He's on overs because they had a larger salary cap. It's a skewed number in reality, but I get what you mean.
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I'm over it, shocking timing makes me angry. We start Round 1 as the reigning premiers with a win against Collingwood and then a shit pops its head out. Seriously the guy was good during the Grand Final but gee wizz he butchered it. I don't think he is worth anywhere near 700k, not with the way he kicks it and obviously the club doesn't either.
The open market will ultimately determine his worth but really we pulled him out of nowhere as a rookie so he of all players should be prepared to give a bit back. If you're not happy with the club's offer at least direct your manager to get back to work on it rather than slap the club across the face with a not deciding until the end of the year line. That's the easy way and the club deserves more transparency for the chance it gave you at the start.
Of course he'll field offers through the season but that's what you pay your manager for. I would have preferred a more tactful approach rather than placing the club under pressure internally as well as to start up a 'Dogs can't keep their post-premiership stars' narrative externally. It's going to annoy the shit out of me all season.
My understanding is the major hold up with JJ is his management. His manager is a very very small time player who has virtually no experience in player management or AFL contract negotiation. He's been very difficult to deal with and the perception is he sees this as an opportunity to build his profile and make a name for himself in the view to becoming a part-time player manager, so is trying to drag it out and make it as public as possible.
He's Perth based so must be a family friend or something, but it makes it really difficult when players sign on with these small time managers who don't know what they're doing. Hopefully JJ makes the sensible decision and gets competent management soon so this can be locked away, otherwise this will be drawn out and quite distracting.
This always amuses me. We didn't rookie list him to be nice.....we did so because we saw potential. He owes us nothing other than to give us everything he's got out on the field......and nobody could argue he hasn't upheld his end of the bargain.
If we end up paying slightly overs for him, so be it. He has attributes we don't have in any other player on our list. I don't want to lose him.
Not ideal that he's put off contract negotiations but it's commonplace nowadays. Players will do what is best for their own long term future.
We certainly have the cap space to pay him what he wants. But it's about fitting all our important players in. Remember we were offering Hurley a hefty sum last year which hasn't been used. The money is there but the club is being responsible to ensure we retain all our stars. JJ seems like a fair bloke and team player. Just not sure he's listening to the right people. Hopefully a deal gets done as I'd hate to lose him. But if it's him vs 2 other stars, then we'll have to let him go. No one is bigger than the club
Although I agree with you, JJ made the statement himself. "Club had faith in me when no one else did, want to repay the faith and sign ASAP etc."
For me, the agent's probably just a pain in the arse. Doing what managers do. Holding out for an extra $300-$400k over the length of the contract and pocketing his commission. Only thing is, he damages the player's standing and 'brand' in the process.
One other thing I'd add is that, on an open market, JJ could probably get $800k p.a. If he wanted to go and work at a company for less success, enjoyment and fulfilment. Not to mention a sh1t boss.
He could burn his legacy with us and get $800k p.a., kiss goodbye to finals footy in the prime of his career and ply his trade at Norf or Freo. He could trade in a great boss for a sh1t one. (Brad Scott and Ross Lyon are no Beveridge!)
Reality's set in for Hamling on the weekend - although his reasons were more admirable than a greedy agent.
I think a good number of us can all relate to a 20% increased offer to go to a rival company with a poorer standing, culture and potentially awful manager.... However most of us don't have an agent whispering dollars and nothing else in our ear...
Hopefully JJ sees what he's got with the Dogs. I think he will. This is just the way of the modern world.
Nothing better than watching JJ get the pill and burst away. But you can't overpay in this competition.
I think he's going to have an unbelievable year and will be a critical piece of Bevo's retooled game plan. Best case scenario is he helps us go back to back and is prepared to take slight unders to keep the band together.
If money is the deciding factor and he leaves, I hope he generates a massive bidding war rather than nominating one club. I hate when players do that.
Hunter, Dickson, Macrae, Wood, Suckling, Dahlhaus, Stringer, Roughead, Liberatore, Wallis, Smith, Biggs, Picken etc they are all very good cogs in a very good machine. They may not want the same coin, but they'llsee him getting overs and think 'why not me?' too.
JJ is a very good player, but lets not get carried away and put him on a pedestal with Bonti.