Callum Mills signs on for 5 more years.

[707]

Mills actually has a contract expiring a year after Buddy's, wow that is a long time into the future!

This club has done a remarkable job to resign every key player to a loooong term contract. Shows we are a happy place to be for players. Only Jones to go, Aliir next year from memory and doubt either of those are going anywhere.

[The Big Cat]

Mills actually has a contract expiring a year after Buddy's, wow that is a long time into the future!

This club has done a remarkable job to resign every key player to a loooong term contract. Shows we are a happy place to be for players. Only Jones to go, Aliir next year from memory and doubt either of those are going anywhere.

Reid's the next most important one.

[bloodspirit]

I'm really curious how they structure the $$ value of a contract for a player who has played 1 year of footy, 7 years into the future with the salary cap still not precisely known. Would the $$ be partly based on games played? For that matter, what other sorts of 'performance incentives' is it possible to build into contracts? Does anyone have any idea?

[mattybloods]

Love it, one season in and committed for an additional 5! Normally you see young players signing 2 year extensions, great faith from the club and fantastic that Mills is happy to be locked in for that length of time.

You would think the length of the contract is such that it will be heavily back ended to get us through the next couple of Bud/Tippo large salary years. Would be very interesting to see the numbers though

[Auntie.Gerald]

The swans have said this is the future ladies and gents !!!!

Such a great strategy for anyone who wants to be part of it !!!

Get on board

[Kumarangk]

Reid's the next most important one.

The ball is in his court. He will have to have a breakout year to get a contract as ( quite rightly ) a lot of our money has gone on retention of players that have performed. He is now old enough to show us what he can do. He could be the X factor up forward or back in defense . Hope he does have a great year because if he does the Swans are going to be very tough to beat.

[Mug Punter]

I'm really curious how they structure the $$ value of a contract for a player who has played 1 year of footy, 7 years into the future with the salary cap still not precisely known. Would the $$ be partly based on games played? For that matter, what other sorts of 'performance incentives' is it possible to build into contracts? Does anyone have any idea?

I'd say the club has, correctly in my opinion, viewed Callum as a locked in elite 200+ gamer and his deal will largely reflect this.

Like all long term deals it comes with risk but, without knowing any details of the deal, I suspect this is a very smart bit of business for the Swans. We will pay him very good money but if he develops like they believe then he will look a bargain. Callum, for his part, gets the security of a big money deal very early in his career that probably sees him own a house outright in Sydney by his 25th birthday.

All players get match payments regardless of their base contract, per the last CBA it is $3,605 per game. I think any other incentives are at club discretion but they need to fall within the Salary Cap TPP.

Re Callum's deal, and again I am just speculating, I think it may well be quite different in structure to that offered to Isaac but similar in total value. The Swans are big on paying their stars what they are worth but in return they expect their players to be happy with what they sign. My understanding is that as first rounders Isaac and Callum would have had three year deals but those deals are pretty basic under the CBA - $63,460, $3,605 per match and a bonus payment of up to $10,080 depending on the number of matches played for a first year player (Page 65 of the CBA for those that care). Second year it rises to a max of $96,685 base and $5,225 per match with the rates based on how many games were played in year 1

So Callum would have been up for being paid about $200,000 this year anyway and Isaac would have earned roughly that last season. I think we'd all agree that is under market rates for them.

I think that Isaac's new deal could well have been on "basic wages" for the first three years with the new five year deal kicking in next year. I wouldn't be surprised if Callum's deal starts now, with years 2 and 3 also upgraded as a result of have certainly about the new salary cap and the cash freed up by letting Tom go. I would expect Isaac is on about $650,000 per year with his five deal (plus maybe $100,000 - 150,000 from an ASA) and Callum would be on the same but it may well be $500,000 a year from years 2-8 with renegotiated years 2 - 3 whereas Isaac's is over years 4-8 with unders in years 2 and 3.

Re talk of a loyalty discount, I think good players can usually always get more elsewhere. Some I guess are more mercenary than others but I would have thought that Isaac and Callum would have been pretty easy re-signs. They'd have a manager and he'd know what is fair, plus I'm sure players talk amongst themselves to a degree as well. As long as the deals were in the ball park that is the main thing, but I do think we are at the stage now in Sydney where the off field and after career stuff is another big selling point in terms of re-signing local boys. I mean if they want to stay in Sydney then the planning of a career after football really needs to take place in a Sydney environment doesn't it. Having said that I do think Zak could be a harder sell but again you's hope with Tom off the wages bill that frees up that little bit extra and I can tell you that after what I've seen of him I'd have him on the list in place of Tom any day

I'm also glad that they don't come off contract the same year.

