Free Agency: We're the Trailblazers

[damienc]

We live in the age of boldness, courage and purpose.

Clearly, as a club we need to if we have any hope of pulling ourselves up by our bootlaces.

We have also been the first club to really be placed at the mercy of free agency.

Losing Goddard to the Bombers and then jump starting Ben McEvoy's free agency by 12 months. Our choice I know.

So what do we make of it? Is it a good thing? Is it going to help clubs like St Kilda eventually?

As we roll on to season 2014 and 2015 other AFL clubs are going to be feeling the pain we have already experienced.

Hawthorn has already with Franklin. But there is a raft of senior players who will become free agents in the next two years.

Dane Swan in 2014. Imagine him playing in a St Kilda jumper. With free agency anything is possilble.

Luke Hodge and Sam Mitchell in 2015. Both absolute champion midfiielders and both keys to Hawthorn's premiership success.

Nick and Joey will also become free agents in 2015 so we risk losing them as well.

Clearly St Kilda will be eyeing free agency from 2014 and beyond with considerable interest. And no doubt we will be making a major play for an established big name star.

The club has said as much I seem to recall.

Is this something we should be doing? or continuing with the present strategy of using the draft to replenish our stocks?

It will be interesting to watch the howls of indignation from other clubs if and when we do.

[8856brother]

We are lucky we've got good compo for BJ and Dal. I believe if they left next year we would get donuts.

[gringo]

Looking at Cross from the Bulldogs you see where some of our old boys might be in 2 years. we cashed ours in for something while it was there. Another lean year and the coach might have had some of them out to pasture while he played the kids.

[howlinwolf]

I believe the FA compo is gone after this year.
Also FA can be released after 5 years service, not 10.
This could really alter the landscape.
It may just well bring some of the bigger clubs back to the field. Thinking .... Collingwood.
Although if they manage to keep pulling a pick 6 and 10 out of the year they just had they'll always be right.

One thing's for sure. It's going to be harder for the kids to attach to a club or player like us baby boomers did.

Here today ..... nek minnit ....

[BigMart]

A positive way to view the loss of 2 stars and an emerging leader?

[plugger66]

A positive way to view the loss of 2 stars and an emerging leader?

Who was the emerging leader we lost through FA? And lets be honest we lost both players through FA because we knew the situation the club is in.

[Stillwaiting]

I look foward to about 2 to 3 years time when we are starting to look to free agency. We will have heaps of cap space and will become the team raising others, see how they all like ut

[andrewg]

HS article listed them

The players set to become free agents next year (2014) include Carlton's Bryce Gibbs and Andrew Walker, Collingwood's Dane Swan, Fremantle's David Mundy, Melbourne's James Frawley, North Melbourne's Todd Goldstein, West Coast's Shannon Hurn and Western Bulldogs Shaun Higgins and Will Minson.

The 2015 free agency class at this stage includes Adelaide stars Patrick Dangerfield and Taylor Walker, Carlton's Matthew Kreuzer, Collingwood's Dayne Beams, Geelong's Tom Hawkins, Hawthorn's Grant Birchall, St Kilda's Ben McEvoy, West Coast's Scott Selwood and Western Bulldog Ryan Griffen.

Anyone hear 6 year contract $1,000,000 for danger field