Free Agency

[chef]

SS smarter than Demetriou read here

This.

[Greystache]

I still say restricted free agency is good. If the original club wants to keep the player - match the offer. If they match, then the player MUST stay. The full offer must be visible to both clubs for the system to work.

Not sure how a 3rd party agreement can be used as inducement in such circumstances????

I agree. Restricted free agency should be a good thing for smaller clubs.

[mjp]

But it won't stay restricted for very long IMO.

Why? They are following the NFL model and restricted free agency is a large part of it.

You have to allow a bit of capitalism...and as an aside, the player still has to sign what the NFL'ers call an 'Offer Sheet' with a rival club before anything can happen at all.

[chef]

Why? They are following the NFL model and restricted free agency is a large part of it.

You have to allow a bit of capitalism...and as an aside, the player still has to sign what the NFL'ers call an 'Offer Sheet' with a rival club before anything can happen at all.

It's just the way we are headed IMO.

[Hotdog60]

Watched a movie called Moneyball, the first part of that movie looked scary for us in that I could see it happening.

I think the only difference will be the salary cap so I hope it's tighten up and I have a bad feeling we will be one of the first clubs to take a hit, just like in the Gold Coast, GWS draft situation.

[LostDoggy]

Free agency might be great for players and maybe for some of the clubs. I believe it's going to open more loopholes for the shrewd and rich clubs to manipulate. Already there is a gap between the have and have not clubs, free agency will just increase this gap.

What the attraction for a free agent to go to or stay at a poorer, less successful club?

[Rocco Jones]

I strongly agree with mjp on this point.

Going on from that, I really believe we cry poor way too much. I think we are fortunate to be in the most socialist professional sporting league you'll find. Free agency has to come in modern sport, it's either agree to a restricted model or be forced into a free market.

I agree that it could also add transparency, as mjp mentioned 3rd part payments won't be included so if a club wants to go that way it has to do so via the traditional trading method, nothing lost there.

I am totally with mjp's point about a degree of capitalism being needed. What's the point of Collingwood etc doing so well as a club if they are completely even with Port? I love socialism, not communism!

We can blame the powers that be all we what but at the end of the day it falls down to our club and it being as strong as possible. We need to move away from relying on the kindness of strangers, otherwise our fate will always be out of our hands.

[bornadog]

We can blame the powers that be all we what but at the end of the day it falls down to our club and it being as strong as possible. We need to move away from relying on the kindness of strangers, otherwise our fate will always be out of our hands.

But its not a level playing field now and that's why we have to rely on the kindness of strangers.

[Sockeye Salmon]

I strongly agree with mjp on this point.

Going on from that, I really believe we cry poor way too much. I think we are fortunate to be in the most socialist professional sporting league you'll find. Free agency has to come in modern sport, it's either agree to a restricted model or be forced into a free market.

I agree that it could also add transparency, as mjp mentioned 3rd part payments won't be included so if a club wants to go that way it has to do so via the traditional trading method, nothing lost there.

I am totally with mjp's point about a degree of capitalism being needed. What's the point of Collingwood etc doing so well as a club if they are completely even with Port? I love socialism, not communism!

We can blame the powers that be all we what but at the end of the day it falls down to our club and it being as strong as possible. We need to move away from relying on the kindness of strangers, otherwise our fate will always be out of our hands.

Very admirable.

Also crap.


When we get the same stadium deals as Collingwood and the same preferential treatment with regards to the draw and FTA TV, I'd maybe agree with you.


That will happen 20 minutes after hell freezes over.

[LostDoggy]

But its not a level playing field now and that's why we have to rely on the kindness of strangers.

What he said.

[Bulldog4life]

Very admirable.

Also crap.


When we get the same stadium deals as Collingwood and the same preferential treatment with regards to the draw and FTA TV, I'd maybe agree with you.


That will happen 20 minutes after hell freezes over.

And Free Agency should never had reared it's ugly head until all the above happened.

[Rocco Jones]

We have the 'unlevel' playing field because we are too weak to stand on our own. It's easy to blame others, truth hurts etc. We require extra assistance and as part of this, we have to pay the AFL back in other ways such as a crap fixture, Docklands deal etc.

Our club will have 30kish members, the big clubs have double that and more. Our only way out of relying on the kindness of strangers is by a massive increase in our membership, otherwise we have to cop being a lacky club.

[Bulldog4life]

We have the 'unlevel' playing field because we are too weak to stand on our own. It's easy to blame others, truth hurts etc. We require extra assistance and as part of this, we have to pay the AFL back in other ways such as a crap fixture, Docklands deal etc.

Our club will have 30kish members, the big clubs have double that and more. Our only way out of relying on the kindness of strangers is by a massive increase in our membership, otherwise we have to cop being a lacky club.

Irrespective of how many members Clubs have the draw should be equal. No matter how you put it you will never convince me it shouldn't be.

[bornadog]

We have the 'unlevel' playing field because we are too weak to stand on our own. It's easy to blame others, truth hurts etc. We require extra assistance and as part of this, we have to pay the AFL back in other ways such as a crap fixture, Docklands deal etc.

Our club will have 30kish members, the big clubs have double that and more. Our only way out of relying on the kindness of strangers is by a massive increase in our membership, otherwise we have to cop being a lacky club.

Lack of free to air, no blockbusters like ANZAC Day, stadium deals, etc etc all contribute to lack of exposure and therefore lack of new fans. Just imagine on ANZAC day, live coverage 100,000 at the MCG watching Collingwood and Essendon play and 1 million fans watching on live TV. What kid around 6 to 10 years old is going to say I barrack for the Bulldogs? And the more blockbusters played the more exposure and more kids picking Collingwood, Essendon and Carlton as their first team.

The club tries really hard to get more members but every year we have about 5 or 6 thousand that wait till round 3 or 4 to see if its worth joining again. Our supporters are pathetic to say the least, let alone trying to get new ones.

[Sockeye Salmon]

My son loves basketball (I have exactly zero interest in the sport) and is a Sydney Kings fan despite never having been to Sydney in his life.

He has seen the Kings on TV approximately 5,000 times though.