That's old news.

God Barrett is a turd.

I disagree. The Vets allowance encourages players to stay with their current club (what the supporters want) while allowing players to be paid market value (which is what the players want). It's a reward for the loyalty of the club and the player, which ends up benefitting both of them.

And this is part of what makes AFL so different to codes such as the English Premier League and the US sports codes, where it's all about the individual.

This is a strength that should be preserved, as far as possible. The club loyalty thing is becoming increasingly rare in professional sport, indeed society generally, and it's one of the great things about the game. It's endearing. It's human. It's intangible - the opposite of materialistic really. It's possibly selfless.

When I worked in London, people asked me what I most liked about Australia. I responded it's simple really: it's the club loyalty piece in AFL.

Arguably, it is best illustrated in Craig Bradley's retirement speech. So much so, I carried a copy of it in my wallet. At all times.

Frawley, and every sleazy player manager in the comp, should read that too.

The AFL must create a max contract rule ASAP and i am surprised it has not happened sooner after the Buddy Fiasco of last year. Only thing i can think the AFLPA would be saying no to this possibility?

I would say a max contract length of 5 years would be sufficient and accepted?

Why would you impose a max contract if both the player and club are happy to pay it?

If I hadn't played finals for 8 years straight and had over a dozen coaches I would be out aswell.

Dont understand the hate. The guy is doing what alot of us would do.

If I hadn't played finals for 8 years straight and had over a dozen coaches I would be out aswell.

Dont understand the hate. The guy is doing what alot of us would do.

Cop out.

If I hadn't played finals for 8 years straight and had over a dozen coaches I would be out aswell.

Dont understand the hate. The guy is doing what alot of us would do.

Absolutely!

Life is too short, especially in professional sport...........he should do what is best for him, MFC just have to maximise any compensation we get when he leaves.

I would like him to stay. Just saying.

Why would you impose a max contract if both the player and club are happy to pay it?

Fully understand where you are coming from and i agree that the possible consequences should and will fall on the clubs that offer these contract lengths and the players that accept them. Saying that, i believe it does have the potential to get out of hand for the good of the competition. I really don't want to see bidding wars for Free Agents to be determined by a club offering more years than another(greater than 4 or 5 years). Take the Lions for example, even if the Lions say to a 'gun' player of theirs "we can offer you the same length of a contract", it will be very difficult to pull off in reality, they will find it extremely difficult to convince players to sign lengthy contracts when the possibilities of wanting to go home already exist. I just think it adds to the issues and does not help the situation of holding on to players at all. It is basically a way to exploit the very reason a salary cap exists in the first place. I do not have a problem with the monetary side of things to pry away players because the league has a salary cap and a player should try earn as much money as possible in a career that is relatively short lived. It is more the length of contract offers and the effect this can have on clubs, fans and ultimately the AFL competition.

In my opinion the power of balance is currently sitting too much in favour of the players and should be added to the queue of issues surrounding equalisation. There is already talk of the AFLPA wanting to reduce the criteria of unrestricted Free Agency to 6 years i believe? I think barriers like a max contract length are needed to swing the balance in favour of clubs, thus helping the competition remain as equal as possible. Another key concept i think is necessary is the ability for a club to trade a player to any club they can get the best offer for, to avoid situations like Jared Polec last year forcing a clubs hand. The players wanted free agency and i think it is a more than understandable and fair concept in the age of professional sport, but the clubs need to regain some power in this also. Players and agents could still negotiate 'no-trade' clauses to be included in their contracts, but again the value of this privilege needs to be spread between both players and clubs. Just my opinion and i do see your point of view too though.

, just watch him he gives us nothing, nothing nothing.

rubbish, rubbish, rubbish.

You can debate his worth to the club, what should be paid to keep him at the club.

You can debate if if he is in our top 5 players or top 10. We can all probably agree that he, like many others, turns it over too much.

But to suggest he offers "nothing" is just blatant nonsense.

I can respect opinions that he will can be covered if he goes and he may not leave a huge hole. Whilst I don't necessarily agree I can also respect the opinion that if we got a top 5 pick for him as compensation that we may well come out ahead.

I won't respect an opinion that is clearly coloured by his unwillingness to sign on in a timely fashion that suits supporters.

I am interested to see if free agency brings about the sign n trade ala NBA

I also don't understand the hate.

He was drafted to a basket case and gave us his loyalty until he had to decide, courtesy of the rules whether to leave for more money and success.

We don't know if he is gone but if it is true as to his demands, then there is no deal yet. I suspect there will be one soon and he will leave.

What does he owe us, nothing. He is a professional sportsman who probably has no other career mapped out and he is entitled to get the best result for his family during what is left of his footy career.

If we fail to win another game we will get pick 3 for him. The whole footy world agrees that is over the odds. What is the issue then?

We could get a potential star for a bloke that has clear deficiencies in parts of his game. I would be happy with a 200 game mid as compo. We need that more than him IMO.

