https://x.com/heraldsunsport/status/1929274268346712543

“He knows what he wants and the way he wants the game played and Carlton don’t play that game,” a former colleague of Wright said this week.

Carlton’s messy and lopsided salary cap won’t be something Wright will be happy about.

The Blues have fallen into the trap of paying big money for their “stars” such as Charlie Curnow, Harry McKay, Sam Walsh, Patrick Cripps, Jacob Weitering and Adam Cerra which hasn’t left much in the bank for anyone else. It’s no surprise the depth of their list is poor.

Wright will be particularly aghast with Zac Williams’ contract. He signed a monster six-year deal worth $900,000 per season when he arrived from GWS in October 2020.

Included in that deal were CPI increases in the salary cap which has gone up significantly since, meaning Williams will be on around $1 million this year and he still has one more year of the contract to run.

Premiership teams spread the salary cap load. Wright saw this at Hawthorn and then instigated it quickly at Collingwood.

“What Wrighty learnt from it was don’t get starry-eyed about your players, don’t get emotional,” a Hawks insider said. “If you want a player and he’s going to play a role for you, go and get him and don’t worry about the cost because you are getting him for the right reasons.

“Equally don’t get a player who is going to blow your cap up or if a player has been a wonderful servant but you can do something else, or there is a compelling reason why you need to save money, you have to be clear eyed about it. He learnt that from Dunstall.”

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williams on 1 mil this year.

add that to the other 2 sources who all said the same thing.

OMG

Effes just posted what was quoted earlier. I didnt see him saying anything about the numbers the journo has made up.

braithy, can't you tell this source is making things up?

what other sources?

Believe what you want, I will continue to put a lid on lies and call bullshit when I read it. If you want to be naive be my guest, or maybe you go back to the archives to the start of Williams' contract. What I'm telling you is common knowledge.

I even went out of my way historically to explain why mature players like Cripps Doc Williams and Gov got front loaded for a few years...the stars today were only 23yo back then. WE had to spend 95% of the cap. Its not hard to understand front loading.....$1M? That's back loading if I ever saw it. Nothing of the sort.

Do you remember Martin was paid $1M in his first year......we had the money and had to spend 95% of the cap. That was in 2020, when todays starts were only 21yo. SOS explained his war chest and strategy by front loading and saving the 5% for his warchest.

Do you not want to believe that front loading happened with Williams or any of the players Ive posted or berlieve the fraud in the Herald Sun?

Ive even posted the salary bottom lines in List management.

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Everyone looks good in Navy Blue

I think what’s written is that Williams contract is worth a million dollars this year. It doesn’t say that’s how much he’s being paid, but when indexed that’s what this year is worth (relative to the original amount).

You're being generous Des, when I read "Williams is on a million this year and next" I take that to mean we are paying him a million dollars this year and another million dollars next year, and if that wasn't the way it was intended then this journo needs to take writing classes

Lot of talk in media on what Wright is going to do - I thought Cook was going to do all this - supposed to be the best CEO ever.
Are we saying Cook wasn't up to it and Wright is the new Messiah .

Loads of talk about big names being traded - there is one small hiccup in all of this they are all contracted and can only be traded if they themselves agree to it.
Now I can only see them agreeing to it if it was financially better off for them like TDK . But if these are all so called 1 million dollar players the offer would need to be far in excess of what they are currently earning.
I don't think every club is as stupid as St Kilda who are will to fork out big dollars for a ruck man who losses the hit outs most weeks- does not go forward and score and very rarely drifts back into defense to take relieving marks - Also his kicks forward are often hack kick to no one.
So on current form are you paying significantly north 1 million plus for any of Walsh ,Cripps, Harry or Charlie and if you are what position does that put your list in

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That's the sticking point.

Not sure if its public knowledge, but a few years back, before his recent contract was signed, Sydney tried to lure Harry McKay but failed because there was no way Harry was leaving his mates or Carlton.

Yeah I know Wright & Co can make him feel uncomfortable, but they can't give him an offer he will refuse , like SOS did with Tuohy, because he's contracted to 2030.

London Blue tells me he's settled in Middle park with his girlfriend. They both go to the same Cafe.

Good luck moving that big log along.

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Everyone looks good in Navy Blue

I never thought Cook was coming in to blow the place up.
I was always of the mind it was to add professionalism and stability to a chaotic club that was up and down like a yo-yo and had failed to adjust to the 21st century AFL.
I believe he has done that.
Wright might be the better person to fix our playing list and assistant coaching issues though.
Also IIRC, Wright was at Collingwood when they tried to get Voss but due to him being unavailable during the interview process because of finals, McRae was ultimately given the job. And once Port were out and both Ross and Clarkson said no, we pounced on him.
I can't see Voss getting the boot until they have tried the above changes first.

The talk that one of the leadership group may be gone in 2026, you'd think would be one of our Coleman Medallists, a proven KPF, and the media are constant with this given Sydney Dees and others are crying out for a KPF, but imo it has to be Walsh.

