Is Free Agency Creating a lop sided competition?

[RemoteTiger]

With Free Agency now being used by the top wealthy clubs to entice quality players away from poorer performing and less financial clubs are we seeing an era where the rich get richer and the rest can go please themselves?

Hawthorn has a couple of players in their Grand Final 22 that were stars at the Western Bulldogs - Brian Lake and Melbourne - James Frawley. Under Free Agency both bolted towards Hawthorn with the enticement of playing in a Grand Final team.

Arguably the Western Bulldogs have been better without Lake but they are still not Grand Final material. Melbourne appears to be going from bad to worse.

Sydney picking up Tippet is another. Franklin is not an example because Hawthorn are a strong club sill without him.

With big names being bandied about in the media - Dangerfield, Treloar - and lesser lights such as Carlisle, Leuenberger etc. again the lower to middle of the road clubs will suffer from the loss of these players while the stronger clubs who add them to their player lists will be improved for another crack at the title.

It stands to reason that the stronger clubs benefit from this movement of stars.

Therefore I ask -

1. Should the stronger clubs be "handicapped" during the Free Agency period - otherwise they will have extended eras at the the top?

2. Should Richmond go all out for a star to force their way into the top four and thus contention? In other words become one of the strong clubs "milking" the poorer clubs.


Your opinions are most welcome...........

 

[Baloo]

I always thought the Top 4, those who get the double chance in the finals, should be excluded from the FA fest. Though now that we're about to head into a few years of top 4 placings, I'll keep that idea to myself.

 

[zippadeee]

Yes.
Also players walking half way through contracts
Contracts are worthless these days.

 

[Tigertough1974]

I always thought the Top 4, those who get the double chance in the finals, should be excluded from the FA fest. Though now that we're about to head into a few years of top 4 placings, I'll keep that idea to myself.

Was Dimmas suggestion last year Baloo, i agree that would be the fairest outcome going forward..

 

[Tigerfan]

I always thought the Top 4, those who get the double chance in the finals, should be excluded from the FA fest. Though now that we're about to head into a few years of top 4 placings, I'll keep that idea to myself.

It's not about equalisation, it's about long serving players having earned freedom of choice.

 

[seven]

It's not about equalisation, it's about long serving players having earned freedom of choice.

They'll never take our ...FREEDOM!!!!!

 

[Tigertough1974]

It's not about equalisation, it's about long serving players having earned freedom of choice.

Yes i remember that also DDT, unfortunately Hawks and Sydney showing you can't have both an equal comp and freedom for player choice...

In saying that, one massive mistake such as a buddy (not saying its a mistake just yet but not looking good) could significantly derail and equalize...

Im hoping for the Hawks its Frawley, although they seem to have managed TPP well...

 

[Baloo]

It's not about equalisation, it's about long serving players having earned freedom of choice.

Sure, from no freedom to freedom to move to 13 other clubs is a massive leap.

 

[Brodders17]

No.
of the examples you give the dogs were happy to let a 32yo Lake walk, while the dees are better off with pick 3 than Frawley. cant remember if it was Petracca or Brayshaw but if it was Brayshaw an argument could be made they werent any worse off this year.
Dangerfield is going to club lower on the ladder, Luenyburger is leaving cos he cant get a game.
Tippett was going to be traded, then walked in the PSD. Carlisle is not a FA, neither is Treloar.

most of the hawks new players have been trades.
north are probably the club who have benefitted most and they are neither rich nor a premiership team.
WCE have risen quickly with no FAs. Freo finished top. i think their only FA is Pearce.
Essendon got Goddard, the Blues Thomas.

the only change they should make to FA is to get of compensation picks.

 

[RemoteTiger]

No.
of the examples you give the dogs were happy to let a 32yo Lake walk, while the dees are better off with pick 3 than Frawley. cant remember if it was Petracca or Brayshaw but if it was Brayshaw an argument could be made they werent any worse off this year.
Dangerfield is going to club lower on the ladder, Luenyburger is leaving cos he cant get a game.
Tippett was going to be traded, then walked in the PSD. Carlisle is not a FA, neither is Treloar.

most of the hawks new players have been trades.
north are probably the club who have benefitted most and they are neither rich nor a premiership team.
WCE have risen quickly with no FAs. Freo finished top. i think their only FA is Pearce.
Essendon got Goddard, the Blues Thomas.

the only change they should make to FA is to get of compensation picks.

Dogs happy to see Lake walk - he's playing grand finals and they are a middle of the road team badly in need of a KPP.

