Harbrow makes Bulldogs wait

[Dry Rot]

Griffen has been mentioned a few times here - I thought he was contracted to end 2011?

[chef]

Griffen has been mentioned a few times here - I thought he was contracted to end 2011?

No, this year.

[Dry Rot]

No, this year.

Thanks - so Cooney and Griff come off contract end of this season? Bugger.

[AndrewP6]

I'm not at all confident he'll stay, and would be extremely disappointed in him leaving (big money or not)...

[LostDoggy]

I take it that expanding the comp ultimately means more money for us? And that we all agreed to expand the comp? So we have to give up something for this extra return? We can't bury our heads in the sand and say no-one can leave. We don't have the money, anyway. The economics of it suggest some player(s) will take the bait.

[comrade]

He'd be a big loss, not only on the field but off as it's clear he is highly respected at the Club and has taken on a leadership role for the indigenous players.

That being said, I reckon we've got a Rookie on our list that could replace Harbrow, if he were to leave us. He's also pretty (very) small and nippy, and he's made the back pocket his own throughout his junior career.

He does weigh slightly more though

[jazzadogs]

He'd be a big loss, not only on the field but off as it's clear he is highly respected at the Club and has taken on a leadership role for the indigenous players.

That being said, I reckon we've got a Rookie on our list that could replace Harbrow, if he were to leave us. He's also pretty (very) small and nippy, and he's made the back pocket his own throughout his junior career.

He does weigh slightly more though

Instead of running around the opposition forwards he can run through them...

[FrediKanoute]

Interesting post CG. Lake played his career-best season coming out of contract, so we know that it can certainly have a motivating influence on a players' mindset to try to put themselves forward in the best possible light.

As for the value of his contract and ridiculous numbers being bandied about, let's not forget that at the start of last season he wasn't even in our best 22, and was almost 'discovered' as a backman by accident.. a lot of the credit has to go to our coaching setup to be able to maximise his assets coming out of the back half, but Jarrod and the GC will be kidding themselves if they think that half a season a career makes. He is best off continuing his development curve with those that have taken him this far, but of course, money talks. If he does leave, we will miss his dash and daring (married to a higher than average error rate at times), but let's wish him well and not imagine for a moment that he is irreplaceable, and we shouldn't mortgage our future trying to keep a player for more than he is worth.

GC are going to inflate the real worth of players. Harbrow is an important cog in our side and will be difficult to replace, but not impossible. I wouldn't be paying over the odds for him.

[Mantis]

GC are going to inflate the real worth of players. Harbrow is an important cog in our side and will be difficult to replace, but not impossible. I wouldn't be paying over the odds for him.

See I don't agree with this comment.

With the modern game becoming a 'zone fest' it is refreshing to see a player in the back half take the game on and be relatively successful in doing so. Harbrow's ability to duck and weave his way through traffic and 'break open' the game is reasonably rare and this ability makes him a very valuable commodity.

Sure I don't want to pay 'over the odds' to keep him, but I hope we are able to put forward a package that will make entice him to stay.

[Go_Dogs]

Griffen has been mentioned a few times here - I thought he was contracted to end 2011?

No, this year.

I seemed to recall he was contracted to 2011 too from an article a year or two ago, but apparently not.

[Bulldog Revolution]

I'm interested in winning a premiership

If we win won and Harbrow leaves I can deal with that - its not what I want, but my gaze is too firmly focused to worry about losing a player at this stage

[KT31]

For all we know Gold Coast have already signed Harbrow.
If we win this years flag, IMO he will regret the desision.

[EasternWest]

I'm interested in winning a premiership

If we win won and Harbrow leaves I can deal with that - its not what I want, but my gaze is too firmly focused to worry about losing a player at this stage

And if we lose and Harbrow leaves?

[Bulldog Revolution]

And if we lose and Harbrow leaves?

The black dog of depression sets in and I'm doubly unhappy

[EasternWest]

The black dog of depression sets in and I'm doubly unhappy

Fair enough. It just seemed like you were willing to accept a GF win at any cost. Mind you, I guess I am too.