Trade target discussion (merged thread)

[Mug Punter]

If Buddy leaves after 2 years, does that mean the rest of his TPP remains in our cap but we don't actually pay him the $7.8M (just averaging his $10M/9yr deal to $1.1M/yr) to him?

That is my understanding yes

And it would be very very difficult for us not to get that changed. At the very least we'd be expected to cop it for at least three years at full freight and in a way I can understand it as we did really try and be a bit cute with that deal. Commercially it is a 6 year deal but we are spreading it over 9 years and we couldn't afford it over 6 years.

Let's hope he makes a full recovery

This could really nobble us over the next five years....

[ernie koala]

If Buddy leaves after 2 years, does that mean the rest of his TPP remains in our cap but we don't actually pay him the $7.8M (just averaging his $10M/9yr deal to $1.1M/yr) to him?

That's the way I understand it... But if the situation, hypothetically of course, was that he was to hang up the boots from now,

then you'd expect the Swans would seek to have the amount of $ put towards the TPP watered down...Due to the nature of his premature retirement.

But the AFL, at the time of the contract, made it clear his total contract amount would go towards TPP no matter how long he played for.

So they are under no obligation to be lenient to the Swans...We agreed with this condition.

It's all pie in the sky at this stage.

Hopefully Buddy recovers his health, and enjoys playing for the Swans for many years to come.

[Mug Punter]

That's the way I understand it... But if the situation, hypothetically of course, was that he was to hang up the boots from now,

then you'd expect the Swans would seek to have the amount of $ put towards the TPP watered down...Due to the nature of his premature retirement.

But the AFL, at the time of the contract, made it clear his total contract amount would go towards TPP no matter how long he played for.

So they are under no obligation to be lenient to the Swans...We agreed with this condition.

It's all pie in the sky at this stage.

Hopefully Buddy recovers his health, and enjoys playing for the Swans for many years to come.

Some leniency could apply but we'd be expected to take our whack....

This must be scaring the bejeezes out the Swans hierarchy at the moment.....

[Ludwig]

That is my understanding yes

And it would be very very difficult for us not to get that changed. At the very least we'd be expected to cop it for at least three years at full freight and in a way I can understand it as we did really try and be a bit cute with that deal. Commercially it is a 6 year deal but we are spreading it over 9 years and we couldn't afford it over 6 years.

Let's hope he makes a full recovery

This could really nobble us over the next five years....

This would become a very interesting case should Franklin have to retire due to mental illness.

In the first place, the salary cap provisions of the deal were yet another form of unwarranted punishment, where no violation of rules were committed. I always thought it was a dumb thing for us to agree to such a draconian measure. I don't believe there has ever been a case where a club had to endure a reduced salary cap, let alone one of such proportions over such a long period of time. It would knock down one of the 2 pillars of equalistion that Eddie McGuire has fought so hard for, namely an equal salary cap, which was the very argument used to take away our COLA. (This would really test his integrity, which we know is zero).

There is also the matter of what appears to be the withholding of relevant health information that may have effected the contract negotiations with both Franklin and the AFL. Depending on the norms of the industry, this could invalidate at least some provisions of the contract.

Perhaps the possibility of taking this matter to court weighed on our stance regarding the trade restrictions.

I also wondered what would happen under a number of scenarios which would normally cause a mutual agreement to cancel the remainder of the contract, such as:

• Buddy says that his concerns about being able to meet his end of the contract, including the AFL imposed provisions on the Swans' salary cap, has affected his mental health and he requests a new contract of only 2 years and a cancellation of the remaining years of his contract. Could the AFL continue to impose its original demands to the detriment of the health of the player? What would the AFLPA say? What would Jeff Kennett say? How would this look from a PR perspective for the AFL?
• Suppose he was given medical advice to reduce the number of years of his contract in order to relieve the mental pressure. Could the AFL say they don't care what the doctor says, we are going to keep the pressure on regardless.
• Normally when a player under contract is traded to another club, the new contract replaces the previous one. What would happen if Buddy is traded to another club on, say, a 2 year deal? Shouldn't that end the salary cap provisions of his current contract?