[Mug Punter]

Reid's the next most important one.

I'm not anti-Reid at all but Zak would be my priority right now.

Reid I fear the decision will largely be made for us. I think that whatever happens this year that he will be offered up cash as a restricted free agent well in excess of what we can offer. Two clubs come to mind, two Melbourne clubs that should be well in the premiership window for the next five years - St Kilda and Western Bulldogs.

Ultimately we'll be constrained by what we can offer Sam in a way that those clubs may not, especially St Kilda who have been quietly stockpiling their salary cap from all reports. In the end I guess it just depends on how happy Sam is at the Swans and the degree to which he is motivated by money. I can't speak for him of course but I'd think anything that equates to an extra $100,000 a year in the hand would be very very hard to knock back, especially if over a five year deal.

[bloodspirit]

Thanks for your thoughts, MP. From what you're saying (and I guess this is consistent with what we know about Tom Boyd's and other deals) they do pretty much have to decide now what they think he deserves over the whole next 7 years and so does Cal and his manager - which is tough. I think you're right that there is a bit of a win each way - he gets a healthy contract locked in for him for a long time and irrespective of injury and we get perhaps better rates because we are committing so big and so early.

I'm not too worried about our salary cap. By all accounts it seems that the TPP will increase by more than was anticipated (I've read about $2m p.a.) and that will create more space to pay our players even than offloading Titch. In addition, we have the 4th youngest list which must make it a lot easier to squeeze in our several marquee players. We have made smart investments in a few players e.g. we signed up Rampe up for 4 years before he was all Australian and must have got a good value contract. On the other hand, all the other clubs will get the same increase in TPP and some of them most certainly will have more room to move than we do and will be able to offer larger contracts - but their advantage is diluted by the increase in the TPP. So it's more a question of whether we want Reid and Jones and whether they want to stay. I think it is most likely that we will recontract both of them and I hope that is what we do.

From a player's point of view, I think the best time to sign a new contract is early in the new salary cap regime. Conversely, from the club's point of view it is great doing it before the increase is known (by now it must be almost there so this applies less to Cal's deal). Whereas we have managed most of our long signings (Buddy, Hanners, Parker, Heeney, Rampe - but not Tippo and Reid) before this has fully kicked in. While some allowance has been made for it the increase in salary cap, as I mentioned, seems likely to be greater than anticipated (especially helps with Buddy's contract). Over the duration of the current broadcast rights agreement the TPP won't jump up suddenly as it has this year but will just increase gradually - so I think the club has managed that very well indeed. The next big spike in player salaries, assuming there is one, is most likely to happen after the expiry of the current broadcast rights deal.

[Ludwig]

I can't see Jones leaving. It's very rare for a player with a regular spot in a top side challenging for premierships to go elsewhere. He's not a free agent, so he can't just go without a decent trade as compensation. He also seems to be a passionate and loyal person. I don't think money is his key motivator.

Reid is a RFA, so the Swans can match any offer. For the Swans not to match, it would have to be high enough to earn a first round draft pick as compensation. It would be a loss if he has a good season, but at least he wouldn't go for nothing. STK have a good young forward line and the Bulldogs already have a mil a year dedicated to Tom Boyd and a lot of good players surely looking for big contracts. Their forward line is fairly solid, with Boyd, Stringer and Crameri, so I don't see the desperation to sink a lot of money into a forward with a poor injury record.

[Mug Punter]

Thanks for your thoughts, MP. From what you're saying (and I guess this is consistent with what we know about Tom Boyd's and other deals) they do pretty much have to decide now what they think he deserves over the whole next 7 years and so does Cal and his manager - which is tough. I think you're right that there is a bit of a win each way - he gets a healthy contract locked in for him for a long time and irrespective of injury and we get perhaps better rates because we are committing so big and so early.

