Trade Rumours

[Hirdhasbigears]

I have heard that Koutoufides is being chased by Sydney also. What are Sydneys recruiting mangers on? He'd never leave his mother, he'd never leave Ang Christou and his other mates at the club and as for money being offered he's got so bloody much of it he doesn't need any more. Get real Sydney.

 

[Don]

If you'd have read the papers you would know that Swans officials rang Carlton to tell them it wasn't true.

 

[Bloodstained Angel]

Check your facts before you go bagging the Swans BigEars

The Koutafidis rumour is not true, never has been true, will not ever be true. Its a tired old worn out media beat-up that gets the rounds every few years.

The media has linked Kouta to the Swans in 1994, 1997 and now 2000 - see a pattern here ?

As you pointed out - Kouta would never leave his family or his mate Ang Christou. Kouta is a Melbourne born and bred Greek-Australian boy through and through and would quite frankly not fit in with the Sydney scene at all.

And another thing - I think I am correct in saying that Carlton have never traded away a champion player ever ?

The proud Bluebaggers are not about to start with Kouta, especially if it involves the Red and Whites.

 

[jane]

I heard that the Voss brothers may be leaving Brisbane. One is unhappy, the other is not getting a go.I wonder if Sydney would buy that package deal.

 

[Bloodstained Angel]

I heard that one too Jane but hey, a rumour is just that - a rumour.

Would love that though - those Voss boys are a great package deal. Michael could be the rampaging Full Forward I think the swans really need at the moment ...

 

[Kerry]

Bloodstained Angel - I am glad you said that about it just being a rumour. In fact it is a rumour that has been going around for nearly 4 years. And amazingly enough, no other club except Sydney have ever been mentioned in the "package deal" rumour.

Jane, who the hell are you??? You consistantly make statements about the Lions that are either rumour or simply WRONG!!! Before you desecrate the club any further, get your friggin facts straight. I include in this, their financial situations, their coaching situations, the rumours and innuendos. GET YOUR FACTS STAIGHT!!!! and then at least get the rumours right too!!

This club has enough off field issues without someone peddling incorrect information as "fact" when the reality is easily found in printed material or on the web.

Oh I get it - your are Noel Gordon in Drag!!! Ready to undermine the club in anyway you can to try and salvage your battered reputation!

Get your friggin facts right!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Roylion]

Well one rumor that can be put to rest is that Justin Leppitsch will be leaving the Lions.
Leppitsch today confirmed he had accepted less money than was on offer elsewhere to continue his AFL career with the Brisbane Lions. He announced he had agreed to terms for a new three-year Lions contract that will extend his time in Brisbane to 11 years.

So much for that rumor. Look set for another rumor to be quashed in the following weeks about Michael Voss leaving the Lions.

 

[sainter]

Roylion, Leppitsch is staying in Brisbane but there was a lot more to it than pure 'rumour' wasn't there?

Despite him deciding to stay in Brisbane for less pay, I would assume that he would still be receiving a pay increase.

Perhaps the pay increase will go a long way towards reducing the $400,000 extra in your salary cap for retaining interstate based players.

At least our club has done something right!

Well done saints!

 

[Don]

I have heard a STRONG rumour that Nick Davis is unhappy with Collingwood & Victoria and wants to return home.

 

[Bloodstained Angel]

I heard that one too Don

But I have also heard that Collingwood are looking for Greg Stafford in a trade deal with the Swans.

While I have no idea about the Davis rumour, I really can't see Stafford coming down to Victoria unless he is forced into it to save his career.

He is a Sydney boy through and through and would find it hard to fit in down there, also Stafford is still very much a 'required palyer' at Sydney and I believe the club will do everything in its power to hold on to him.

However, at this early stage of the Trade Rumour Season anything is at least possible and I know the Swans are looking to recruit at least one already established player this year.

As we all know this is getting harder and harder to pull off these days so who knows ? Stafford may have to offered as bait to get the player we are after.

I wouldn't like to see this happen though, Stafford is our only decent ruckman, O'Connor and Goodes do a fine job as fill-ins but unfortunately Simon Feast hasn't really lived up to expectations.

So if we have to offload Stafford, then we will have to recruit new ruckmen.

It just dosn't add up ???

 

[Roylion]

Well Sainter, it's no surprise that players out of contract as Leppitsch was are approached by other clubs, such as St Kilda. However it amuses me when rumours fly that players are definitely leaving or are unhappy, many of which are just not accurate.

The $400,000 extra is not cash, but is an salary cap allowance to help keep good players at Brisbane. Sydney get $600,000 odd from memory. If the Lions don't use the money, they don't get extra cash for the part of the $400,000 they haven't used. Let's face it over 90% of AFL standard players are going to come from Victoria, Tasmania, Western Australia and South Australia and there needs to be some incentive for them to remain in the non-footballing states. For the game to survive and prosper in non Aussie Rules states there needs to be competitive AFL sides in Qld and NSW. The growth of Aussie Rules in Queensland is going ahead in leaps and bounds fuelled mainly the competiveness of the Brisbane Lions in the competition, as is evident by the record crowd at the Gabba last Sunday.

