What if we "Welease Bwian!"

[LostDoggy]

Re: What if we "Welease Bwian!"

The club might be waiting to the end of the finals for many reasons. If we make and win the GF, Johnson, Welsh, Aker and Eagleton would all probably retire. Then, surely there would be enough room in the salary cap.

[Mantis]

Re: What if we "Welease Bwian!"

Yes the window of a flag is here now and for the next few years .. I would do anything to keep him and if its means Aker out than so be it

A little scenario for you: Just say we pay him (Lake) more than we can afford and then next year we have Cooney (for example) coming out of contract and he is being chased by GC. Now because we sold the farm to keep Lake we can't afford to give Coon's an increase and he heads off to GC. How would you feel then?

[Missing Dog]

Re: What if we "Welease Bwian!"

A little scenario for you: Just say we pay him (Lake) more than we can afford and then next year we have Cooney (for example) coming out of contract and he is being chased by GC. Now because we sold the farm to keep Lake we can't afford to give Coon's an increase and he heads off to GC. How would you feel then?

Good question Mantis, but even in this scenario, I think keeping Lake would be the correct decision.

[Missing Dog]

Re: What if we "Welease Bwian!"

Good question Mantis, but even in this scenario, I think keeping Lake would be the correct decision.

Lose a Brownlow Medallist and match winner for a full back with one good season thats prone to making decisions that can easily cost a match? Methinks not.

[Missing Dog]

Re: What if we "Welease Bwian!"

Lose a Brownlow Medallist and match winner for a full back with one good season thats prone to making decisions that can easily cost a match? Methinks not.

We have won plenty of matches off the back of Brian Lake.

And if you think Brian Lake has only had one good season, you haven't been watching to closely over the last couple of years. I could have sworn he won our B&F in 2007

[Missing Dog]

Re: What if we "Welease Bwian!"

We have won plenty of matches off the back of Brian Lake.

And if you think Brian Lake has only had one good season, you haven't been watching to closely over the last couple of years. I could have sworn he won our B&F in 2007

Cooney is better.

[PaddyWhack]

Re: What if we "Welease Bwian!"

Hindsight is a wonderful thing. Back when he signed up last time, he was prone to the occasional brain/bwian fade (as pointed out above) and the $$ reflected this. He has now got his act together and getting the accolades. End result, based on current form, he is entitled to a raise, and at sub-$300K this year, we got a bargain. The Age today had it right - he will take less $$ to stay at WO than what other clubs will throw at him, but he wants more than he is currently getting. My mail is that $400-$450K will keep him at WO and I reckon he is worth that. Oh, and Campbell Rose and Rocket will make damn sure we DON'T pay more than we can afford. Since those two have patched up their differences, the club runs a very tight ship out there and they won't **** this one up.

[chef]

Re: What if we "Welease Bwian!"

Cooney is better.

Lake is more important to the team/structure.

[Missing Dog]

Re: What if we "Welease Bwian!"

Cooney is better.

Never said he wasn't.

My point is, who would be harder to replace.

[Desipura]

Re: What if we "Welease Bwian!"

I think though a longer deal would sit us better because he wants security. Lets say he wants a 2M deal over 4 years (500k a season) but for a 3 year deal he may very well want 1.7M (a touch under 570K a season)

That extra amount might be more than we can accommodate.

Fair call....... especially given we will have a number of players in a similiar age bracket, Gilbee, Gia, Hargreave, Hahn to name a few.

[Mofra]

Re: What if we "Welease Bwian!"

Fair call....... especially given we will have a number of players in a similiar age bracket, Gilbee, Gia, Hargreave, Hahn to name a few.

Back-end Lake's contract - the 'draft of 99' boys wont all be around in 3 years, let alone 4.

[Missing Dog]

Re: What if we "Welease Bwian!"

Never said he wasn't.

My point is, who would be harder to replace.

I see Cooney as the type of player that comes along every 15 years or so. He's an elite AFL player. So he has struggled this year with injury, but I consider him in the same class as Ablett, or Goodes when he's fully fit. Geelong would never let Ablett go elsewhere, certainly not to keep Scarlett, who most will say is as good as Lake.

Plus i don't think its wise to put all your defensive eggs in the Lake basket: if he gets injured, what then? Going forward, we need to develop another key position defender- i suppose we banked on Williams being thereabouts by now.

But if it had to be done, I'd keep Cooney and lose Lake. Cooney has that X factor that in a 15 minute burst can break open a game for us

[hujsh]

Re: What if we "Welease Bwian!"

And if you think Brian Lake has only had one good season, you haven't been watching to closely over the last couple of years. I could have sworn he won our B&F in 2007

Nah. That was a bloke called Brian Harris. Easy mistake to make though.

[Missing Dog]

Re: What if we "Welease Bwian!"

I see Cooney as the type of player that comes along every 15 years or so.

When was the last time we had a full back as good as Brian Lake.

[Missing Dog]

Re: What if we "Welease Bwian!"

When was the last time we had a full back as good as Brian Lake.

i'll reserve judgment until after the finals series.