AIRCAV wrote:
Thanks Blueboy74, I stand corrected.
Your basic point is still correct.
Silvagni recently proposed that top 8 clubs shouldn’t be able to recruit free agents from bottom clubs. This suggestion has merit, and whether it is free agent or general trading there should be a proper analysis of how top clubs don’t really pay market rates for picking the eyes out of bottom clubs.
Let’s look at Hawthorn’s 2015 premiership team. How many of their trades came from bottom clubs which didn’t have real power in negotiations? How many recruited from top 8 clubs?
Big boy Ben McEvoy - came from 16th place St Kilda in 2013
Hale - came from 9th placed North in 2010
Brian Lake / this is the real doozy. In my opinion, this bloke was the best defender of his generation. Better than the Geelong bloke.Came from the 15th placed Bulldogs at end of 2012 effectively for pick 27.hahahaha. Hilarious
James Frawley-came from 17th placed Melbourne end of 2014
Gibson requested trade to Hawthorn end of 2009 after Nth came 13th
Burgoyne vice captain at Port. Walked out of 10th placed Port end of 2009.
Gunston won best young player award walked out of 14th placed Adelaide end of 2011
Seeing a pattern?
The point stands- drafting, trading, free agency perpetuates inequalities. This is a big reason why Hawthorn, Geelong and Sydney never have to “rebuild”. Did Hawthorn pay “market rates” for any of these players?
Reform the system... that is unless these 3 clubs are supposed to make finals every year?
To be fair to Hawthorn, (not that I really care about this but ...), a few of those players played a lot better for them than they were playing for their original clubs. The key question for me is why and then what do we need to do to make this happen for us too.