No doubt many people on these boards (especially in Victoria) will disagree with this. Even when Fitzroy was in the competition I always through that the Bears and Swans should have received some extra assistance for being clubs in non-footballing states. My beef with that assistance at the time was the method chosen by the AFL, where the Bears and Swans were able to secure automatically uncontracted players from the other clubs. Of course Fitzroy quickly became the scapegoat and target of these clubs. The salary cap extension is far less damaging way to provide that assistance, which IS needed, if Aussie Rules is continue to grow. One day the Sydney Swans and the Brisbane Lions will win a premiership. A premiership will be a huge boost to Aussie Rules in those states and will make the competition and the game as a whole healthier. However I don't think Brisbane or Sydney should receive any more assistance from the AFL than they already have. If a premiership is to be won by the Lions I would it rather be won on the club's merits, rather than excessive handouts from the AFL. However as I said above SOME assistance for club in non-football states is needed.

 

[Gonzo]

Throw this one in:

Peter Bell in a straight swap for Fraser Gehrig.

Rumours going around North that Belly wants to go back to WA and it's an ideal time for North to get a player of value for him.

 

[Don]

BSA a lot of Collingwood supporters are confident of getting Stafford, but Sydney would not trade him unless they absolutely had to.

Anyway Collingwood have nothing to trade of that kind of value.

I am not taking that one seriously, though even some Collingwood people have said N davis looks unlikely to stay.

 

[Bloodstained Angel]

Tarrant would be their most tradeable player at the moment but if the Pies were silly enough to offer us him for Stafford ? - then, well you have question their logic on that one.

I agree Don, the Stafford / Davis thing is hogwash, it won't happen because I just cannot see any sense in the deal for Collingwood or Sydney - from any angle really.

 

[Ken_Judge]

Gonzo - we would love to have Peter Bell back west, because Fraser Gehrig has not been in good form for the lower part of the season. Most games Belly gets about 25+ touches and a couple of goals while Fraser mooches around and is lucky to kick anything.

 

[oh_my_hat]

If Richmond could get Merenda back on the ground (fat chance) then a trade could be arranged there too because he wants to go back home to WA. If not for Gehrig then a draft pick at least.

 

[jod23]

Ohhh wouldnt that be nice Bell for Gehrig. For all you Eastern staters that dont get Basils Footy Show, yesterday Barich (who is apparently very close to Gehrig) revealed that it was a 70% chance he was leaving the club but on current form would Nth really want him for Bell. Besides all that im all for it, I love Gehrig and would rather him stay but if he wants to go id love a quality guy like bell to come to WC. Bell, Cousins and Kemp what a midfield!!!

 

[Groucho]

The Bell-Gehrig rumour is pretty strong at the moment and was reported in the Melbourne Age today. I've heard from several different sources that Bell wants to return to Perth, so I guess he's lost to the Roos,but I would like to think a dual premiership player at 24 and who gets 25 touches every week and hardly misses a game would be worth more than an enigmatic, injury prone forward with no right side!

 

[Shinboners]

West Coast would do better out of a Bell-Gehrig swap than North. The one thing that West Coast don't have is an in-and-under player and the radio commentary of "Here's the centre bounce, Gardiner taps it to Bell who feeds off to Cousins and here we go again, a perfect pass to the leading Cummings" could become a tad repetitive. As for North, Gehrig is a talented player, but I'm not too sure how we could fit him in the forward line when we have Carey, McKernan, Colbert, and potentially Hewitt, Lange, and Spaull to play there. If we got Gehrig, someone else would have to go.

Still, even with Bell out of contract, I can't see St. Kilda, Port Adelaide, or Collingwood passing up the chance to draft him, so for him to go back to Perth, some sort of deal would have to be made between North and the Eagles or Freo. Cousins for Bell anyone?

 

[Bernie]

This has to be North's big challange ( like Geelong with Ablett ) - how the hell are we going to replace Carey ?

Without his presence up back AND down forward this year , North could have lost 4 close games and be where Sydney is now. I guess they are looking for a similar type player so that the game plan doesn't have to change much. After watching both the Lions and Demons game, you start to see the Roos post-Carey and it's a little scarey ( 'scuse pun ). There's Blakey and others of a vintage standing up and banging it forward to ... It does make the defenders' job more straight forward when there IS no other plan.

Is this the attraction of Colbert, Gehrig etc ?

 

[GoEagles]

Umm Shinboners - Cousins signed a 3 year deal with the eagles 2 weeks ago, so I cant see your prediction will come true.

I can see Bell being brought back west - actually I heard a strong report that he could be heading back to Fremantle - a trade with Brodie Holland plus a draft pick.

 

[chev1977]

I have not found the article about Shane Crawford moving to Adelaide FC but I did speak to a relative and he said he seen him on Television saying something to that effect !!


If this is true it is the biggest trade rumour going around but I suppose it does not count because it has truth about it !

 

[Richmondfan#1]

Goeagles,

I know for a fact that Bell will not come back to WA to play footy. I am his nephew and I know that he will stay with the roos for a few years. Ding Dong Bell will not come out of his well!

Regards,
Richmondfan#1

 

[jod23]

Cousins for Bell wouldnt be worth it i think Cousins is better but for Gehrig now that would be good. And i think he would fit in well at the Roos, they have experimented with carey at CHB at different times this year and it has worked to a certain degree.

Prolonging Careys career would mean putting him back in defence so you get another gun forward like Gehrig and make no mistake Gehrig is good damn good.

 

[Shinboners]

Sorry GoEagles....the Cousins-Bell trade was very much tongue in cheek (although my comment about Bell and Cousins in the same midfield wasn't). But please take my comment as an indication of highly I rate both of these players.