Josh Kelly signs with GWS

[GregPackhamsHeadband]

Stuff GWS, Jiggster. The point of this is we couldn't attract anyone half decent, when that was our stated, long term plan. Stringer doesn't want to come to us and Rockliffe is strongly linked to Hawthorn, if he leaves at all. Nothing much left after that. They failed.

[thejiggingsaint]

[Devilhead]

Just to put things straight he hasn't signed yet ...... just supposedly recommitted

Anyway doesn't look like a lot else out there in trade land - to the draft it is then with 7 & 8

[saintsRrising]

Let's be honest. We talked a big game and came up empty. This was not art of the plan.

Well that is another BigFish gone. The odds on Bains delivering on the plan this year are getting smaller and smaller.

Importantly all the truly elite mids are now not available, and that makes me sad.

ing
Plus one. I genuinely believed we would jag one gun. Looks like we're the Charlie Browns again. The club did a Lucy Van Pelt on us. I wonder how this may affect membership. I can't help thinking a Kelly, Martin, Fyfe or similar would've paid for themselves in extra membership revenue. Sigh!!

It means that our long-term strategic plan is looking rather limp at present.

As I have been posting for a while I was very skeptical of gaining a gun FA as the footy world has already evolved since it game in, and them when the club moved on to non-FA skeptical as well as BigFish rarely join teams outside the 8 .as teams outside the 8 are not viewed as destination clubs The theory was that we would assemble a war-chest and that the $$$ in themselves would lure a gun.

Hopefully the club can prise an emerging talent free. Otherwise as with Carlilsle we may need a player with issues such as Stringer as the main guns are not taking our bait.

We can go purely for kids, BUT the probblem with that is before they can become stars with impact that Steven, Armo will be gone or faded. So we are just treading water.

[thejiggingsaint]

REALLY? Is anyone surprised that Josh Kelly re-signed?

WOW. I am amazed that you believe that you are the only one that he thought he would stay at GWS.

Equally amazed that you also believe that anyone was surprised about him staying at GWS. Many were hopeful that he may end up at the Saints, but those that thought he would definitely be here would be very thin on the ground.

Good one! FYI far from believing that "Im the only one that thought he would stay at GWS" I think I'm just being realistic.
FWIW, I've posted on several occasions over the past few weeks that (IMHO) Kelly would stay at GWS. But believe me, I get NO joy from that.

[Devilhead]

Stuff GWS, Jiggster. The point of this is we couldn't attract anyone half decent, when that was our stated, long term plan. Stringer doesn't want to come to us and Rockliffe is strongly linked to Hawthorn, if he leaves at all. Nothing much left after that. They failed.

Greg I think you will find next year's FA class is stacked with loads of talent - a lot more than this year's and some FA players will cost you zilch in terms of picks

[bigcarl]

Do we really want Stringer? Membrey's a better player of that type already imo.

[skeptic]

This is hardly the crisis to end all crises

[DJ Higgins]

Great news. Seriously it wasn't going to happen and now false hope is gone. Rather than trade in a great player in its now for us to draft our own or train our players up to be a grade players. So onto the draft for one gun mid and key defender

[Sainternist]

FFS. Stupid decision. hes just turned turned down millions. moronic. GWS?? not even a real footy team.

Yep, Kelly is now going to waste with a plastic club and also having to play up North in those perennial greasy conditions.

This is a real drag. We needed this guy. We may as well use our first round picks in the draft and just keep the war chest closed until 2019, instead of wasting it on overpaid silver lining recruits.

[kosifantutti]

Still no confirmation anywhere. I'll believe it when I see the press conference.

[cwrcyn]

The criticism that we couldn't attract Kelly is just nonsense. What about the other 16 clubs who couldn't attract him, either? Honestly, no club can just expect a player to leave another club with the lure of a big contract.

[saintbob]

https://www.foxsports.com.au/afl/afl-36 ... 9f1da80c72

What a load of s***, still hasn't signed!!!

[fugazi]

Take picks 7 and 8 to the draft
Use next year's first rounder
Get one of next year's FA in the gun ASAP.
Flog the boys on the track in preseason.

[magnifisaint]

This is great news. Wouldn't like any of our own to ditch the club for more money. Didn't do Dal Santo and Goddard any good.

[MC Gusto]

this is not yet confirmed. OP should be modified. Only a journo's view at this stage

[Linton Lodger]

Let's be honest. We talked a big game and came up empty. This was not art of the plan.

Unfortunately, there didn't turn out to be much available.

Fyfe was a query coming off a second broken leg (and still has yet to get back to pre injury form) and was probably never going to leave Freo. Martin probably would have been available if Richmond had had a similar season to last year, but they've had a good season, so it was unlikely that he'd ever leave. This just left Kelly and he (foolishly in my opinion) has decided to stay put.

In reality these were the only three potentially available players that were worth big long term contracts and unfortunately Nth Melb were tossing desperate and ridiculously inflated offers at two of them. I'm glad our Club didn't publicly exhibit such absolute desperation and recklessness.

[Enrico_Misso]

He must have a craving for falafels.

[spert]

Sounds like Kelly's manager is playing the field. Regardless, we should be throwing every last resort at getting class into the playing list.

[Enrico_Misso]

In theory, forcing clubs to pay overs to retain guns like Martin and Kelly will put those clubs under salary cap pressure and more likely to be forced to give up a lesser light for a reasonable or unders price.
The same logic applies to father/son picks where another club makes a (dummy?) bid forcing the original club to pay the market or overs price.

So well done to North for keeping Richmond honest, and several clubs (including us) to force GWS to dig deep.

We've missed the biggest fish but we might get some tasty mackerel that will now be on offer.

[jonesy]

John 6 million still claiming it's done and this is all smoke and mirrors. Sam maclure saying it's not done yet either.
John 6 million will either be the greatest itk in human history, or fully entrenched as a flog

[meher baba]

John 6 million still claiming it's done and this is all smoke and mirrors. Sam maclure saying it's not done yet either.
John 6 million will either be the greatest itk in human history, or fully entrenched as a flog

In my judgement, Whateley is not the type of journo to purvey unsubstantiated gossip, so someone or something must have convinced him that Kelly is going to stay at GWS.

If it is true that Kelly is leaving GWS, it would obviously be strongly in the interests of the club to put out a false, but convincing message that he's staying: eg, to boost the morale of other players and supporters while the club plays finals.

I wouldn't have picked Whateley as the sort of guy who would fall for this sort of trick, but these things can sometimes happen: eg, when a source who has long been 100% reliable has decided to tell a lie in order to achieve what they see as a greater good.

[Devilhead]

The last thing GWS want right now is word to get out that Kelly is gone - it is their interests for speculation to point towards Kelly staying whilst they are still in contention

The report does not confirm that Kelly has signed only that he is likely to and that is probably enough at this current moment to keep the media pack dogs at bay - releasing this information to Whateley who has reasonable cred gives GWS breathing space to concentrate on Semi Final

Question is if they win this weekend and Kelly hasn't signed by early next week the jungle drums will start beating again in the lead up to the Tigers game

[thejiggingsaint]

I'll Back Gerard Whateley on this.

[MickThomas]

John 6 million still claiming it's done and this is all smoke and mirrors. Sam maclure saying it's not done yet either.
John 6 million will either be the greatest itk in human history, or fully entrenched as a flog

John**** is a troll and after the smoke clears,
he will stop posting as John*** on BigRumour ( I mean BigFooty)
and invent a new nic,
#wundertheradar