Worried

[damienc]

if the press reports are to be believed our prospects of getting anything decent out of the free agency period are looking decidedly glum. I know it is early days. And maybe Pelchen and Watters haven't shown their real hand ( I hope). But.....we are shaping up to be the big losers. If we are genuinely interested in Josh Caddy then it appears the Cats have stolen our thunder. Although I am a bit confused about how they can be ahead of us in the race to get him given what they are offering the Suns is very much an unknown quantity and dependent on where the Cats finish on the ladder as opposed to a definite first round draft pick of 13. Eagles defender Mitch Brown is another mentioned in dispatches but Brown is a) contracted to the Eages b) reportedly doesn't want to leave Perth and c) the Eagles aren't interested in trading him. So....according to my calculations that leaves us with a big fat zero and a big fat hole that had been occupied by one Brendan Goddard. It's leaving me a little anxious.

[Dr Spaceman]

If we can't trade for a gun/good player we'll simply have a second first round pick to play with.

Goddard was going. Goddard has gone. Look forward to the future and at the very least a few quality kids.

As Brett Ratten would say:

[Stillwaiting]

Accept we have draft pick 13 and a whole lot of room in the salary cap. There is a limited number of top line free agents and few of them want to move anyway, and the players that do move have many clubs chasing them and want a shyte load of cash. I didn't want Goddard to go but I am glad we didn't pay that sort of cash for 1 player

[matrix]

strange
a lot of the media sites are saying we actually have our fingers in all the pies and are asking around about lots of players and being quite active.

guess time will tell

[paddy]

Worst case scenario, we take our 2 first round picks, and recruit 2 future stars....

However, if suns dont announce caddy's trade before the 19th I'd be pretty sure that he will be heading to the saints....

Saints wont do any deals until after the 19th because they will want to know what they are really dealing with.... some preliminary agreements will have been made, however nothing signed until the final week of trading.

And doubt we will be looking at ANY FA to ensure we keep our good compo pick

[MC Gusto]

we dont want anything in the FA. there is nothing of quality. we will look to the trade period for our options...

[Old Mate]

we dont want anything in the FA. there is nothing of quality. we will look to the trade period for our options...

Exactly.

The players we're being linked to ARE NOT free agents. Caddy, Hickey, Stevens and Jacobs...

[cwrcyn]

The trouble is that lots of other clubs are being very active, and it may be that we land no fish at all, or even worse, end up with (through last minute desperation) inferior deals. It certainly dilutes the pool of available options. However, I'd rather just use our draft picks than end up with crappy trades. This is a very long trade period, so all the speculation over than next week or so may as well be be ignored, because history shows us that most deals occur in the last 2 days of the trade period.

I expect Pelchen and Watters will be putting in ridiculous hours over the next three weeks.







.

[dragit]

we dont want anything in the FA.

That's the whole point damo… Alas the demons pipped us on Shannon Byrnes.

An extra pick @ 13 in a strong draft is solid alongside #12.

Trade period is yet to begin, hold on for the ride.

[dragit]

The trouble is that lots of other clubs are being very active, and it may be that we land no fish at all,

If worse case scenario is that we take 2 young players from the draft @ 12 & 13, we will be alright.

[Teflon]

we dont want anything in the FA. there is nothing of quality. we will look to the trade period for our options...

Exactly.

The players we're being linked to ARE NOT free agents. Caddy, Hickey, Stevens and Jacobs...

My thoughts also

Not interested in FA only interested in moving first rd pick on IF quality/needs guaranteed to bet by trade otherwise keep 2 first rounders, free cap space - cya next year for big FA grab

[Thinline]

Worst case is pick 12 and 13.

Not really a bad situation to be in.

[savatage]

Don't worry, be happy.

[SaintPav]

If we can't trade for a gun/good player we'll simply have a second first round pick to play with.

Goddard was going. Goddard has gone. Look forward to the future and at the very least a few quality kids.

You're not wrong but we are going to feel BJ's loss big time in the short to medium term. Sorry, just being realistic.

[gringo]

I would say on BJs 2011 and 2012 we won't feel a lot of pain but we will if some one in our top tier goes down with a major injury. I expect further development from all of Siposs, Simpkin (who should now get a little more settled now there is a n extra spot open), Steven, Armo, Saad, Milera, Stanley and even Wilkes. If they all progress by 10% we won't need Goddard. We also have a heap of good kids in Dunell, Newnes, Ross, Markworth and ledger who should all push up for game time. It's actually looking pretty good but still would like to keep Cripper.

[Legendary]

As a lot of people have said - the worst thing that can happen is that we end up with two good first round draft picks #12 and #13 -- this gives us an opportunity to get a couple of great young kids through the door, something we haven't had for quite a long time.

[kosifantutti]

The problem with Free Agency is that there is no down side to recruiting a player UNLESS you have already lost a player. If we just take our extra pick this year and then pick up one or two free agents next year, it costs us nothing in terms of picks.

But if we pick up someone this year, Pick 13 becomes pick 31 or worse.

[SaintPav]

The problem with Free Agency is that there is no down side to recruiting a player UNLESS you have already lost a player. If we just take our extra pick this year and then pick up one or two free agents next year, it costs us nothing in terms of picks.

But if we pick up someone this year, Pick 13 becomes pick 31 or worse.

There is potential downside or risk for Essendon given that they have committed $3 Mill or thereabouts to BJ over the next 4 years.

Time will tell if they have overpaid but he obviously hasn't come cheap.

