List changes and trade bait

[Matt80]

Agreed. And Longmire isn't na?ve enough not to have considered the possibility that Nick has already reached terms with another club and will announce on the day after GF day that he is leaving. If that is to be the case, there is little Longmire or the club can do about it and there's no point worrying about it either. Nick is definitely playing as if he is very much committed to doing everything in his powers to help the team win the premiership. Just as Buddy was doing for the Hawks this time last year.

The thing that must be realised with Malceski is that he is playing a game filled with high stakes and great risk.

What happens to his future if he ruptures another ACL or ruptures an Achilles tendon during one of the final games of the year? At 30, the offers from opposition clubs will be withdrawn and having put contract talks on hold, the Swans will be within their rights to offer a reduced contract or no contact at all.

Malceski is playing a dangerous game by not coming to terms with the Swans during 2014. He does not have contract security at the moment and we all hope that he gets through the next couple of games.

[ScottH]

The thing that must be realised with Malceski is that he is playing a game filled with high stakes and great risk.

What happens to his future if he ruptures another ACL or ruptures an Achilles tendon during one of the final games of the year? At 30, the offers from opposition clubs will be withdrawn and having put contract talks on hold, the Swans will be within their rights to offer a reduced contract or no contact at all.

Malceski is playing a dangerous game by not coming to terms with the Swans during 2014. He does not have contract security at the moment and we all hope that he gets through the next couple of games.

We all hope he gets through the rest of the season as he is a huge part of this team.

[Nico]

The thing that must be realised with Malceski is that he is playing a game filled with high stakes and great risk.

What happens to his future if he ruptures another ACL or ruptures an Achilles tendon during one of the final games of the year? At 30, the offers from opposition clubs will be withdrawn and having put contract talks on hold, the Swans will be within their rights to offer a reduced contract or no contact at all.

Malceski is playing a dangerous game by not coming to terms with the Swans during 2014. He does not have contract security at the moment and we all hope that he gets through the next couple of games.

But isn't that the same as every player who becomes unrestricted or is at the end of a contract? If every player took that line there would be no player movement. Life is about taking risks.

[liz]

The thing that must be realised with Malceski is that he is playing a game filled with high stakes and great risk.

What happens to his future if he ruptures another ACL or ruptures an Achilles tendon during one of the final games of the year? At 30, the offers from opposition clubs will be withdrawn and having put contract talks on hold, the Swans will be within their rights to offer a reduced contract or no contact at all.

Malceski is playing a dangerous game by not coming to terms with the Swans during 2014. He does not have contract security at the moment and we all hope that he gets through the next couple of games.

A bit of a depressing stance. I am sure Nick is aware that another serious injury would put his future contract position in jeopardy. Another really serious injury (ie knee) might persuade him his time is up anyway. But I am pretty confident he doesn't run out each week with any contemplation of getting a serious injury. Players just wouldn't play if that was on their mind the whole time.

[ernie koala]

"in Nick's case he wanted to concentrate on his footy and not have any distractions, and that's obviously been no problem for me." (Longmire)

What a load of crap. I would have thought that having the contract negotiations finalised and all speculation ceasing would mean that there are no distractions.

I agree.

Horse, quite rightly IMO, is just putting a positive spin on it and defusing the daily speculation.

[Matt80]

A bit of a depressing stance. I am sure Nick is aware that another serious injury would put his future contract position in jeopardy. Another really serious injury (ie knee) might persuade him his time is up anyway. But I am pretty confident he doesn't run out each week with any contemplation of getting a serious injury. Players just wouldn't play if that was on their mind the whole time.

Not trying to be negative. I?m just highlighting that it?s better for something to go wrong with a freshly inked contract, rather than being unsigned. Even if you miss large chunks of football the clubs rehabilitation services are essential for your general health and life beyond Football.

Malceski is 30 years old with a long history of knee troubles. John Patten signed for GWS days after doing his 2nd ACL, but he is 21 and plays the most hard to cover position on the field.

I?m also highlighting that in this new era of free agency that players can sometimes come unstuck by poorly timed injuries and not being protected by contracts that they would have signed in the past.

Malceski is taking a risk and it?s important to acknowledge that.

[Conor_Dillon]

I'm happy to go on record and state that I think Mal will definitely stay and has only put off contract talks in an attempt to worry the Swans and potentially get that 2 year deal he is after, as opposed to the 1 year deal Sydney tabled.

Sydney would be more than happy to wait and see how retirements etc. pan out and once that is finalised we'll offer him the 2 years he wants and put all this talk to bed.

