Lance Franklin to become a Swan

[mcs]

While I am now reasonably happy to see Buddy arriving, and resigned to seeing other players go, I definitely want to keep Sam Reid, especially if there is going to be an adjustment to the two ruckmen policy that has served us so well. I see him as playing down back as well as forwards and with a bit more bulk could easily do the fill-in role after LRT retires.

I would not be happy at all if sammy was to go as well - but I'd be suprised if we got rid of him, as he has the ability to be versatile, which as you've said we will need once LRT goes.

[Flying South]

I know this is a Buddy thread, but there is a lot of comment about COLA. There have been several different forms of COLA put forward on this site and there is merit in a few. I don?t think it can be scrapped altogether and I think I have a slightly different prposal. There is no argument that the rental costs in Sydney are exhorbitant. The players effected by this the most are the kids being drafted and other players on lower contracts. I agree with the capping idea and to only pay the allowance to players on less than say 200K. But I would get the AFL to pay it. That way no one can complain that we are on a higher salary cap. Kids would not be deterred from coming to the swans. And Eddie will be happy that we are on the same playing field as them. It has got nothing to do with equalisation. Don?t get me started on that crap.

[mcs]

as a swans lover I am absolutely filthy at this decision, not only have that paid an exorbitant heavily weighted back end deal to get this bloke, it may very well risk our list in future years if he decides to retire early... I am yet to be convinced that this guy is a swans player with team first ethos..i would have much rather kept mummy and bolstered our defence with a smart buy.. we all saw what happened when tippett came into the team ..oh gee' lets bomb it long' now this will be even worse...what about the midfielders doing all the grunt work ,how will they feel about two blokes up the front getting all the money and the cred ..is this really swans culture?? really at a loss right now where the club is headed ,a 9 year deal for a 26 yo really ??? back end include a walking frame ??

The deal is front ended by all reports, not backended. it sounds like a lot of it is in the first 4 or 5 years - i.e. when he is expected to play a lot. If they've done it well, I'd expect the last 4 or 5 years we are probably paying somewhere like $350K-$500K a season at most.

[CureTheSane]

Simple. The Swans should start a campaign to have a 'reverse COLA' for SA and WA and Qld where the cost of living is less
Isn't it unfair that these clubs effectively get extra to spend?
At least the Swans have had their COLA overseen, tested and officially calculated...

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Simple. The Swans should start a campaign to have a 'reverse COLA' for SA and WA and Qld where the cost of living is less
Isn't it unfair that these clubs effectively get extra to spend?
At least the Swans have had their COLA overseen, tested and officially calculated...

[BillyRayCypress]

Everyone is going on about Buddy being 35 when his contract finishes.

On the 8th January 2014, Goodes turns 34 and has at least another year if not two to play.

The threat of the AFL blocking the contract based on a "what if" is unbelievable but I'm sure every Melbourne Club plus GWS will be ringing the AFL today to stop Buddy from coming to Sydney.

[stellation]

Listening to 702 this morning they ran a longish story on it to start the news break (long for a radio news break, that is), so it's certainly getting the attention of Sydney media. Some disappointingly lazy journalism on the story, that included the pearlers (paraphrasing);
"Lance Franklin is a name that would only be known by diehard Aussie Rules fans in Sydney"
"the deal, worth a record $10 million dollars over 9 years" then moments later "the deal, worth $1.4 million p.a."
"the Swans have a cost of living allowance of 9.8%, worth nearly an extra million dollars per year- it remains to be seen if the Swans will add this amount to the contract"
"Hawthorn have until Friday to match the offer"

[Swansongster]

Does anybody else think that maybe the Franklin deal was what Colless and Roos fell out over?

Terms such as "privy to inside information" and "using that information" now ring a different bell for me.

If Roos wanted someone like, say Perris, to join him at the Dees, maybe he suggested that there was not going to be much money to spare in the future for a star like Perris is going to be.

"What, with all that Tippett and Buddy money plus expectations of increases for established risers such as Parker, Johnson, Mitchell, etc., there ain't going to be much left for you." Roos may have said to Nova which may then have been repeated by the young kid to someone else in the club discussing the future with him.

Roos may also have mentioned this to other trade or draft prospects that the Swans were eyeing off.

Such a disclosure by Roos would certainly explain Colless' anger. It could have scuppered the biggest coup in AFL history.

Just a thought.

[Matt80]

Another thought!

Free agency now allows clubs to plan years in advance!

Is it time for the Swans to start planning to take Jeremy Cameron from GWS in five years time? He will be a free agent at that time and Tippett's contract would have expired!

In the meantime, Buddy could offer Jeremy Cameron a room in his Bondi Beach pad, where Jeremy will be mixing with fun blokes like Kurtly Beele, James Occonor and Quade Cooper.

The Swans can make this happen! They are brilliant!

[MightyBloods]

Does anybody else think that maybe the Franklin deal was what Colless and Roos fell out over?

Terms such as "privy to inside information" and "using that information" now ring a different bell for me.

If Roos wanted someone like, say Perris, to join him at the Dees, maybe he suggested that there was not going to be much money to spare in the future for a star like Perris is going to be.

"What, with all that Tippett and Buddy money plus expectations of increases for established risers such as Parker, Johnson, Mitchell, etc., there ain't going to be much left for you." Roos may have said to Nova which may then have been repeated by the young kid to someone else in the club discussing the future with him.

