Jason McCartney on Trade Radio

[bornadog]

listen here

Summary and link

Player retention


The Bulldogs signed new contracts, or contract extensions, with a whopping 20 players this year.


McCartney says player retention has been a key focus of the Club’s list management.


“What underpins anything in a list build… what we’ve been able to do during the year, and we’ve made sure our player retention, we’ve been able to secure key pillars in this team going forward for long-term contracts. Without that you’re chasing your tail constantly.”


Those key pillars include big names Jake Stringer, Marcus Bontempelli, Luke Dahlhaus, Mitch Wallis and Jack Macrae.


Ruck stocks


After delisting Ayce Cordy at the end of the season, the Bulldogs ruck stocks have been a conversation topic externally. McCartney said the ruck is a growth area for the Club, with Will Minson contracted in 2016, Tom Campbell showing promising AFL form before injury curtailed his year, and Jordan Roughead and Tom Boyd showing the capacity to play through the centre square role this season.


“We’ve been looking, but we’ve got to be careful. Will Minson’s still in contract at the Club, Tom Campbell has been bubbling away, played some good footy later in the year and unfortunately got injured and went out of the side and Jordan Roughead’s one that we see, he didn’t train as a ruckman in the pre-season, he was training with the key defensive group, so we think there’s a lot of growth there.”


McCartney said the ruck position would be an area though that the Club would carefully explore through the trade period.



Michael Talia


While the defender enjoyed some solid form early in the season, McCartney said the Club would explore trade opportunities for the fourth-year defender.


“He played some good footy early in the year and we were happy with his development but where that sits, we’ve just got to wait and see how this [AFL Integrity Unit] investigation pans out.


We’ve been working very closely with his management, at this point in time we’ll continue to work closely with them and be looking for trade opportunities there with Michael... It’s looking unlikely that he will stay, but nothing’s set in concrete at this time, there’s still a bit to play out there.”



Jake Carlisle


McCartney indicated that the Bulldogs weren’t in the leading mix for the Essendon defender, despite Carlisle being linked with the Club throughout the home and away season.


“It was one we followed closely… It was one where we thought with some of our key defenders we were bubbling along nicely there… But as it sits with any of these, we’d done some work and put it on hold."


"St Kilda and Carlton I believe are fairly well advanced in that race to secure the signature of Jake Carlisle.


"So it’s one we’re not in the race for, we’re a bit off the mark with that one in regards to the progression made by other clubs.


"With those situations, we asses where we’re at, we looked, and it wasn’t going to be the right fit at this point in time.”


McCartney said the development of players like Zaine Cordy had given the Club confidence in the future of the defensive group.



Jarrad Grant


As an unrestricted free agent, McCartney was realistic about Grant’s future with the Bulldogs. Despite no formal offer being made, McCartney said Grant’s fortune wouldn’t be known until the end of the trade period.


“There hasn’t been a contract offer put forward from us to [Jarrad Grant] because you just need a bit of flexibility through this trade period.


"So we’ll work through the trade period, we understand as everyone knows, you need to be making three selections in the national draft.


“We understand that Jarrad is also an unrestricted free agent so he’s within his rights to explore opportunities there….


"Nothing will be resolved there until we get through this trade period and see what presents.”




Nathan Hrovat


Rumours had circled about Nathan Hrovat’s potential discussions with St Kilda but McCartney indicated the 2012 first-round draft pick was a contracted player at the Kennel for 2016.


“Nathan’s a contracted player and I understand speaking to Nathan’s management, as I do with most player managers, you do enquire about players and what their situation is and we understand that, but contracted player we expect him to be playing at the club next year… we remain open-minded, but when players are contracted you kind of think they will be a player here next year.”

[Cyberdoggie]

Is he spruiking that wealth investment mumbo jumbo again?

[bornadog]

Is he spruiking that wealth investment mumbo jumbo again?

I have updated with Summary for those that can't listen

[LostDoggy]

I have updated with Summary for those that can't listen

Great work BAD.

To me, JMac was keeping the cards very close to his chest in this interview. Happy to give the AFL community the impression that we're pretty content with all aspects of our list and that any trading we do will absolutely not come from a place of need. Did what he should this time of year, maintain a position of strength. From a poker playing point of view, a very nice performance.

[LostDoggy]

They all have their pet phrases though. JMac reckons everyone and everything is just bubbling away nicely...

[bornadog]

Great work BAD.

To me, JMac was keeping the cards very close to his chest in this interview. Happy to give the AFL community the impression that we're pretty content with all aspects of our list and that any trading we do will absolutely not come from a place of need. Did what he should this time of year, maintain a position of strength. From a poker playing point of view, a very nice performance.

Cheers, but the summary is from Club website.

[LostDoggy]

Cheers, but the summary is from Club website.

Still good work bringing it over here for everyone else's ease

[Doc26]

Thanks BD for your work.

JMac indicated at the top of the interview that we did have "some irons in the fire".

He also seemed quite adamant that we didn't assess Kreuzer with a medical prior to him recommitting with Carlton.

Given that it is a period for speculating, and taking JMac at face value that we didn't pursue an interest in Kruezer with at least a medical, who as a mobile ruck in the right age bracket and cheaply as a free agent, it did have me wondering whether we might already have confirmed a ruck option still to play out in the coming weeks.

[dog town]

Just judging by the players he discounted and things we have said prior I think they might only want a ruckmen if he can legitimately play forward. Most of the guys they said we were not into are exclusively ruckmen.

[MrMahatma]

I'd be disappointed to see Hrovat go. I like him a lot.

[The Bulldogs Bite]

I'd be disappointed to see Hrovat go. I like him a lot.

I'd be disappointed too, but if we can use Hrovat to secure a player of need then I could live with it. Libba and Stevens back and the natural progression of our first year players could make it difficult for Nathan given his stalled progress this season. I'd hate for us to hold onto him, only for him to have another average season and go to another club for nothing at the end of 2016.

Having said that, I still think he can be a good player and was surprised he was dropped. Better player than Honeychurch, even in the same role, but he can take his turn in the midfield too. Will be interesting to see what happens here.

[Twodogs]

We always knew this would be the recipe though. Trading out good players we have cover for so we can fill areas of need.

[LostDoggy]

We always knew this would be the recipe though. Trading out good players we have cover for so we can fill areas of need.

Yup, it's the cornerstone of the whole draft for quality, trade for special needs policy. You've got to have the quality to trade. Whether Hrovat is necessarily one of those who needs to go is a separate issue though I suppose.

[LostDoggy]

Yup, it's the cornerstone of the whole draft for quality, trade for special needs policy. You've got to have the quality to trade. Whether Hrovat is necessarily one of those who needs to go is a separate issue though I suppose.

We can't just offer up Tutts, Hills and Joneses and expect big players back. Hrovat is the right kind of bloke to take a punt on if you're an opposition club in need of someone with his attributes, as he seems to have the right ticker and attitude. I like the cut of that man's jib, by George!

[LostDoggy]

We always knew this would be the recipe though. Trading out good players we have cover for so we can fill areas of need.

Exactly TD.

It's what those Orange Plastic Shitcarter's have been doing since they started.