GSW - Recruiting Targets

[The Coon Dog]

Going to be interesting to see which players are rumoured to be heading to GWS. At present the media seem all over Tom Scully heading north. Not good times on that front for Demons fans.

What does Scully do now? How does the pressure exerted affect him? I guess his manager has come out & publicly put on hold contract talks to the end of the year. How will Scully cope with the constant talk, particularly if it persists all season? Is he better off signing sooner rather than later?

Part of me feels sorry for Melbourne as I like the romance of a player playing his career with the one club, but on the other hand, the selfish part of me thinks it's better for Melbourne to lose a gun rather than us. Also, can't help thinking the karma bus might be paying them back for tanking.

Sheedy has also been fanning the flames at Collingwood with his bold declaration that he'll sign one of Pendlebury, Thomas or Swan.

Who do you see being on the radar from our club? I've heard that they're keen on Callan Ward & Easton Wood.

[Maddog37]

I also reckon that the Dees were not overly loyal to Junior McDonald and Cam Bruce which may make someone like Scully think twice about how he views loyalty in football.

Hope we do not lose ward or wood. But the club is greater than the individual and the game is greater than the club so no sense worrying too much.

[Pickenitup]

I am pretty sure both Cal and Easton are signed up i have heard though that Josh Hill has signed
for Gws

[Bulldog Revolution]

I also reckon that the Dees were not overly loyal to Junior McDonald and Cam Bruce which may make someone like Scully think twice about how he views loyalty in football.

Hope we do not lose ward or wood. But the club is greater than the individual and the game is greater than the club so no sense worrying too much.

Interesting maddog

I'd thought of the exact same thing, that maybe the Dees players did not feel they would be looked after

I didn't see enough of McDonald last year to know if he was done, but having Cam Bruce leave because he thought he'd be knifed isn't ideal

Our players can at least know that the club has looked after Johno, Eagle, Hahn etc as best it could.

We can criticise the club for those decisions but the message is clear that we (and Eade) looks after our players

[The Coon Dog]

I am pretty sure both Cal and Easton are signed up i have heard though that Josh Hill has signed
for Gws

They are not.

[AndrewP6]

Knowing the sort of bloke Tom is, I would normally think he'd stick with the club that gave him his AFL start. He's a good kid (sorry, young man!), super-dedicated to everything he does, has close ties with the family, and with the Dees new HQ at Casey Fields, can stay close to home. That said, the kind of dough GWS has to splash around is ridiculous, and would set him up for life. The point made about the treatment of Bruce is valid, too. As I said, normally I'd have said he'd stay, but obviously this is far from normal! I have a bad feeling he's a goner.

As for us, I agree TCD, Wood and Ward would be in their sights. After Harbrow hitting the road, I'm praying with everything crossed those two stay. I wouldn't be sad if they took (or already had) Josh Hill.

[Sockeye Salmon]

I also reckon that the Dees were not overly loyal to Junior McDonald and Cam Bruce which may make someone like Scully think twice about how he views loyalty in football.

Hope we do not lose ward or wood. But the club is greater than the individual and the game is greater than the club so no sense worrying too much.

I don't see what Melbourne did with McDonald or Bruce was disloyal. It's a harsh world and their time was up (Bruce was offered another contract).

The disloyal bit I don't like is trading off a player against his will. I don't mind a club having a quiet chat with a player to say they won't get much of a go next year and they would be better off looking elsewhere, but Bradshaw and Rischitelli had every right to tell Brisbane to bugger off.

[Swoop]

It's a fine line between trying to establish a strong young list as well as maintaining a good club culture, the list of established Melbourne players that felt they could have gone on but were cut runs deeper than McDonald & Bruce. It's hard for the club to preach loyalty when they have shown first hand how they will treat their star players who are coming towards the end. Brock McLean is a good example of someone who would have considered himself loyal but through the clubs actions began to ponder what else was out there. The only other two genuine veteran players in Green & Davey have both seriously considered offers in the past few seasons as well which doesn't send a great message to the rest of the playing group.

[Sockeye Salmon]

I was under the impression that McLean walked rather than was pushed out?

[Swoop]

He did walk out but my point is that seeing so many senior players shown the door would have made him question what he is actually loyal to and highlighted the cut throat business of it all. Considering Melbourne are paying the bare minimum in terms of their salary cap and that's taking into account that quite a few of their younger players have been placed on front loaded contracts in order to meet the minimum it couldn't have hurt to have kept one or two veterans.

I know you can argue that Bruce was offered a contract however considering the clubs past actions and treatment of it's senior players you can understand why he looked for security elsewhere. Rightly or wrongly this mindset has been created through the clubs past actions and is a dangerous precedent when trying to bring together a young group which will mature together and ultimately push their salary cap as they reach their peak.

Back on topic, I feel for Scully as he's damned no matter what he does, hopefully he has a level head on his shoulders and doesn't let the media speculation affect him too much otherwise it may be a long year for him. I don't think Trengrove has done him any favors either coming out stating he wants to play out his career with Scully, I know his intentions are good but he is purely fueling the fire created by the media

[Ghost Dog]

the speculation was quite harmful to Ablett wasn't it? Remember the lengths he went to - trying to keep a lid on it - the "My mate Bomber" article in the Hun etc. Then he went North.
Made quite a lot of supporters resentful of GC. As you say swoop. going to be a long year for Scully.

[Desipura]

I was under the impression that McLean walked rather than was pushed out?

He was pushed. With a 1st round pick on offer, I would have demanded he leave if I were the Dees!

[Bulldog Revolution]

I don't see what Melbourne did with McDonald or Bruce was disloyal. It's a harsh world and their time was up (Bruce was offered another contract).

The disloyal bit I don't like is trading off a player against his will. I don't mind a club having a quiet chat with a player to say they won't get much of a go next year and they would be better off looking elsewhere, but Bradshaw and Rischitelli had every right to tell Brisbane to bugger off.

Maybe loyalty is not the right word to describe it, and perhaps its the fact that, as Bailey has admitted, they weren't handled well that has left a bad taste in the players mouth

History is going to look very unkindly on the Voss era in Brisbane

[Sockeye Salmon]

Maybe loyalty is not the right word to describe it, and perhaps its the fact that, as Bailey has admitted, they weren't handled well that has left a bad taste in the players mouth

History is going to look very unkindly on the Voss era in Brisbane

It's a difficult one for clubs to handle.

You respect your clubs former stars but some of them simply won't go when it's time. Look at Doug Hawkins - if it was left up to Doug he would still be on our list (in 2003 he would have gotten a game).

[Mofra]

Does anyone know what sort of KPP talent that GWS would be targetting? Not sure who is out of contract around the AFL.
They will need big bodies to step in straight away in 2012.