Welcome to the Bulldogs: Bailey Smith

[Go_Dogs]

Re: Welcome to the Bulldogs: Bailey Smith

I’ve been sitting in it and where I’m landing is:

Bailey Smith is the exact player Geelong need. It’s very similar to getting Dangerfield (who admittedly had more runs on the board as an inside burst midfielder and was a better citizen) but the sme type of player and absolutely the bloke who’ll replace Dangerfield.

We hold the cards here to the extent we played all of 2024 without him and while I don’t think we’d go this way, we could genuinely walk him to the PSD and not lose much if it means saving face. The counter to this is being a good club and helping a player get to where they want, but I suspect this applies a bit less to Bailey given history.

What should we aim for? Well a pick in the late first round is better than we have at the moment, so let’s get one of those and then, let’s target a player who can help us. I haven’t studied the Cats list enough to know who that may be, but we’ll likely get 2 more weeks of viewing them to decide.

I’m glad it’s done now and whatever unrealistic glimmer of hope we’d convince him to stay is gone.

[Bornadog]

Re: Welcome to the Bulldogs: Bailey Smith

It really won't matter at the end of the day. If we trade him and get unders. media will say we got screwed. If we walk him to the pre season draft. Media will say we got nothing for him. I doubt media will be saying. Good on the dogs for taking a stand.
I think best option is to get creative and involve multiple clubs to extract what we want. Player or Pick.

It's not about the media, it's about sending a message to players that want to walk out ie, if we don't get a good deal, you are playing for the bottom team. Mind you it will never happen, the club will try and get the best they can

[Hotdog60]

Re: Welcome to the Bulldogs: Bailey Smith

When he told us he wanted to be traded we should have said to tell his manager to give us a fair deal or you will be playing either Richmond or North next year. Get in early so he's management know we will play hard ball.
Then it's up to them if they want to call our bluff.

[bulldogtragic]

Re: Welcome to the Bulldogs: Bailey Smith

Tom Morris also saying Dogs expect more than the Geelong 1st and that the offer to Smith is 5+ years.

If they’re offering those years on good coin it’s completely disingenuous to the player and negotiations to not meet the low bar of BS & F2 for their first and F1. Which could be just two picks around 20, while getting something around 30-35 back.

[Bornadog]

Re: Welcome to the Bulldogs: Bailey Smith

Have the Bulldogs "forfeited" their right to play hard-ball in a Bailey Smith trade?

Garry Lyon wonders if the Bulldogs will simply have to accept whatever the Cats send their way in a trade for midfielder Bailey Smith.

After months of speculation, Smith officially requested a trade on Monday ? though a destination was not mentioned.

Geelong has been seen as the landing spot for the 23-year-old since Sam Edmund reported in July of 2023 that club and player were having meaningful conversations.

The Bulldogs are reportedly unwilling to accept the Cats? first-round pick as compensation for Smith, as Edmund explained on Tuesday.

?It will get done, but the time for tough talk starts now. Geelong?s first round pick, it isn?t ideal. It currently sits at pick 16 and depending on their finish to the season it could be 18 and with the father-son and Academy picks, Josh Battle?s compensation, it?s not hard to envisage a scenario where that pick ends up in the 20s,? Edmund told SEN Breakfast.

?The Dogs were saying yesterday that that wouldn?t cut it, but the player is out of contract so there?s little recourse for them.

?So what will it look like at the deadline when the Cats are offering pick 20, take it or leave it.?

Edmund added that Smith isn?t moving to Geelong for a big pay day.

?This isn?t a blockbuster contract by any stretch of the imagination, I?m told. Bailey Smith isn?t leaving for money. Just about every team in the competition could fit him in their salary cap,? he said.

Melbourne great Garry Lyon wonders whether the Bulldogs have any leverage in this situation to play hard ball on trade negotiations.

?What are they going to do? Tell him to go into the pre-season draft and end up at Richmond?? Lyon said.

?The Dogs have forfeited the right to (play hard ball). Bailey needs to turn around and say ?hey, Geelong you have to do the best deal. You?ve got to compensate the Dogs?.?

Smith didn?t feature for the Bulldogs at AFL level in 2024 after tearing his ACL in the pre-season.

[The Bulldogs Bite]

Re: Welcome to the Bulldogs: Bailey Smith

We need to get inventive with other clubs.

Even their 2024 R1 and 2025 R1 would be a poor result. Next years pick will probably be between 17-22 (let's be honest - Geelong probably won't fall down the ladder like we all hope).

For a former pick 7 with his 'marketing profile' and history in September, that isn't a good result. But we won't get a better offer, if we even get it, from Geelong.

So how do we turn that into something better (packaging picks) or how do we involve another club? Fremantle might be a good place to start.

The only silver lining is that BS didn't play at all this year and we arguably didn't miss him / should be able to cover him.

[hujsh]

Re: Welcome to the Bulldogs: Bailey Smith

?The Dogs have forfeited the right to (play hard ball). Bailey needs to turn around and say ?hey, Geelong you have to do the best deal. You?ve got to compensate the Dogs?.?

I don't get it. I'm not feeling great so maybe I'm just slow today but he doesn't explain really why we can't play hardball (cause Geelong's offer isn't huge?) but then says Smith needs to tell Geelong to compensate us well? What?

[Mantis]

Re: Welcome to the Bulldogs: Bailey Smith

We need to get inventive with other clubs.