I am interested to see if free agency brings about the sign n trade ala NBA

That seems to be exactly what Brett Anderson has proposed as one of the 2 scenarios for recruiting Jeremy Cameron, which is why I call bullsh#t on this rumour.

If Frawley was a Lions player and willing to leave, I doubt any would blame him.

Why would you impose a max contract if both the player and club are happy to pay it?

That may be, but you are providing a situation where a club can be coerced into mortgaging its future in order to acquire talent.

Poorer clubs will be forced to give bigger and longer contracts just to retain of attract talent, and it could kill them.

See already what Franklin's contract has done with the reported demands by Frawley's agent?

Setting a limit protects clubs from themselves.

I also don't understand the hate.

He was drafted to a basket case and gave us his loyalty until he had to decide, courtesy of the rules whether to leave for more money and success.

We don't know if he is gone but if it is true as to his demands, then there is no deal yet. I suspect there will be one soon and he will leave.

What does he owe us, nothing. He is a professional sportsman who probably has no other career mapped out and he is entitled to get the best result for his family during what is left of his footy career.

If we fail to win another game we will get pick 3 for him. The whole footy world agrees that is over the odds. What is the issue then?

We could get a potential star for a bloke that has clear deficiencies in parts of his game. I would be happy with a 200 game mid as compo. We need that more than him IMO.

too much logic redleg

but it doesn't appease my emotional side

too much logic redleg

but it doesn't appease my emotional side

At least you can freely admit to that.

I don't want him to go but everything Redleg posted is logically followed by his opinion.

I just can't understand that the longer his non signing has gone on, apparently the bigger "dud " he has become.

That seems to be exactly what Brett Anderson has proposed as one of the 2 scenarios for recruiting Jeremy Cameron, which is why I call bullsh#t on this rumour.

I wasn't aware of that, it was never going to happen that way, GWS have the cap space to just offer frawley the 7 years at 800k if they want him bad enough to hand over Cameron

if Anderson seriously suggested that then it's clearly not true.

At least you can freely admit to that.

I don't want him to go but everything Redleg posted is logically followed by his opinion.

I just can't understand that the longer his non signing has gone on, apparently the bigger "dud " he has become.

oh well, look on the bright side, at least next year we will have one more "spud" to boo when we play them (whoever they are)

I am interested to see if free agency brings about the sign n trade ala NBA

Sign and trades largely occur because of two things - a player is a Restricted FA and the fact that the NBA has a 'soft cap' that teams can exceed with 'sign and trade' deals.

We don't have a soft cap, we have a hard cap and a team trading an RFA will not be signing their contract before trading them so it really will just be a simple trade like with what Essendon and Port Adelaide did with Monfries so that Port could maintain its compensation picks for Pearce and Chaplin. So there is motivation to do that trade on occasion but there would not be many.

In Frawley's case - we would prefer to have Pick 4 to anything a team would be willing to give us for a player that could just sign for nothing. If anyone is suggesting a trade in Frawley's case - they do not understand the rules, the landscape, and they should be ignored.

Nutbean I don't want him to go because he hasn't signed, I'm rapt he hasn't signed. I just don't believe he is that good. He's been living off his uncles rep and one very good year for way to long. I want better defenders what's wrong with that?

Bring back Matty warnock

I liked Warnock! ooh look out.

If Frawley was a Lions player and willing to leave, I doubt any would blame him.

But he's not. He's a Demon.

And this is a Demons supporter forum.

Certain posters on this thread have asked, why the hate?

First of all, I don't believe there's any hate.

It's just disappointment that one of our most valuable players might be leaving the club. Added to this, there's frustration/annoyance that he doesn't appear to be being upfront with the club and its supporters about his intentions, which is especially grating given that he's currently one of the club's leaders.

I actually think, why the surprise?

I think it's the unreasonable demands of $700,000 and 7 year contracts plus the disingenuous comments about club direction and successors have got up peoples nose.

I don't think he's the brightest light in the chandelier!

the afl salary management system may have as many flaws as democracy has as a political system

but likewise coming up with a better system is the problem - alas

I would say simple.

teams once in the top 8 should get less 'Salary Cap allowance', than those outside the finals, averaged over the previous 2 seasons. those in the top 5 should have a further reduction to a pre-determined salary cap floor.

Hopefully this would allow the free agency to work better.

Also IMO they're should be a limit on those top clubs, of taking free agents; down to not more than 1 free agent every 3 seasons, via a permit system. (like a form 4)... a scale of (form 4's) could be established with more going to the bottom teams, and reducing as the teams climb the ladder.

Just as horse racing has handicaps for the top racers, or runners find it harder to improve much once they get near the worlds fastest times, or taxes should get higher the more one earns... so should the top teams find the air thinner once up there.

It's only natural. according to our physics.

the more force propelling one to its destiny, the more resistance will be felt.