Tippett!!

[Primmy]

We have three vet players at least and their salaries are not under the cap. Wouldn't be surprised if we are quite comfortable; smart recruiters etc.

[Plugger1300]

If Grundy doesn't want to leave them we can't trade him - goes against the whole idea of Bloods ethos and culture.
We can't ask the players to adhere to it and then when they do trade them for a spasmodic basketballer and million bucks.
We already have a spasmodic basketballer (Jesse)

[RogueSwan]

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Can't see any quotes there from the Swans so until they say something, I am taking all trade talks with a grain of salt. Could just be a rumour, ala Aker years ago, just to bump up his price?

[Matty10]

If Grundy doesn't want to leave them we can't trade him - goes against the whole idea of Bloods ethos and culture.
We can't ask the players to adhere to it and then when they do trade them for a spasmodic basketballer and million bucks.
We already have a spasmodic basketballer (Jesse)

No player can be forced to move if they are under contract, but that does not mean that they can't be enticed to leave (e.g. Schneider) by a new club (money, opportunities, lifestyle, etc) or their current one (diminished opportunities, less money at next contract, etc).

[robamiee]

yes we seem to be the whipping boys when it comes to players salaries....
" oh sydney want him and have offered thisssssssssssssssssssssss much"

[Rod_]

I assume that Grundy is on the table because he was originally from SA? Is that the only reason?

[Ludwig]

I agree with Paul Roos that free agency is killing the AFL. If you look at all the other codes with free agency it has meant an end to club loyalty, player strikes, lockouts, and players just moving around for the most money. The signs are already here with the Cloke drama, the Goddard move to the Dons and now the Tippett move (although not a free agent, is similar to the Luke Ball episode where it is hard to stop a player going to a club of his choice).

I don't like the whole idea of paying Tippett in the same category as Ablett and Judd. But then you have to look at what Scully and Folau got from GWS. They are both making over a mil and are not near the value of a Tippett. I can understand that from the perspective of trying to stay competitive with the best clubs you have to play the game. It's just the way footy is evolving from the business end that is forcing us away from the kind of culture we would like to keep at the club.

As fans, what choice do we have but accept the way things are?

[jono2707]

I assume that Grundy is on the table because he was originally from SA? Is that the only reason?

I assume that he is mentioned in the rumours only because he is from SA. He is a very important player for us, and one of the premier defenders in the AFL, and I wouldn't want to see him go. He has been great for us. And although previously I have bemoaned our lack of a key forward, I don't think ultimately it's hurt us too much this year....

Oh, and LOL at the thought of Jesse having any trade currency...... I wish him well, but surely no team would actively seek him as part of a package???

[rojo]

No doubt Tippet would be good for our forward line and it is good to explore the possibility of getting him. However, like Ludwig above, it concerns me greatly if he is lured into the club on a million a year contract. He is not that good - he is not a Plugger or even a Barry Hall and may have a medical problem. Who else at our club is on a million dollars a year? Some of our current stars or potential stars would be pricking up their ears. How would he fit into the Bloods culture of all for the team, rather the individual. Yes, you can say a Goddard, Ablett or Tippet have every right to go to the highest bidder, but I would say that the example set by other Geelong stars and those in other teams who have taken pay cuts to keep everyone within the salary cap is being undermined. I fear for the way the AFL is heading. How much is it going to cost to keep Sam Reid in 4 years' time?

[Matty10]

I agree with Paul Roos that free agency is killing the AFL. If you look at all the other codes with free agency it has meant an end to club loyalty, player strikes, lockouts, and players just moving around for the most money. The signs are already here with the Cloke drama, the Goddard move to the Dons and now the Tippett move (although not a free agent, is similar to the Luke Ball episode where it is hard to stop a player going to a club of his choice).

The draft has been pretty good for the competition, but having a player tied to a club just because they drafted him originally is a bit hard on the player for an extended period of time. If free agency didn't come in strike action by the AFLPA would be far more likely.

[Matty10]

I assume that he is mentioned in the rumours only because he is from SA. He is a very important player for us, and one of the premier defenders in the AFL, and I wouldn't want to see him go. He has been great for us.

No-one knows for sure if Grundy has really been mentioned in trade talks, but all the reasons you listed above are the reasons that you would offer him as a trade (you need to offer something good in order to get something good).

The fact that he is rated highly is a good reason to offer him up, particularly as we have good defensive stocks already - LRT can go back to defence and is a ready-made replacement - the Collingwood game is a case-in-point. If we can do without Grundy for a final and perform well in defence then it stands to reason that he might be a good player to trade - if another team is interested.

[Ruck'n'Roll]

Still can't see how we could get the trade done. I'd be very surprised if he ends up at the Swans.
Might be the usual ploy players use to pump up their value, Sydney seems to be mentioned as a destination for almost everyone except the ones that we do do target and get.

Think you're correct: Agents routinely use the Swans as a stalking horse, forcing clubs to match non-existant offers from the team that has the largest salary cap (cost of living allowance).

[Ruck'n'Roll]

Why would it be toxic to the culture? I don't ever remember Tippett being involved in anything untoward.

The same reason the Raines/Richardson/Bradbury/Carey deal destroyed the cohesion of the bombers

[Dosser]

The same reason the Raines/Richardson/Bradbury/Carey deal destroyed the cohesion of the bombers

Brad Seymour was just talking about this on SEN. Story seems to be gathering legs.

[DamY]

At the end of the day, I think it's only fair that AFL players extract fair market value, as they generally have a very limited window of opportunity to earn money. Yes, it is a lot more money than what most people earn, but a lot of money goes into professional sports and it's fair that the players earn as much as they can, when they can. I think the salary cap and the market will ensure that it doesn't get too out of hand, although that is yet to be seen. *If* a club does think that x player is worth x amount, then they need to consider the risk of doing so (similar to what happened with Fevola and Brisbane Lions). The clubs will need to learn to operate within the new parameters, and those that learn best will be able to take advantage of it.

I don't claim to be an expert on the free agency issue, but as you can see, McVeigh signed up already because he is passionate about this club and didn't even bother entering into those kind of discussions. The club culture, being able to have a normal life in Sydney and the fact we recently won a premiership are other variables that trades and drafts will consider attractive, and they are to an extent part of the whole remuneration package that players would look at.

So in summary, I think Sydney will maintain it's good record on trades and not be sucked into a money game as I'm sure they'll be looking at the big picture, not just the dollars.