I'm not too worried about our salary cap. By all accounts it seems that the TPP will increase by more than was anticipated (I've read about $2m p.a.) and that will create more space to pay our players even than offloading Titch. In addition, we have the 4th youngest list which must make it a lot easier to squeeze in our several marquee players. We have made smart investments in a few players e.g. we signed up Rampe up for 4 years before he was all Australian and must have got a good value contract. On the other hand, all the other clubs will get the same increase in TPP and some of them most certainly will have more room to move than we do and will be able to offer larger contracts - but their advantage is diluted by the increase in the TPP. So it's more a question of whether we want Reid and Jones and whether they want to stay. I think it is most likely that we will recontract both of them and I hope that is what we do.

From a player's point of view, I think the best time to sign a new contract is early in the new salary cap regime. Conversely, from the club's point of view it is great doing it before the increase is known (by now it must be almost there so this applies less to Cal's deal). Whereas we have managed most of our long signings (Buddy, Hanners, Parker, Heeney, Rampe - but not Tippo and Reid) before this has fully kicked in. While some allowance has been made for it the increase in salary cap, as I mentioned, seems likely to be greater than anticipated (especially helps with Buddy's contract). Over the duration of the current broadcast rights agreement the TPP won't jump up suddenly as it has this year but will just increase gradually - so I think the club has managed that very well indeed. The next big spike in player salaries, assuming there is one, is most likely to happen after the expiry of the current broadcast rights deal.

Cheers bloodspirit, I hope you are right re Reid.

I've called the departures of both Jetta and Mitchell early, and certainly well before it was a popular opinion on here.

What history tells us is that players who are happy at their club and with the money available will rarely leave it until the back half of their final year to re-sign. In fact we have lead the way in locking in players to long term deals and I think that will become the norm and I think provided you make the right call about the player in question (as in all let's laugh at Port Adelaide offering Hartlett a six year super deal) then it is win-win for the player and the club. We do all forget that the players are potentially one injury away from retirement.

In fact I firmly believe that the Swans were quite prepared to let those two leave. Jetta allowed us to fill what at the time was an urgent need for a ruckman and Mitchell I believe was one we had to let go to keep a batch of others in terms of list and cap management.

Anyway, I think Jones would be barking mad to sign a new contract now. If I was his manager I'd be making the Swans sweat, especially if his preseason form translates to the real stuff, so as to extract our best offer. But if he hasn't re-signed by end of June I'd say he is as good as gone...

[Mug Punter]

I can't see Jones leaving. It's very rare for a player with a regular spot in a top side challenging for premierships to go elsewhere. He's not a free agent, so he can't just go without a decent trade as compensation. He also seems to be a passionate and loyal person. I don't think money is his key motivator.

Reid is a RFA, so the Swans can match any offer. For the Swans not to match, it would have to be high enough to earn a first round draft pick as compensation. It would be a loss if he has a good season, but at least he wouldn't go for nothing. STK have a good young forward line and the Bulldogs already have a mil a year dedicated to Tom Boyd and a lot of good players surely looking for big contracts. Their forward line is fairly solid, with Boyd, Stringer and Crameri, so I don't see the desperation to sink a lot of money into a forward with a poor injury record.

Hope you are right, we'll just have to wait and see how Reid pans out but I'll personally be very surprised if he commits in a hurry, if at all.

You are right of course that Jones is not a free agent but these days players usually go where they want but I do remain confident he will re-sign. And whilst you are right that with Reid that we have a right to match the offer we (a) may not be prepared to and (b) may not want a player who wants out. There is also a third option, a possibility that will depend on the progress guys like Hayward, Cameron and Dawson, and that is that a first round draft pick and an additional $500,000 cap space for Sam is not a bad deal.

[Auntie.Gerald]

I think AA will be a massive piece of the puzzle also

[0918330512]

I can't see Jones leaving. It's very rare for a player with a regular spot in a top side challenging for premierships to go elsewhere. He's not a free agent, so he can't just go without a decent trade as compensation. He also seems to be a passionate and loyal person. I don't think money is his key motivator.

While I hope you're right ... Tom Mitchell

[Mug Punter]

I think AA will be a massive piece of the puzzle also

I would be amazed if Aliir was at risk of leaving but agree that I see him as a big part of our future.

He isn't off contract until the end of next year so I wouldn't be expecting anything soon on that front but if he is happy and wants to commit I am sure we would accommodate him.