On the Michael Talia matter:

Surely Talia is out the door at WB now. Perhaps he knew he was out the door before. You would think the plan was that he was going to Adelaide, but now it would look quite damning on Talia if he ended up there. I wonder how this one will play out.

[6'2, 220, 4.53]

I think before Buddy gives up his career the Swans will convince him that a change of scenery is needed. The Swans could trade him out and will probably have to take on the liability of 50% of his ongoing contract. That is better than 100% liability.

We could also get something for him at this draft and possibly next years draft.

A club like the Gold Coast or Fremantle will probably take a punt on Buddy at only $500-$700 a year.

Maybe Buddy can recover. Andrew Robb, an outstanding government minster, took three months out from depression in 2009 and came back to Parliament to give sterling service to the Australian people.

[Auntie.Gerald]

guys and girls i really think some of us are jumping the gun on the Bud !

he will make a full recovery in my opinion.........he just needs time

The upside of a mental and physical break could be a blessing in disguise !

[YvonneH]

Not cooling, just leaking ??

Article in the Age regarding passing of info from Michael (WB) to Daniel (Adel).

- - - Updated - - -

Not cooling, just leaking ????

Article in the Age regarding passing of info from Michael (WB) to Daniel (Adel).

[YvonneH]

Never thought of this before but how careful must brothers (or any other relation) be if they play for different clubs not to say anything about game plans etc.
Something to be said for them playing at the same club.
Will this make if more plausible for Michael to go to Adelaide than anywhere else or will that just add to the intrigue whether the story is true of false?

[aardvark]

Some leniency could apply but we'd be expected to take our whack....

This must be scaring the bejeezes out the Swans hierarchy at the moment.....

10% of our salary cap unusable.........8 years of reverse cola.

[CureTheSane]

This is all kind of sad and presumptuous.
Haven't seen so much pessimism for a while.
As far as I am concerned, Buddy has some issues, which he is working through and I hope (and think) he will be back at the start of the season.
He's doing the right things and seeking helpto move through this and continue with his life (and football)
Hopefully he doesn't read RWO as all this talk of he ended career won't be helping him...

[Plugger46]

This is all kind of sad and presumptuous.
Haven't seen so much pessimism for a while.
As far as I am concerned, Buddy has some issues, which he is working through and I hope (and think) he will be back at the start of the season.
He's doing the right things and seeking helpto move through this and continue with his life (and football)
Hopefully he doesn't read RWO as all this talk of he ended career won't be helping him...

Correct. Haven't given his contract a moment's thought - he's given me some great highlights in a short space of time, I just hope he can get healthy.

[bloodspirit]

This is all kind of sad and presumptuous.
Haven't seen so much pessimism for a while.
As far as I am concerned, Buddy has some issues, which he is working through and I hope (and think) he will be back at the start of the season.
He's doing the right things and seeking helpto move through this and continue with his life (and football)
Hopefully he doesn't read RWO as all this talk of he ended career won't be helping him...

Agree.

[liz]

This is all kind of sad and presumptuous.
Haven't seen so much pessimism for a while.
As far as I am concerned, Buddy has some issues, which he is working through and I hope (and think) he will be back at the start of the season.
He's doing the right things and seeking helpto move through this and continue with his life (and football)
Hopefully he doesn't read RWO as all this talk of he ended career won't be helping him...

+3

[lwjoyner]

M Talia (194) or Lachie Plowman (192) for our back half, which one assume we could get with our restrictions.

[jono2707]

Given the length of his contract and the great risk involved, any major injury or illness suffered by Buddy was always going to bring this sort of conjecture. Of course we all hope he gets better. But anything that could curtail what is meant to be a 9 year career with us, and will be treated as such by the AFL, is of course going to cause a level of angst.

Concern for Buddy's wellbeing and concern for our club's future aren't two mutually exclusive things.