Dees have gone from bad to worse without Frawley in their backline.

Your arguments just don't stack up IMO.........

 

[Brodders17]

Dogs happy to see Lake walk - he's playing grand finals and they are a middle of the road team badly in need of a KPP.

Dees have gone from bad to worse without Frawley in their backline.

Your arguments just don't stack up IMO.........

Melb won 3 more games this year without Frawley and their percentage improved 10%.

Lake was actually traded by the dogs. Not FA.

so Frawley is the only FA playing on Saturday? is that correct?

 

[Ian4]

It's not about equalisation, it's about long serving players having earned freedom of choice.

spot on.

I also think the restricted concept should be scrapped. once you're a free agent, you should be allowed to go to your preferred club of choice (none of this price matching business). but the compensation aspect should be improved... here are my suggestions:

- get rid of the 8 year restricted FA rule
- change the 10 year unrestricted FA rule to 9 years as a compromise.
- clubs that lose a elite player (ie. dangerfield) should be handed pick 4 irrespective of where they finish.
- clubs that lose an a-grade type player, gets a compensation before the 8th placed team gets its first pick (usually pick 11 or 12) irrespective of where they finish.
- I also agree with Dimma's suggestion that clubs are allowed to trade players to any club they want (players can't say no).

This means the bottom 3 teams will always get the first 3 picks under any circumstance. we don't see scenarios where Adelaide get pick 14 for danger if they don't match the Geelong offer, hawthorn don't get a late 1st round pick for buddy, and Melbourne don't get pick 3 for Frawley (mid first round would have been more appropriate).

 

[Scoop]

No.
of the examples you give the dogs were happy to let a 32yo Lake walk, while the dees are better off with pick 3 than Frawley. cant remember if it was Petracca or Brayshaw but if it was Brayshaw an argument could be made they werent any worse off this year.
Dangerfield is going to club lower on the ladder, Luenyburger is leaving cos he cant get a game.
Tippett was going to be traded, then walked in the PSD. Carlisle is not a FA, neither is Treloar.

most of the hawks new players have been trades.
north are probably the club who have benefitted most and they are neither rich nor a premiership team.
WCE have risen quickly with no FAs. Freo finished top. i think their only FA is Pearce.
Essendon got Goddard, the Blues Thomas.

the only change they should make to FA is to get of compensation picks.

Well said, agree with all this. And the Dees get Brayshaw, who will captain that club one day. It was a huge win.

I don't mind the compo picks but I think they should have set places within the draft order (i.e all first round picks start at pick 9 before Finals teams get a pick)

 

[hutstar]

I think if the free agent's salary was marked up 10% toward the cap it would discourage player loading and balance out the appeal of strong clubs when attracting free agents. I would hate to see a good small club (dogs) consistently getting pillaged, it defeats the premise of the draft and equalization for them to develop a player for years only for them to end up walking to a strong club at their peak.

 

[Baloo]

oh, let me add, I hate the compo pick. All it does is spread the pain of a FA across all other clubs be them slipping spots in the draft. It could be the difference between landing a dud or gun

 

[TOT70]

Geelong have obviously planned a serious raid on the competition, targeting Dangerfield and Selwood as free hits and Henderson as a trade for their first pick. They have freed up a heap of salary cap space and have planned to add the three players with only one pick or maybe just a surplus to needs player like Josh Walker going out.

If they have to trade for all of them they are going to struggle to meet the needs of each of the clubs. They will have to rethink their strategy from a position of weakness because they have committed to each player already and, presumably, will need to honour their commitments with each player.

It will be a new game completely if clubs start to exercise their right to match offers for Restricted Free Agents and force a trade. Not such a good idea now, eh Geelong?

The system is more robust than I thought.

 

[Baloo]

I'm hoping Adelaide do exercise their right in this case. Maybe WCE as well.

 

[seven]

or you can only grab a free 1 free agent every 2 years. in top 4
everyone else 1 free agent each year.

 

[tigersnake]

I'm hoping Adelaide do exercise their right in this case. Maybe WCE as well.

Adeliade have said they will, I think, which is good for us. An astronomically huge free hit to Geelong if the hadn't in a tight-as-a-fishes-arse comp.

Something has to be done about compo, its untenable as it is. At the moment the draft pick shuffle due to a deal that has nothing to do with you, could be the diff between getting or not getting a guaranteed elite player. The pick Melbourne got for Mr Potato Head still annoys me.

 

[Rowdy]

Over the longer term Fa helps the bottom teams, get an extra early pick, why do you think Carlton was willing to let Kruser walk