Even their 2024 R1 and 2025 R1 would be a poor result. Next years pick will probably be between 17-22 (let's be honest - Geelong probably won't fall down the ladder like we all hope).

For a former pick 7 with his 'marketing profile' and history in September, that isn't a good result. But we won't get a better offer, if we even get it, from Geelong.

So how do we turn that into something better (packaging picks) or how do we involve another club? Fremantle might be a good place to start.

The only silver lining is that BS didn't play at all this year and we arguably didn't miss him / should be able to cover him.

We probably didn't, but when our core mids are all 30+ at the start of next year and outside that we have only one proven mid (Richards), it does make you wonder what our midfield will look like in 2-3 years.

Really disappointed that it appears we're forcing Garcia out, so lot of focus comes on Sanders & Gallagher to become something better than B grade midfielders within 2 years.

[The Bulldogs Bite]

Re: Welcome to the Bulldogs: Bailey Smith

We probably didn't, but when our core mids are all 30+ at the start of next year and outside that we have only one proven mid (Richards), it does make you wonder what our midfield will look like in 2-3 years.

Really disappointed that it appears we're forcing Garcia out, so lot of focus comes on Sanders & Gallagher to become something better than B grade midfielders within 2 years.

Yep, definitely makes it an area of focus, but I am not too concerned. This 'star studded' group we've had for years haven't delivered and Smith has been part of that. I recall many games where he was a liability at stoppage / at centre bounce. The loss of Dunkley was far worse.

Mids are always the easiest to find. Bont and Richards is a pretty good platform to build off, hopefully Sanders can add to that.

Like you I am bewildered about Garcia. I don't see Gallagher being a mid and hope we push him to Duryea's role.

Perhaps West will get some mid minutes next year too, we saw him go in for bursts later in the year and I thought he did OK.

[bulldogtragic]

Re: Welcome to the Bulldogs: Bailey Smith

We need to get inventive with other clubs.

Even their 2024 R1 and 2025 R1 would be a poor result. Next years pick will probably be between 17-22 (let's be honest - Geelong probably won't fall down the ladder like we all hope).

For a former pick 7 with his 'marketing profile' and history in September, that isn't a good result. But we won't get a better offer, if we even get it, from Geelong.

So how do we turn that into something better (packaging picks) or how do we involve another club? Fremantle might be a good place to start.

The only silver lining is that BS didn't play at all this year and we arguably didn't miss him / should be able to cover him.

I think if we involve another club that opens up Geelong to stall talks and pressure us into thinking we lose BS & the other club player. I think if we want to trade any of the picks, we should have silos on both trades.

I don’t love BS & F2 for their first & F1, but realistically I can’t see us getting better and we shouldn’t accept any worse. That should be our line in the sand. It’s not a crazy demand, two picks around 20 for BS and 30-35. As you say, that’s assuming Geelong even want to play ball. Their Esava positioning last year was pretty rediculous I thought.

If we then had three tradable firsts in our pocket and heaps of cash, then we could get creative.

[angelopetraglia]

Re: Welcome to the Bulldogs: Bailey Smith

There is such a bias in the media. It is sickening.

There is an undertone building that the smaller clubs are just factories to produce talent to trade or go via free agent to the "big" clubs. "The Bulldogs have no right stop stop Bailey Smith going to a bigger club to the exposure his brand deserves". I'm so over it.

I feel like the AFL is becoming the Premier League or the Serie A where players start at smaller clubs and all the best talent ends up getting to the biggest clubs via osmosis over time. That is the narrative that the media is pushing. A story always involves the up and coming star players going to Collingwood or Sydney, never to the Saints or the Dogs.

[bulldogtragic]

Re: Welcome to the Bulldogs: Bailey Smith

There is such a bias in the media. It is sickening.

There is an undertone building that the smaller clubs are just factories to produce talent to trade or go via free agent to the "big" clubs. "The Bulldogs have no right stop stop Bailey Smith going to a bigger club to the exposure his brand deserves". I'm so over it.

I feel like the AFL is becoming the Premier League or the Serie A where players start at smaller clubs and all the best talent ends up getting to the biggest clubs via osmosis over time. That is the narrative that the media is pushing. A story always involves the up and coming star players going to Collingwood or Sydney, never to the Saints or the Dogs.

Which dickhead said that?

[Ozza]

Re: Welcome to the Bulldogs: Bailey Smith

I am really hoping another club or clubs come hard for him. Hawthorn and Richmond ideally. I really don't like the idea of exclusive dealings with Geelong, where we won't get a great deal done. Geelong don't overpay and/or lose in the off season. Easily the best club at this, and a number of other areas of footy.....frustratingly.

[G-Mo77]

Re: Welcome to the Bulldogs: Bailey Smith

I am really hoping another club or clubs come hard for him. Hawthorn and Richmond ideally. I really don't like the idea of exclusive dealings with Geelong, where we won't get a great deal done. Geelong don't overpay and/or lose in the off season. Easily the best club at this, and a number of other areas of footy.....frustratingly.

It's Geelong the only other outlier is Hawthorn.

[Grantysghost]

Re: Welcome to the Bulldogs: Bailey Smith

I am really hoping another club or clubs come hard for him. Hawthorn and Richmond ideally. I really don't like the idea of exclusive dealings with Geelong, where we won't get a great deal done. Geelong don't overpay and/or lose in the off season. Easily the best club at this, and a number of other areas of footy.....frustratingly.

That would be ideal. I think though most of the work is already done by the time they request a trade. He's well down the path with the Cats.