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

[Greystache]

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.

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

[bornadog]

But yeah they are must haves regardless of cost

You love to twist things don't you. If you read my post I said its not something supporters should not worry about. Cost is something list management needs to balance out.

[Greystache]

You love to twist things don't you. If you read my post I said its not something supporters should not worry about. Cost is something list management needs to balance out.

I read it but it was ridiculous. Supporters shouldn't worry about real world things like costs and salary cap, that's someone else's problem? Why not demand we recruit 12 free agents this year, afterall the cost is list management's problem.

If a player is in the 24-28 age bracket (ie the years they should be at their peak), yet have never been a top 10 in the B&F, and in this case is playing reserves, they are expendable.

[Sedat]

I think the two year offer is about right.

If he can get 3 years elsewhere good luck to him. We would lose very little on the field by playing a Darley in his position for all of next season, and gain much more cap space in the process which will be critical when the wolves come knocking on the door for the likes of Macrae, Bont, Hrovat, Stringer, Hunter, etc...

Age profile means very little if the player is not one of the club leaders and elite players. Griff is only a year older and has had 3 times the career of Higgins - granted injuries have cruelled his career. To not ever finish top 10 in the B&F over the course of 9 seasons is pretty damning. As 'stache says, he a cream on the cake type player and not a club leader as he should have become by now.

The decisions we make on our list in the next year or two will be critical to our ability to contend and even win a flag. IMO it would be folly to invest 3 years and decent coin to Higgins right now, and it will compromise us with the list configuration in that time.

[Mantis]

I'm happy for him to walk if he receives the offer he is after.. He know doubt adds a bit of polish to the team, but happy to give more game time to the developing players in the squad.

Would be keener to keep him if Murf was struggling, but that isn't the case.

[The Doctor]

I would prefer to see Higgins stay but it depends on the cost and his attitude about the club. Also from the club's view, where do they see him fitting in in the longer term and what could we gain from his departure?

If he gets a decent offer and some long term security thats better than what we are prepared to offer then good luck to him. I think he would be in the upper echelon of pay earners at the dogs. Whether he is entitled to be at this stage is arguable. But I think it would open up a fair bit of cap space.

From a list management point of view I wonder if it would be prudent to pick up a compo pick and use it on another good kid but also save the $$ for a season and use it to have a DECENT crack at one the big boys from GWS or GCS who are coming out of contract at the end of 2015?

[Mofra]

From a list management point of view I wonder if it would be prudent to pick up a compo pick and use it on another good kid but also save the $$ for a season and use it to have a DECENT crack at one the big boys from GWS or GCS who are coming out of contract at the end of 2015?

I agree with the sentiment but that scenario relies on those players still being out of contract at the end of 2015 - GWS has done pretty well in keeping the players they want, with only Tyson the kid they really wanted to keep making a move.

[Remi Moses]

No, what supporters are screaming blue murder about is we don't have QUALITY players in that age bracket. Higgins and Grant are currently being kept out of the seniors by a group of young kids or aging veterans. Guys in that age bracket should be the backbone of the team, not fringe bit part players. If it was just about age profile we would've kept Addison on this year.

Yep. Why should players get a gig because they're in that age group?

[Bulldog Joe]

deleted - double post

[bornadog]

Yep. Why should players get a gig because they're in that age group?

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.

[Bulldog Joe]

I would prefer to see Higgins stay but it depends on the cost and his attitude about the club. Also from the club's view, where do they see him fitting in in the longer term and what could we gain from his departure?

If he gets a decent offer and some long term security thats better than what we are prepared to offer then good luck to him. I think he would be in the upper echelon of pay earners at the dogs. Whether he is entitled to be at this stage is arguable. But I think it would open up a fair bit of cap space.

From a list management point of view I wonder if it would be prudent to pick up a compo pick and use it on another good kid but also save the $$ for a season and use it to have a DECENT crack at one the big boys from GWS or GCS who are coming out of contract at the end of 2015?

Higgins is listed as a restricted free agent. Doesn't that mean he is in the top 5 earners at the club.

[Axe Man]

From a list management point of view I wonder if it would be prudent to pick up a compo pick and use it on another good kid but also save the $$ for a season and use it to have a DECENT crack at one the big boys from GWS or GCS who are coming out of contract at the end of 2015?

The new salary cap rules where you can bank unspent cap room and use it the next year could make this approach successful. Under the rules we can spend 95% of the cap in 2015 and then 105% in 2016 in order to attract a high priced recruit.

[Axe Man]

Higgins is listed as a restricted free agent. Doesn't that mean he is in the top 5 earners at the club.

Top 25%, so top 9 or 10 players.

[Happy Days]

Our level of prioritisation given to keeping Higgins really depends on both how much longer we think Murphy has left (should be one more season) and how much faith we have in Darley, Young or whoever to fill a role on a flank (should be not a lot). Higgins is not a defender's fist but he is probably our best offensive prospect off a back flank should Bob pull up stumps after next season.

I'd keep him within reason, but if we don't we need to get a player of shared attributes (good kick, good decision maker, good looking) who is ready to go by 2016.

[comrade]

Our level of prioritisation given to keeping Higgins really depends on both how much longer we think Murphy has left (should be one more season) and how much faith we have in Darley, Young or whoever to fill a role on a flank (should be not a lot). Higgins is not a defender's fist but he is probably our best offensive prospect off a back flank should Bob pull up stumps after next season.

I'd keep him within reason, but if we don't we need to get a player of shared attributes (good kick, good decision maker, good looking) who is ready to go by 2016.

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'.