Roos may also have mentioned this to other trade or draft prospects that the Swans were eyeing off.

Such a disclosure by Roos would certainly explain Colless' anger. It could have scuppered the biggest coup in AFL history.

Just a thought.

Put yourself in young Perris' shoes. If I was told Buddy is going to the Swans I'd be thinking "gee, I'd love to play on the same park with him". And hearing about Perris' attributes tells me is a very determined guy who would back in his skill to make it at the club. If Roos did know I'm saying there is no way he would have mentioned it to Perris., or any other kid as an attraction to move from the Swans.

[bodgie]

I'm Uninformed: "LRT can still play swing and with Tippett, back up ruck with the limit on rotations. That's covered (though will admit an injury to Pyke would hurt)."
This is what bothers me about Mumford leaving. I guess they view Mumford's body being more vulnerable than Pyke's. Last year I thought the team was much stronger with 2 ruckmen.

As for 'putting all our eggs in two big baskets' I reckon having two strong forwards with Franklins turns of brilliance will help keep and attract to Sydney those rough diamonds we work with so well.

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I'm Uninformed: "LRT can still play swing and with Tippett, back up ruck with the limit on rotations. That's covered (though will admit an injury to Pyke would hurt)."
This is what bothers me about Mumford leaving. I guess they view Mumford's body being more vulnerable than Pyke's. Last year I thought the team was much stronger with 2 ruckmen.

As for 'putting all our eggs in two big baskets' I reckon having two strong forwards with Franklins turns of brilliance will help keep and attract to Sydney those rough diamonds we work with so well.

[AnnieH]

Slept on it... and STILL loving it.

Sucked in Melbourne.
Stop crying like sooky la la's.

Recruiting GENIUS at play... once again.

[MightyBloods]

Adrian Anderson (former right hand man to Andrew Demetriou) was just interviewed by KB on SEN. He said that it is likely that over the next ten years that the salary cap will probably double given the same growth of the game is sustained. He based this opinion upon the fact that the salary cap has doubled over the last 10 years. A 10 year deal is a risk but the brilliance of this deal is that the risk quickly deminishes from year 6 onwards. Basically, the Swans hope to get there moneys worth in the first 5 to 6 years both on and off the field. The deal is lopsided at the front end particularly over the first 4 years in anticipation of the retirements of ROK, Goodesy, Shaw, Richards and LRT over the coming 2 to 3 years. It may mean that one or a few of these players may be pressured to retire a year earlier than they would want but I don't have a problem with this. Just about every player approaching retirement wants that extra year (ie Bolts). And as for the back end of the contract years (assuming about $500k per year) go ahead an halve it to appreciate what the money may look like in 10 years.

...and it also allows us to continue to pay increases to our younger established stars as well as getting earlier draft picks for the players departing (ie Mumford, White, Everitt, Grundy). Outside of these players bracketed I'd be uneasy letting go anyone else (particularly Reid). I do Reid going down back to help in defence.

[BillyRayCypress]

Does anybody else think that maybe the Franklin deal was what Colless and Roos fell out over?

Just a thought.

I doubt Roos would have known anything about it. He was no longer part of the inner sanctum in terms to running the Club.

Speaking of ages:

1. Goodes is older than Jude Bolton being born 2 months earlier in 1980

2. 1981 - Shaw, O'Keefe

3. 1982 - Mattner

4. 1983 - Richards, LRT,

5. 1984 - Pyke

[Ludwig]

I don't think the length or amount of Buddy's contract will have as big an impact as is being reported. At least some part is outside the TPP, being a marketing component. It seems that the Tippett contract was also overstated by the media by a couple of hundred thou. Since we had a year to plan for this, I imagine all the ramifications, including player movements and long term contract implications have been well thought out.

There aren't too may Once in a Generation Players around. Buddy is one of them. You have to make allowances for that. In a sense, he really is our replacement for Adam Goodes.

If Buddy doesn't get injured, I can see him playing out his last few years as a Sub, something I have suggested to lengthen the playing career of Goodes.

From Buddy's point of view, it is hard to imagine him going to GWS. He enjoys being part of the glitterati, something that wouldn't have happened from Parramatta. No place better than Sydney's Eastern Burbs.

It has also been reported and confirmed by the Swans that Sam Reid is staying, which pleases me greatly. Surely he will be our CHB. I have been hoping for a Reid/AJ core for our defence would hold us in good stead for a long time. I wouldn't make sense to keep Reg under these circumstances.

My final wish would be for us to plan our big name retirements for next season to clear enough in the salary cap to recruit Ben Reid as a free agent. Eddie deserves retribution. Maybe we are working on that deal now, so our future backline will be AJ and the Reid Bros.

[mcs]

I doubt Roos would have known anything about it. He was no longer part of the inner sanctum in terms to running the Club.

Speaking of ages:

1. Goodes is older than Jude Bolton being born 2 months earlier in 1980

2. 1981 - Shaw, O'Keefe

3. 1982 - Mattner

4. 1983 - Richards, LRT,

5. 1984 - Pyke

Lol but according to the insidously annoying Geelong fan in my office ' we have such an old list already and Buddy will make it worse'