the next couple, and whatever money Neale is on will be significantly less in his next deal.

We already have a decent amount of cap space free already from Daniher, so I don't think Marshall, Kai, Answerth, the Ashcrofts, Ah Chee or Morris have much to worry about in 26/27.

2. Another cap space argument, but the club is known to backend and frontend our contracts in order to make sure we have space to retain players. Still don't think retaining these players will be hindered by cap space. Starce potentially leaving will relive more cap here.

This is a fair and valid argument, andI think it's definitely worth a bit of a deep dive because this whole situation is so interesting.

It should be noted that what Brisbane are facing isn't anything particularly new, they're 6-8 years into their window and that's usually when teams start squeezing their cap to see who they can pry loose. It happens to everyone. In the example of Sydney, guys like Aliir, Hewett, and Newman were pried loose.Brisbane will prioritise who they want to hold onto and who they let go. What makes it fascinating is the teams that will be in the hunt this time around, and the cap/contract exemptions afforded toTasmania due to the league's expansion

Starting with guys like McKenna, Day, Fort, Lester. You're right that they will be leaving Brisbane soon anyway, so that will free up some cap space. But it likely won't free up match.For 2 reasons. 1 – They won't be on that much money anyway as they're backup/depth players. 2 – They still need to be replaced.Even if you replace them with people with absolute bargain basement players, the savings aren't that great If Brisbane replace them with bargain basement, then they lose depth. If they replace them with ike for like, then they don't generate as much cap space. That's part of the trade off. Some of the youngsters will step up. Some won't. That's the nature of younger players for all teams. So what this does to the Lions depth will be something to watch.

With regards to Daniher, his contract was set to expire this year, so those savings don't carry on in perpetuity. You might have been able to front load a couple of contracts into this year, but that's not going to free up a million a year in perpetuity. Any money that might have been spent on future contracts would also be diminished anyway because he was over 30, and by younger players taking up that cash on increased pay.

Zorko is 36 and has been on rolling one year contracts for a little while. He won't be on a lot of money, and while you can probably make more savings on his deal. You still run into the same problem. Do you save more money by going bargain hunting and forgoing depth? Or do you look for a better replacement and save less. This is especially interesting because of Kiddy's injury history. That will be a gamble either way.

Neale you could make some savings on,especially as you have young midfielders who look likely to replace him naturally, they'll take up some of his leftover cash, but he'll be easy enough to replace with a bargain player because of ready made replacements.

I'm sure the Lions do backend and frontend deals where they can, every club does these days. If they don't then they're not managing their cap properly. This isn't unique to the Lions situation and while it will provide some flexibility,it's not a unique solution for them or any other club.

What really makes this unique are the clubs who will be pursuing players at the time. No disrespect to Saints or Roos fans, but when they chase players with a war chest,they might drive up the asking price, but they're not genuine threatsof landing the player. The next 2 years will see Collingwood and Geelong with cap space. They're a very different proposition. If Richmond continues on their accelerated rebuild next year, they might also get involved. When the Pies, Cats, and Tigers are chasing free agents player retention becomes a much greater challenge. That challenge becomes even more difficult with Tasmania coming in, and their ability to throw around signing bonuses and OOC players as though they're free agents.

Squeezing out players happens to every club, and it seems like it's about to be Brisbane's turn. That's what I'll find interesting. I suspect next year we'll hear a fair bit about guys like Bailey, Answerth, etc. on shows like Gettable.

That's not to say Brisbane won't retain the most important guys, or that they'll lose all of them, they're a well run club and will likely hold most of them. But they are at an interesting inflection point in their list management.

I can certainly see the argument for signing somebody like Allen in this situation, because of their need for him. But Draper I'm not as convinced by. Even at a Band 2 contract, when they could instead shop for somebody like Reeves and minimise the risk of more player departures.

 

[Tom14]

This is a fair and valid argument, andI think it's definitely worth a bit of a deep dive because this whole situation is so interesting.

