List changes and trade bait

[sharp9]

Surely we will put AJ on the rookie list. There's nothing to prevent us from paying him whatever is deemed a fair wage is there? But as he almost certainly won't play in 2015 it would be a waste of a spot to leave him on senior list....esp as we have Robinson, Naismith and others to be considered for upgrades. Can someone remind us, have Lloyd, Biggs and X. Richards been offered senior spots for 2015/2016??

[sharp9]

I think you'll find that 99% of all people on the planet with an opinion on this matter agree with this theory....not crazy talk at all....which is why AFL may well stop this kind of thing in the future...apparently there were some 25 year contracts in America....which can be viewed as salary cap rorting because if a player is paid $3million on top of his actual playing days then it's kind of equivalent to using a paper bag isn't it? Except that it drains our cap in other years. If I were the AFL I would have had the power to limit contract length properly written into the rules (technically they do have over-ride powers...which they demonstrated by having an inquiry... but it was not clearly written into the rules and if they had tried to limit the contract to the six years everyone thought it should have been then they would have been on very shaky ground, legally).

[707]

X Richards just signed for 2015 & 2016 on the senior list. Lloyd if he hasn't already certainly will be upgraded. Naismith will either get a third rookie year or a senior upgrade.

Biggs could be a casualty as could Robinson given we have Eddie's Messiah Isaac Heeney joining us in the ND.

If AJ isn't contracted for 2015 then a well paid rookie spot could be on the cards.

Remember we have the minimum 38 on the senior list in 2014, most other clubs have the maximum 40. We have two extra rookies this year because we only have 38. This is a tactic to keep the salary cap under control, bulging but under control :-)

[Conor_Dillon]

More whispers around this morning that Sydney are keen on Ryder...along with Brisbane, Port and GWS. Interesting.

[ugg]

Surely we will put AJ on the rookie list. There's nothing to prevent us from paying him whatever is deemed a fair wage is there? But as he almost certainly won't play in 2015 it would be a waste of a spot to leave him on senior list....esp as we have Robinson, Naismith and others to be considered for upgrades. Can someone remind us, have Lloyd, Biggs and X. Richards been offered senior spots for 2015/2016??

You can demote someone directly to the rookie list, you have to delist them first and then re-draft them via the rookie draft. Doing this leaves the possibility of another club poaching him but given his injury I don't think anyone would do so. To achieve the same aim, i.e. open up his spot on the senior list, we could just place him on the long term injury list in 2015 and that would allow a rookie upgrade but also at the same time provide much needed support to AJ that the club still believes in him.

[mcs]

You can demote someone directly to the rookie list, you have to delist them first and then re-draft them via the rookie draft. Doing this leaves the possibility of another club poaching him but given his injury I don't think anyone would do so. To achieve the same aim, i.e. open up his spot on the senior list, we could just place him on the long term injury list in 2015 and that would allow a rookie upgrade but also at the same time provide much needed support to AJ that the club still believes in him.

That's what I would hope the club would do.

Despite AJ's injuries, and as you point out, the high unlikelihood another club would pick him up, its still a risk delisting him then redrafting him via the rookie draft. You'd hate to see him turn up somewhere else and get his body right, and the Swans to lose him despite trying to do the right thing by him.

- - - Updated - - -

More whispers around this morning that Sydney are keen on Ryder...along with Brisbane, Port and GWS. Interesting.

Where are these whispers Conor - I would be interested to see them.

[ScottH]

Sure Clubs are interested in these players.
How the media determine that a club is a front runner is beyond me.
But, that doesn't mean they will end up at that club.

Remember how much the media knew about the buddy deal??
Nothing!!

[Dosser]

SEN this morning mentioned that the whispers are that clubs are looking at Mitchell, Malceski and Membrey. Apparently there is a lot of interest for the latter. They then mentioned that if we lost these players and Goodes retired then we would be cashed up to make another play in the free agent market. However, they also tempered this by saying that Lloyd, Parker, etc will also be on better money next time around.

[Conor_Dillon]

Where are these whispers Conor - I would be interested to see them.

Nowhere substantial...mainly twitter really. Haven't seen anybody having us as a frontrunner though, I'd be surprised if he didn't go to Brisbane but this time last year I would have put my house on Buddy playing for the Giants so who really knows.

Still reckon Leuenberger is a decent chance, stringent medical test permitting.

[liz]

SEN this morning mentioned that the whispers are that clubs are looking at Mitchell, Malceski and Membrey. Apparently there is a lot of interest for the latter. They then mentioned that if we lost these players and Goodes retired then we would be cashed up to make another play in the free agent market. However, they also tempered this by saying that Lloyd, Parker, etc will also be on better money next time around.

They are three players you would expect clubs to be looking hard at because a) they can all play (albeit that Membrey is unproven at the top level) and b) clubs will think they can get them cheap in terms of trade value.

Obviously Mal is free to any club who can tempt him, though I've not yet abandoned all hope that he will stick with us. Membrey is almost certainly out of contract, and regardless of how much he likes Sydney, he would be mad not to at least consider whether he will get better and more opportunities elsewhere. Given he wasn't a particularly high draft pick to start with and has played just over half a game of senior footy, if he picks a club he wants to go to, the Swans wouldn't have much bargaining power.

Mitchell is in a different basket because he is contracted. How desperate the Swans are to hold onto him will likely depend on exactly how much room there is to move in the salary cap. Only those within the inner confines of the Swans really have much of an idea.

[Go Swannies]

I wonder how much Mal's decision will depend on whether we are Premiers this year? If we win his value will increase and he has to think of his future. Or he may want the chance to go back to back.

If we lose does he stay to try again next year or does he just look at his retirement fund?

Of

[Ludwig]

Membrey is almost certainly out of contract, and regardless of how much he likes Sydney, he would be mad not to at least consider whether he will get better and more opportunities elsewhere. Given he wasn't a particularly high draft pick to start with and has played just over half a game of senior footy, if he picks a club he wants to go to, the Swans wouldn't have much bargaining power.

Couldn't we just refuse to trade Membrey and effectively force him into the PSD where he would most likely end up at Melbourne or STK? You would think that he would be in line for a starting position in the team next year, especially if Goodes retires. Why would he want to change clubs and virtually guarantee never getting into a final when he could end up with a premiership by sticking with the Swans?

[liz]

Couldn't we just refuse to trade Membrey and effectively force him into the PSD where he would most likely end up at Melbourne or STK? You would think that he would be in line for a starting position in the team next year, especially if Goodes retires. Why would he want to change clubs and virtually guarantee never getting into a final when he could end up with a premiership by sticking with the Swans?

We could, I suppose, but I can't see why the club would and it's not behaviour they have ever displayed before. We don't even know whether the club sees Membrey firmly in its short term future plans, or whether they are fairly indifferent to him staying. We don't know if they can accommodate a salary similar to levels he might be offered from other clubs. It's not like we're talking about an established first team player. This is a kid probably ready to play senior footy but with little opportunity thus far. If Goodes plays on next year, its hard to see that changing, especially with the likes of Towers and Jack also hovering around the fringes as different kinds of non-key forwards.

[chalbilto]

According to the Herald Sun Mike Pyke has resigned a further 2 years.

[ugg]

According to the Herald Sun Mike Pyke has resigned a further 2 years.

Will that finally scuttle the Ryder to Sydney rumour?