[Mr Magoo]

One thing I do know is that his performances lately will more likely have attracted suitors rather than turned them away.

[CureTheSane]

I read it as Longmire thinking that while Mal is out of contract he's going to bust his ass more than ever to perform to attract other potential suitors.
Benefit for the Swans is that he is striving constantly for another level.
Then we re-sign him, after he's helped us win the flag

[Nico]

Not trying to be negative. I?m just highlighting that it?s better for something to go wrong with a freshly inked contract, rather than being unsigned. Even if you miss large chunks of football the clubs rehabilitation services are essential for your general health and life beyond Football.

Malceski is 30 years old with a long history of knee troubles. John Patten signed for GWS days after doing his 2nd ACL, but he is 21 and plays the most hard to cover position on the field.

I?m also highlighting that in this new era of free agency that players can sometimes come unstuck by poorly timed injuries and not being protected by contracts that they would have signed in the past.

Malceski is taking a risk and it?s important to acknowledge that.

Clubs are smart. How do you know that they wouldn't have a get out clause on a 30yo if he got a bad injury immediately after signing.

Not up with it, but who are the free agents who have come unstuck with injury so far?

[goswannies]

Clubs are smart. How do you know that they wouldn't have a get out clause on a 30yo if he got a bad injury immediately after signing.

Not up with it, but who are the free agents who have come unstuck with injury so far?

I think there can be get out clauses but the payment amount will still be included in the salary cap. Not too damaging for a 1-2 year contract i guess

[Matt80]

Clubs are smart. How do you know that they wouldn't have a get out clause on a 30yo if he got a bad injury immediately after signing.

Not up with it, but who are the free agents who have come unstuck with injury so far?

I'm not sure of what clauses are inserted into players contracts. I would think there would be protection for serious injury sustained on the field of battle. I think the story would be different if you sustained a serious injury by falling off a nightclub podium after 12 bourbons.

The best example I can recall of a player being protected by a long term contract in the face of serious injury is Nathan Brown of Richmond. He signed a long term contract at Richmond in 2004 and sustained the Rohan broken leg in early 2005 in only his second year at the club. He was never the same player, but was able to earn a living until 2009 due to the long term contract.

There will be a playing victim sooner rather than later of this practice of putting free agency contract talks on hold era. This even up the balance.

[Nico]

I'm not sure of what clauses are inserted into players contracts. I would think there would be protection for serious injury sustained on the field of battle. I think the story would be different if you sustained a serious injury by falling off a nightclub podium after 12 bourbons.

The best example I can recall of a player being protected by a long term contract in the face of serious injury is Nathan Brown of Richmond. He signed a long term contract at Richmond in 2004 and sustained the Rohan broken leg in early 2005 in only his second year at the club. He was never the same player, but was able to earn a living until 2009 due to the long term contract.

There will be a playing victim sooner rather than later of this practice of putting free agency contract talks on hold era. This even up the balance.

Matt you want your cake and eat it too. You can't say sometimes players can come unstuck, then shift your view and then say there will a victim sooner or later to suit your argument. My point was about get out clauses not whether someone in the past was protected by a long term contract. Clubs are smarter than they were in 2004. The game has changed. Players have far more bargaining power now and clubs equally have the ability to say to a player on your bike.

[Matt80]

A different opposition player to consider.

Sam Blease of Melbourne. He is about to be delisted by Melbourne according to a Herald Sun report.

He has electric pace, the ability to run and carry through the lines in spectacular fashion and is a former top draft pick. He is 23.

He has had injuries and things have not worked out at Melbourne.

He looks a John Longmire type of player with his pace. He would come cheap. I wonder if he can be rehabilitated to meet his potential in the Swans system.

[goswannies]

A different opposition player to consider.

Sam Blease of Melbourne. He is about to be delisted by Melbourne according to a Herald Sun report.

He has electric pace, the ability to run and carry through the lines in spectacular fashion and is a former top draft pick. He is 23.

He has had injuries and things have not worked out at Melbourne.

He looks a John Longmire type of player with his pace. He would come cheap. I wonder if he can be rehabilitated to meet his potential in the Swans system.

Only averages 1.67 tackles a game. Injury prone. Can't get a game in the second worst side in the comp. There are lots of top draft picks that don't make it cos they're spuds (we've had a few - sometimes you can cover a potato in all the mayonnaise & herbs you want, but it's still essentially a spud). You need a new adjective to describe pace than "electric".