It should be noted that what Brisbane are facing isn't anything particularly new, they're 6-8 years into their window and that's usually when teams start squeezing their cap to see who they can pry loose. It happens to everyone. In the example of Sydney, guys like Aliir, Hewett, and Newman were pried loose.Brisbane will prioritise who they want to hold onto and who they let go. What makes it fascinating is the teams that will be in the hunt this time around, and the cap/contract exemptions afforded toTasmania due to the league's expansion

Starting with guys like McKenna, Day, Fort, Lester. You're right that they will be leaving Brisbane soon anyway, so that will free up some cap space. But it likely won't free up match.For 2 reasons. 1 – They won't be on that much money anyway as they're backup/depth players. 2 – They still need to be replaced.Even if you replace them with people with absolute bargain basement players, the savings aren't that great If Brisbane replace them with bargain basement, then they lose depth. If they replace them with ike for like, then they don't generate as much cap space. That's part of the trade off. Some of the youngsters will step up. Some won't. That's the nature of younger players for all teams. So what this does to the Lions depth will be something to watch.

With regards to Daniher, his contract was set to expire this year, so those savings don't carry on in perpetuity. You might have been able to front load a couple of contracts into this year, but that's not going to free up a million a year in perpetuity. Any money that might have been spent on future contracts would also be diminished anyway because he was over 30, and by younger players taking up that cash on increased pay.

Zorko is 36 and has been on rolling one year contracts for a little while. He won't be on a lot of money, and while you can probably make more savings on his deal. You still run into the same problem. Do you save more money by going bargain hunting and forgoing depth? Or do you look for a better replacement and save less. This is especially interesting because of Kiddy's injury history. That will be a gamble either way.

Neale you could make some savings on,especially as you have young midfielders who look likely to replace him naturally, they'll take up some of his leftover cash, but he'll be easy enough to replace with a bargain player because of ready made replacements.

I'm sure the Lions do backend and frontend deals where they can, every club does these days. If they don't then they're not managing their cap properly. This isn't unique to the Lions situation and while it will provide some flexibility,it's not a unique solution for them or any other club.

What really makes this unique are the clubs who will be pursuing players at the time. No disrespect to Saints or Roos fans, but when they chase players with a war chest,they might drive up the asking price, but they're not genuine threatsof landing the player. The next 2 years will see Collingwood and Geelong with cap space. They're a very different proposition. If Richmond continues on their accelerated rebuild next year, they might also get involved. When the Pies, Cats, and Tigers are chasing free agents player retention becomes a much greater challenge. That challenge becomes even more difficult with Tasmania coming in, and their ability to throw around signing bonuses and OOC players as though they're free agents.

Squeezing out players happens to every club, and it seems like it's about to be Brisbane's turn. That's what I'll find interesting. I suspect next year we'll hear a fair bit about guys like Bailey, Answerth, etc. on shows like Gettable.

That's not to say Brisbane won't retain the most important guys, or that they'll lose all of them, they're a well run club and will likely hold most of them. But they are at an interesting inflection point in their list management.

I can certainly see the argument for signing somebody like Allen in this situation, because of their need for him. But Draper I'm not as convinced by. Even at a Band 2 contract, when they could instead shop for somebody like Reeves and minimise the risk of more player departures.

It helps when we will have draftees way outperforming their CBA-limited wage.

Logan Morris for example, is on a set wage based on the CBA for his third year next year - way less than his open market value.

Makes it quite easy to move money around to pay older players more now and factor in the younger players getting more money once they can sign unrestricted contracts.

 

[Lets Roar like '44]

Can’t decide if Draper has more of Fevola or Gunston about him if he goes to Brisbane. Will either go there and “interrupt” the culture before leaving, or go for one year, crack the shits, and go back to Essendon.

 

[HairyO]

It helps when we will have draftees way outperforming their CBA-limited wage.

Logan Morris for example, is on a set wage based on the CBA for his third year next year - way less than his open market value.

Makes it quite easy to move money around to pay older players more now and factor in the younger players getting more money once they can sign unrestricted contracts.

He will be wanting $1m+ as soon as he finishes his draft restrictions.

 

[FootyGuru]

Can’t decide if Draper has more of Fevola or Gunston about him if he goes to Brisbane. Will either go there and “interrupt” the culture before leaving, or go for one year, crack the shits, and go back to Essendon.

Fans and teammates will love him wherever he goes. Isn’t an issue culturally at all.