This is the time of the year other clubs would be approaching Walshy's manager, with his contract expiring at the end of next year. Wright would consider any offer that may be too good to be true. Wright has Cap space but he doesn't have an Draft Picks to Trade, until TDK earns us a First round pick. Treloar was the Pies best mid, and Wright let him go and Collingwood received pick 14 and a future 2nd round pick, while the Bulldogs received Treloar and picks 26, 33 and 42.

Personally, I don't think we will lose any of the stars if TDK leaves, which is likely. We need more depth and improvement in skills (and ticker...Gov...I'm looking at you).

Maybe, just maybe, Jagga Smith and another imported mid may be ample cover for Walsh. Bergman isn't a midfielder, and we will need a high draft pick to get him too.

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Everyone looks good in Navy Blue

Agree on every point.

Can't see Vossy given the boot.

Interesting in Govs peomotional interview for the Kings clash, he stated they had practised forward entry all summer, and it just hasn't clicked yet. Its not that they aren't working their "arses off".

I can testify we were much more measured in our ball movement and targeting in the F50 in the preseason. Only seen that style a couple times. I think the players upfield rush too much and lack composure in real game situation.

I also think that if players nailed their set shots at goal this year, not only would we have won more games (nourishment, improved ladder position, confidence) the players would get a minute's rest as the ball goes back to the centre. When they miss, they are chasing tail again. A reason why we run out of puff in last quarters.

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Everyone looks good in Navy Blue

If what you hear is true:
G.W. has already put McKay, Walsh, Silvagni, and Curnow in the shop window (with the media doing his dirty work). Williams is basically “free to a good home,” and TDK is gone, (I think even Cotts has moved out of his gaff).
He’s more or less told all the assistant coaches to pack their bags.
Who knows maybe it’s finally time to embrace the Carlton (F' the rest) spirit again, not just a rent-a-cause, personal development facility for young men with a world-class imaging centre.

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Green Shooter

i'm not sure we value our players correctly. won 6 from the last 20 games. other than an injury induced purple patch in 2023 where we ran the ball, and played with dare and won 9 in a row - we've been pedestrian at best, with the worst kicking efficiency in the comp.

i'm not sure we have too many stars here. charlie on his day maybe, but of late he's been lazy and looks like a guy who gives up after his initial effort. cripps, but he only runs one way and is 30 years old.

everyone on or around a mil a year could go for mine and i'd trust wright to make the right moves coming back the other way.

nope. wright didn't rate voss. voss never got the call for a 2nd interview. wright identified mcrae and pretty much single handedly bought him over. he was the man wright wanted when he parachuted buckley out of there.

there's lots of media out there backing this up including an old interview with wright where he said as much.

sounds good to me. get out the bleach and remove as much dna that this place has collected over the last 25 years.

except i would keep jsos. health permitting he should be our captain.

very good

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The stars are those highly paid players around a mil: They've all been lazy or "off" this year with the exception of Weiters who has been terrible in the last 2 games.

Harry looks like a star when he presents for the kick down the line. He's the only one close enough to match Casboult (how much was Levi on?)

Harry, following his Coleman was a $900K player and in demand for more than that.
Charlie ditto
Weiters ditto
Walsh we'll see
TDK offered $1.7 so we obviously aren't valuing him right

I think they haven't earned their keep this year; that's for sure.

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Everyone looks good in Navy Blue

The only one that would contribute to an ‘addition by subtraction’ strategy is Cripps. He’s a big inside mid that doesn’t defend all that well. We can’t have a dynamic midfield when George can’t be moved & Cripps shouldn’t.

Since that’s a flower stupid suggestion, the whole idea can get in the sea.

I’d punt Charlie from the leadership group though. Good with kids, not so much with men.

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- Hope you all enjoy the new CEO if he does that people.

I haven't seen Silvagni's name on any list and haven't heard he's being shopped around.

Maybe Wright thinks Young is a bonafide CHB, and wants one of Weitering or Silvagni gone.

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Everyone looks good in Navy Blue

I just got off the phone with someone in Melbourne. This TDK stuff is driving me nuts.
TDK hasn't decided yet, and might stay....and give up $5M???????? That's crazy.

Maybe that's why Wright is shopping around. He's might be trying to free up $1M to trade in 3 handy players.
If they are all FA's I get it, but what Draft assets do we have other than R2, 3, 4, 5 which we may need for new 4 kids?

I'd rather lose the ruckman who costs $1.1M TBH, and get in a cheaper one, if Pitto can't get fit.

On a side note re O'Keefe

Skull will make a very good AFL player. He's developing very quick for a 20yo 200cm player.
If he has another HUGE preseason like the last he will be much better than TDK did at 21yo, and from what I saw in the preseason vs Pitto, he will pass Pitto too.

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Everyone looks good in Navy Blue