[lloyd21]

Got to be kidding hope we get Caddy really do but if not no problem if we got Kristian Jaksch & Membrey out of draft
we will be laughing and the top 20 this year is the best in 10years.

We had to sell a top player to improve our list if we did'nt then we would have been stuffed

Goddard did us a big favour...the only negative was he did not go to GWS we would have got 2 picks then

[Megamaguire]

I tend to agree with what Paddy and a few others have said reg: picking up 2 picks in the first 15 from the National Draft. This scenario means being good at being patient and perhaps it makes things harder for Watterman in the near future. If Caddy arrived at the Saints and was quick to find a niche in and around our midfield structures it could be electrifying for St. Kilda. It could also help the coach with providing a few more tactical options in the short term as well. I would certainly welcome Caddy to St. Kilda if Watters wanted him.

However if we get thwarted as the guinea pigs in the afl's new era free agency reality i would feel ripped off over the loss of Bj but...
still hopeful and positive that our 2 picks in the first 15 (Nat Dr.) would deliver the Saints 2 quality players that would strengthen our side into the future. This would you would think push back our climb back into the top 4 perhaps.

What a cunundrum!
GO SAINTS!

[noob]

Got to be kidding hope we get Caddy really do but if not no problem if we got Kristian Jaksch & Membrey out of draft
we will be laughing and the top 20 this year is the best in 10years.

We had to sell a top player to improve our list if we did'nt then we would have been stuffed

Goddard did us a big favour...the only negative was he did not go to GWS we would have got 2 picks then

gotta agree ! I'd be more worried if we picked some one up in free agency. Our compensation pick would be drop dramatically. The club would be stupid to pick up another free agent.

[Con Gorozidis]

Under the current formula - we simply dont want anyone under FA.
We lost the best player in FA so if get another FA - then we lose. It would foolish for us to go after a Chaplin for instance because that means we lose pick 13.
But we get a pick 13 and have therefore 2 first-rounders. If we get them both right we are BIG winners.

Remember- if Geelong do get Caddy - that is in exchange for Ablett so they paid a fair price for him. Ablett at 25 much bigger loss than BJ at 28.

[St Ick]

Assuming Suns bid on Viney, that turns our 12 & 13 draft picks into 10 & 11 as well...
due to Daniher going before us too.

Suddenly it doesn't look so worrying if we don't get anything (still think we will).

[jimmy_slats]

if the press reports are to be believed our prospects of getting anything decent out of the free agency period are looking decidedly glum. I know it is early days. And maybe Pelchen and Watters haven't shown their real hand ( I hope). But.....we are shaping up to be the big losers. If we are genuinely interested in Josh Caddy then it appears the Cats have stolen our thunder. Although I am a bit confused about how they can be ahead of us in the race to get him given what they are offering the Suns is very much an unknown quantity and dependent on where the Cats finish on the ladder as opposed to a definite first round draft pick of 13. Eagles defender Mitch Brown is another mentioned in dispatches but Brown is a) contracted to the Eages b) reportedly doesn't want to leave Perth and c) the Eagles aren't interested in trading him. So....according to my calculations that leaves us with a big fat zero and a big fat hole that had been occupied by one Brendan Goddard. It's leaving me a little anxious.

point 1 we are in free agency week and unless we are very stupid we are not going to touch a free agent.
point 2 as the trade period starts and goes for another i think 3 weeks why are you worried now 2 day before we can actually start making waves.
point 3 both club list mangers and coaches have all came out and said they are going to be very active in the "trade period" and i for one believe them considering the abundance of rumours and links to various players that regardless off caddy and brown sound as good if not better in some cases.
point 4 we are not the coach or the list managers and our memberships help pay there wages so im sure they are out there doing there job to best serve the club so trust in them and asses after

[gringo]

if the press reports are to be believed our prospects of getting anything decent out of the free agency period are looking decidedly glum. I know it is early days. And maybe Pelchen and Watters haven't shown their real hand ( I hope). But.....we are shaping up to be the big losers. If we are genuinely interested in Josh Caddy then it appears the Cats have stolen our thunder. Although I am a bit confused about how they can be ahead of us in the race to get him given what they are offering the Suns is very much an unknown quantity and dependent on where the Cats finish on the ladder as opposed to a definite first round draft pick of 13. Eagles defender Mitch Brown is another mentioned in dispatches but Brown is a) contracted to the Eages b) reportedly doesn't want to leave Perth and c) the Eagles aren't interested in trading him. So....according to my calculations that leaves us with a big fat zero and a big fat hole that had been occupied by one Brendan Goddard. It's leaving me a little anxious.

point 1 we are in free agency week and unless we are very stupid we are not going to touch a free agent.
point 2 as the trade period starts and goes for another i think 3 weeks why are you worried now 2 day before we can actually start making waves.
point 3 both club list mangers and coaches have all came out and said they are going to be very active in the "trade period" and i for one believe them considering the abundance of rumours and links to various players that regardless off caddy and brown sound as good if not better in some cases.
point 4 we are not the coach or the list managers and our memberships help pay there wages so im sure they are out there doing there job to best serve the club so trust in them and asses after[/quote

that's the point though, supposedly they are compensating our loss but it seems like they are making it so it seems to disadvantage us instead. I would rather of put him up for trade as we would have got a higher pick and we would have a definite position to negotiate for someone else. We not only don't know what we will get we are also disadvantaged in that any attempt to pick up a free agent ourselves would see us punished by losing the Goddard compo for something not fitting of the scope of the player.

it's so flawed currently that it will need fixing by next year and we will be the ones screwed by it.