 

[briztoon]

This is a fair and valid argument, andI think it's definitely worth a bit of a deep dive because this whole situation is so interesting.

It should be noted that what Brisbane are facing isn't anything particularly new, they're 6-8 years into their window and that's usually when teams start squeezing their cap to see who they can pry loose. It happens to everyone. In the example of Sydney, guys like Aliir, Hewett, and Newman were pried loose.Brisbane will prioritise who they want to hold onto and who they let go. What makes it fascinating is the teams that will be in the hunt this time around, and the cap/contract exemptions afforded toTasmania due to the league's expansion

Starting with guys like McKenna, Day, Fort, Lester. You're right that they will be leaving Brisbane soon anyway, so that will free up some cap space. But it likely won't free up match.For 2 reasons. 1 – They won't be on that much money anyway as they're backup/depth players. 2 – They still need to be replaced.Even if you replace them with people with absolute bargain basement players, the savings aren't that great If Brisbane replace them with bargain basement, then they lose depth. If they replace them with ike for like, then they don't generate as much cap space. That's part of the trade off. Some of the youngsters will step up. Some won't. That's the nature of younger players for all teams. So what this does to the Lions depth will be something to watch.

With regards to Daniher, his contract was set to expire this year, so those savings don't carry on in perpetuity. You might have been able to front load a couple of contracts into this year, but that's not going to free up a million a year in perpetuity. Any money that might have been spent on future contracts would also be diminished anyway because he was over 30, and by younger players taking up that cash on increased pay.

Zorko is 36 and has been on rolling one year contracts for a little while. He won't be on a lot of money, and while you can probably make more savings on his deal. You still run into the same problem. Do you save more money by going bargain hunting and forgoing depth? Or do you look for a better replacement and save less. This is especially interesting because of Kiddy's injury history. That will be a gamble either way.

Neale you could make some savings on,especially as you have young midfielders who look likely to replace him naturally, they'll take up some of his leftover cash, but he'll be easy enough to replace with a bargain player because of ready made replacements.

I'm sure the Lions do backend and frontend deals where they can, every club does these days. If they don't then they're not managing their cap properly. This isn't unique to the Lions situation and while it will provide some flexibility,it's not a unique solution for them or any other club.

What really makes this unique are the clubs who will be pursuing players at the time. No disrespect to Saints or Roos fans, but when they chase players with a war chest,they might drive up the asking price, but they're not genuine threatsof landing the player. The next 2 years will see Collingwood and Geelong with cap space. They're a very different proposition. If Richmond continues on their accelerated rebuild next year, they might also get involved. When the Pies, Cats, and Tigers are chasing free agents player retention becomes a much greater challenge. That challenge becomes even more difficult with Tasmania coming in, and their ability to throw around signing bonuses and OOC players as though they're free agents.

Squeezing out players happens to every club, and it seems like it's about to be Brisbane's turn. That's what I'll find interesting. I suspect next year we'll hear a fair bit about guys like Bailey, Answerth, etc. on shows like Gettable.

That's not to say Brisbane won't retain the most important guys, or that they'll lose all of them, they're a well run club and will likely hold most of them. But they are at an interesting inflection point in their list management.

I can certainly see the argument for signing somebody like Allen in this situation, because of their need for him. But Draper I'm not as convinced by. Even at a Band 2 contract, when they could instead shop for somebody like Reeves and minimise the risk of more player departures.

The club had money set aside for Daniher’s next contract. We weren’t factoring in him retiring when he did, when the club was forecasting it’s long term TPP.

As for replacing players that are shaken loose, we’ll be doing that with cost controlled academy kids via the draft.

Our possible concern here is accumulating enough points for the 2027 draft.

 

[briztoon]

He will be wanting $1m+ as soon as he finishes his draft restrictions.

Morris has already extended for 2 more years.

 

[jdstorm]

Can’t decide if Draper has more of Fevola or Gunston about him if he goes to Brisbane. Will either go there and “interrupt” the culture before leaving, or go for one year, crack the shits, and go back to Essendon.

Honestly neither. your going to love him.

