Higgins....How hard should the club fight to keep him?

[Nuggety Back Pocket]

So Higgins is a fringe player - bloody hell, you have really lost me now. As for Grant, we know your feelings about him so no comment.

BAD I like your passion but when Higgins and Grant are not considered good enough to be in our best 22, then I believe it is time to move on, without both of them. We are also a bottom 4 team at the moment and still need to improve our list with at least 7-8 players IMO not good enough. Grant as a top 4 draft pick has been a big disappointment. Higgins has been injury prone for a lot of his career which has limited his ability to be a consistent performer. You are right about the dearth of talent at our disposal in the 25-28 age bracket, which has much to do about our past recruiting.

[Bumper Bulldogs]

Good luck to him if he gets an offer of 3 years, go for it with all of our best wishes.

As others noted, he is behind the likes of Murphy, Wood, Morris, Rough, JJ, Picken & Darley IMO, I don't think he going to be in front of any of our midfielder and has no defensive game for the forward line.

I think that Shaun will offer us another good season next year that will add value to our side/list/club. In two years he will offer good service only. However after this I can see him slowing up and not worth a punt when we have young guys with pace, drive and commitment - something shaun at times lacks.

[FrediKanoute]

Higgins is a quality player when fit and on the park. I think though under MAcca he really has struggled to fit the type of player Macca wants. He just isn't.

2 year deal to me seems about right, especially in light of his injury record. Maybe a 2 year deal with a bonus 3rd if he meets certain criteria (ie plays 80% of games in both seasons, finishes top 10 B&F in both seasons)

[Scorlibo]

Neither has ever finished in the top 10 of the B&F despite being on the list for 9 and 7 years respectively. Neither has ever produced consistently good form. Both are currently playing reserves.

But yeah they are must haves regardless of cost

Higgins has never played more than 20 matches in a season. 2009 was his best season, playing 20 games and finishing 8th in the best and fairest. He also finished 10th in 2011 from 18 games. So he has 2 top ten finishes.

Higgins is hardly our most valuable player moving forward, but I'd prefer to keep him than not. An attitude that dictates a player either accept the deal being offered to them or leave is so premature in the context of the competition. Higgins is one of just two players in the competition who can move freely come the end of the year, this isn't an open market and we can't afford to be getting up on our high horse when negotiating with our good players. In other words, the money we would be saving by NOT signing him is only good to us if we actually get to use it to sign a new player or keep a player who may be leaving. It's like downgrading with your last trade in supercoach.

[Happy Days]

I'm confident JJ can adequately fill the offensive rebounding role off half back and even move up the field in time. Let's not forget, before he was poleaxed by Cameron his form was trending up in a big way and his recent performances have been encouraging.

Darley is another who will be a solid performer for us. I agree, that if Higgins does move on, we should look for a running, clever back flanker in this draft.

Losing Higgins should not be a massive concern for us, despite his 'age profile'.

Deliberately didn't mention JJ, not because I don't rate him (I do), but because you need at least 2 guys in the backline who aren't really defenders; sort of taking JJ as a given which may be overs in itself. The Swans have about a million of them and everyone in Hawthorn's back 6 is a plus kick; no coincidence they're two of the best in the league.

[F'scary]

Classy goal sneak who can double up as the back flank playmaker. Got to be worth a first round compensation pick.

[Remi Moses]

He is a quality player and sought after by several clubs including Carlton and Richmond, he is no fringe player as suggested and not getting a gig because he is in that age bracket.

For Goodness sake he is not a quality player.
He has underachieved in his career.
Stop the cheerleading

[F'scary]

For Goodness sake he is not a quality player.
He has underachieved in his career.
Stop the cheerleading

shhhh...talk him up, for chrisake.

[jeemak]

Sanity check:

- Has Higgins actually been given other offers?
- Does Higgins offer us more or less than what we could procure from
*Free agent
*Trade

- Does Higgins want to leave the Bulldogs?
- Has Higgins being dropped and recalled been a bad thing for his game?
- Does anyone on this board know what the &%@# is going on with Higgins and the club?

Pretty sure most of the above are unanswerable. With that in mind, I can't understand the shit fight.

He's back in the side this week. Until he was dropped most of us thought he was playing OK (much like Wood being dropped, this week).

Let's just relax for a bit.

[G-Mo77]

Let's just relax for a bit.

C'Mon Jeemak, let everyone go round and round in circles.

I'd rather he stay but there is a limit. Max 2 years, other clubs offering more I'd let him go.

[jeemak]

C'Mon Jeemak, let everyone go round and round in circles.

I'd rather he stay but there is a limit. Max 2 years, other clubs offering more I'd let him go.

We get to organise our list to account for him being offered free agency deals, with the caveat we can keep him or get rid of him if the free agency deals are reasonable or otherwise.

I don't see what the fuss is about.

[bulldogtragic]

Well, this discussion is going to continue for a few months with games like today.

[craigsahibee]

Well, this discussion is going to continue for a few months with games like today.

Didn't see the game today. I can only assume he was ordinary (along with a few mates). He's not a part of our next tilt at a flag. Move him on.

[Mofra]

Well, this discussion is going to continue for a few months with games like today.

He did a few good things with the ball, but his lack of pace is very noticeable.
I thought Darley showed a few signs and if he has a decent pre-season Higgins' loss should be covered.

[always right]

Not sure why no-one has mentioned that Higgins was tagging Hill yesterday. Not your obvious match-up on paper as Higgins has nowhere near the pace that Hill has. His method appeared to be to allow Hill to run to space and gather the ball...then corral him. Whilst Hill was not particularly damaging it meant we actually got very little out of Higgins. It was however a very different role for Higgins so I'm not sure he deserves all the criticism for yesterday.