He’s closer to electric SF in the body of a goofy ruckman. Team first guy that tends to magnify the culture that’s there. So in Brisbane where you have a great culture I’d expect him to do really well.

 

[Senor M]

The club had money set aside for Daniher’s next contract. We weren’t factoring in him retiring when he did, when the club was forecasting it’s long term TPP.

As for replacing players that are shaken loose, we’ll be doing that with cost controlled academy kids via the draft.

Our possible concern here is accumulating enough points for the 2027 draft.

Daniher was 30 years old when he retired, and only contracted to the end of 2025.

Brisbane would have had $750,000 set aside for him for this season— likely already reallocated through front loading other deals negotiated since then.

How much would Brisbane have allocated for resigning a 32 year old Daniher for 2026?

 

[mpal6]

He will be wanting $1m+ as soon as he finishes his draft restrictions.

It's a 2027 problem for us at this stage. He'll come out of contract end of that year.

Our list management team tend to sign players up early once their value and ability to perform is established.

McCluggage (2032), Rayner (2031), Fletcher(2030), Berry (2029), Payne/Andrews/Hipwood (all 2029), WAshcroft (2026 soon to be extended), Levi (2027 with 2 year extension pre-draft agreement in place to 2029), Dunkley (2028) would form our core.

Logan Morris sits in the next tier alongside Coleman, Wilmot, Gallop, Lohmann and Brain - all on 2027 contracts.

Logan would certainly be in the first long term list now so more than likely we'll commence talks about extending him again as well.

 

[briztoon]

Daniher was 30 years old when he retired, and only contracted to the end of 2025.

Brisbane would have had $750,000 set aside for him for this season— likely already reallocated through front loading other deals negotiated since then.

How much would Brisbane have allocated for resigning a 32 year old Daniher for 2026?

If he was still performing at the same level, probably a similar figure.

 

[jdBombers3598]

 

[jdstorm]

Well hopefully this competition leads to band 1

 

[Tom14]

 

[Elixuh]

Congratulations Adelaide Crows!!!! Destination club!!!!

 

[Tom14]

Congratulations Adelaide Crows!!!! Destination club!!!!

Rowey, ROB and DRAPER appearing on 5AA

 

[mpal6]

His manager leaking fake news.

Too late, Matthew Nicks finally made that personal phone call. Looks like he's heading your way mate.

 

[eth-dog]

Congratulations Adelaide Crows!!!! Destination club!!!!

Rowey, ROB and DRAPER appearing on 5AA

Too late, Matthew Nicks finally made that personal phone call. Looks like he's heading your way mate.

Sorry boys, it was Sam No Clue who reported it, you guys are still front runners

 

[mpal6]

I would like to officially inform everyone, including Sam Draper and his manager, that The Adelaide Football Club has hereby rescindered its offer to him henceforth.
Please do not contact the club any further about this matter. We wish Sam all the best at Brisbane next year.
Your faithfully
Justin Reid
List Manager
Adelaide Football Club.

I would like to officially inform everyone, including Brisbane Lions and Essendon Bombers, that The Adelaide Football Club has hereby doubled down on its offer to Sam Draper. I've spoken to him personally, got him all excited about joining us and he's almost on his way.

Please do not contact Draper, myself or the Adelaide football club any further about this matter. We wish everyone all the best in their future endeavors, Sam's ours !

Your faithfully
Matthew Nicks
Head Coach, Adelaide Football Club

 

[Tom14]

Sorry boys, it was Sam No Clue who reported it, you guys are still front runners

 

[mpal6]

On a serious note, if Tex Walker retires - I can see Draper taking that role. If you squint hard enough, he looks like a doppleganger to Tex anyway.

 

[ABAB]

Too late, Matthew Nicks finally made that personal phone call. Looks like he's heading your way mate.

It is MacClure so more than likely more of his BS and he did mention a 2nd rounder compensation so if he really wants to play for us then it won't be for money.

 

[Tom14]

It is MacClure so more than likely more of his BS and he did mention a 2nd rounder compensation so if he really wants to play for us then it won't be for money.

McClure was correct about Lachie Neale years ago. Don't think he's been right since, so he's probably due!!!

 

[janty]

In all seriousness, who the hell watch Footy Classified these days?