http://www.afl.com.au/news/2018-10-18/bigname-deals-thin-out-2019-free-agency-list

Coniglio is my pick. If we could get him it would be fantastic.

Swallow would be a handy get as well.

Stephen Hill for some outside pace perhaps, happy to see our list only consists for Jonesy.

4 hours ago, Pates said:

Stephen Hill for some outside pace perhaps, happy to see our list only consists for Jonesy.

Stephen Hill would be 30 by the time he is actually available, so that could make him a pretty dicey propersition.

Glad Jonesy is our only FA as you say, because I think there is FA chance he is leaving.  That said though, I think we have a ton of players comming out contract at the end of 2019 ...not that contacts actually mean anything much these days anyway.

As we have seen, it's probably just as important to look at who the FA are in 2020.  

It still grates with me that we didn't get a recruiting free kick like Richmond did with Lynch this year.  Failure to get Gaff is the only thing that I'd put against Mahoney & co, though there is only so much they can do as it takes two to tango and it sounds like Gaff was more intersted in comming back to Vic for big money than sucess, so F off, don't want you anyway.

The biggest free agent we’ve landed since it entered the AFL system was Shannon Byrnes. That needs to change.

I want the club to activately go hard for a free agent next year whilst keeping our draft picks. We gave away pick 6 for May and KK when May could have been a free agent next year. We recruited Lever by paying overs in two first round picks.

It’s time the club lands a big fish whom will provide us with an immediate impact and success without having to give away a single pick.

Brad Shephard would be handy.

With all the talent GWS has got and lost I reckon Nick Haynes is an underrated linchpin for them. 

1 hour ago, juzzk1d said:

The biggest free agent we’ve landed since it entered the AFL system was Shannon Byrnes. That needs to change.

I want the club to activately go hard for a free agent next year whilst keeping our draft picks. We gave away pick 6 for May and KK when May could have been a free agent next year. We recruited Lever by paying overs in two first round picks.

It’s time the club lands a big fish whom will provide us with an immediate impact and success without having to give away a single pick.

dream on baby

5 hours ago, juzzk1d said:

The biggest free agent we’ve landed since it entered the AFL system was Shannon Byrnes. That needs to change.

I want the club to activately go hard for a free agent next year whilst keeping our draft picks. We gave away pick 6 for May and KK when May could have been a free agent next year. We recruited Lever by paying overs in two first round picks.

It’s time the club lands a big fish whom will provide us with an immediate impact and success without having to give away a single pick.

Did you even look at the list? 

Have you been disappointed by our list-building strategy and cap management to date? 

5 hours ago, juzzk1d said:

The biggest free agent we’ve landed since it entered the AFL system was Shannon Byrnes. That needs to change.

I want the club to activately go hard for a free agent next year whilst keeping our draft picks. We gave away pick 6 for May and KK when May could have been a free agent next year. We recruited Lever by paying overs in two first round picks.

It’s time the club lands a big fish whom will provide us with an immediate impact and success without having to give away a single pick.

You might have to hold your horses a bit longer than a year. Outside of Coniglio, the cupboard is pretty bare

Wow that's a very ordinary list.  Clubs are getting ahead of the curve and trading players before they becomd FA.

16 hours ago, juzzk1d said:

The biggest free agent we’ve landed since it entered the AFL system was Shannon Byrnes. That needs to change.

I want the club to activately go hard for a free agent next year whilst keeping our draft picks. We gave away pick 6 for May and KK when May could have been a free agent next year. We recruited Lever by paying overs in two first round picks.

It’s time the club lands a big fish whom will provide us with an immediate impact and success without having to give away a single pick.

I'd argue we got May as a result of FA. As @Fifty-5 says above, clubs are trading players before they get to FA status. May is certainly partly in this boat.

Much more important to retain our young core of talent, than to spend big on a cash chasing mercenary from another club.

Oliver, Brayshaw, Weideman etc are going to cost us a fortune once other clubs start sniffing. Save the cash for them.

4 hours ago, Fifty-5 said:

Wow that's a very ordinary list.  Clubs are getting ahead of the curve and trading players before they becomd FA.

Interesting there is a bit of that recently.  Paul Roos preached that approach when FA was first mooted.

Except cellar dwellers, clubs realise they can control the trade and will get better draft picks/players if they trade players before their FA year.  The whole comp really benefits from pre FA trading: 

Firstly, there are fewer FA comp picks to distort the draft.  Next year Shiel, May, Neale and Wingard would all generate 1st round FA comp picks.  2019's premier's first pick would be about 22 or over!

Secondly, and this is really significant:  the receiving club does not get the player free.  Imagine those 4 going to Essendon, Demons, Brisbane and Hawthorn next year for nothing!  Collectively they paid about 6 first round picks and some second round picks/players  (+/- bits and pieces).  This is much fairer than a system which allows a premier to get a key forward (Lynch) for zip!  A huge free kick to an already strong team.

 

As an aside, For the demons Roos, Goodwin et al have done a great job of insulating us from the 'go-home' factor.  Our interstate players are Jetta, May and Neal-Bullen.  I doubt they are going anywhere so we are reasonably protected from losing our best talent when they reach FA status.

On 10/19/2018 at 8:36 AM, juzzk1d said:

The biggest free agent we’ve landed since it entered the AFL system was Shannon Byrnes. That needs to change.

I want the club to activately go hard for a free agent next year whilst keeping our draft picks. We gave away pick 6 for May and KK when May could have been a free agent next year. We recruited Lever by paying overs in two first round picks.

It’s time the club lands a big fish whom will provide us with an immediate impact and success without having to give away a single pick.

I'd actually say the biggest (most important) FA we landed was Daniel Cross.

I do agree with the notion of picking up good players through FA, if we can, rather than having to trade for them.  As people have pointed out, not really much available next year, but might be in a year or two and we should have a pretty decient premiership window where a FA would be of value.  The best FAs for us to get would be those like Frawley was for us/Hawks - good players in poor sides, that would like to cross over on modest cash, so they can have a chance at sucess.  May could have been that FA for us had we not lost Hogan. 

Edited October 20, 20186 yr by Rodney (Balls) Grinter

On 10/19/2018 at 1:16 AM, WERRIDEE said:

http://www.afl.com.au/news/2018-10-18/bigname-deals-thin-out-2019-free-agency-list

Coniglio is my pick. If we could get him it would be fantastic.

Swallow would be a handy get as well.

Just going through the list again and thinking it through - in retrospect we kinda stuffed up our first draft pick in 2008, but perhaps we could fix that by drafting Nick Nat as a FA?

Why just Coniglio? What about Tomlinson? 

35 minutes ago, Thehardtackler said:

Why just Coniglio? What about Tomlinson? 

We've not been interested in Tomlinson the last few times his name has been linked to a Melbourne club, I can't see us being interested now.

The Saints (they've shown interest in the past) would be my bet if he moves on, let them spend their war chest, over pay and crow about being a destination club.

Of course GWM (Carlton) could bob up with an offer.

I came into this thread expecting a '2019 Free Agent Best 22'. 

Coniglio is a star. Shame he's from WA, as he's more likely to head home there than move to Victoria. He's GWS' most rounded midfielder. He was the only one to give a yelp when we played them late in the year. He's got pace, good skills, racks up ball both inside and outside, prolific tackler and can do defensive jobs if needed. Most importantly, he's a goal kicking midfielder, with 24 goals in 2018. He's a bonafide A grader, and it was a disgrace he didn't make the AA team this year. 

I'd throw everything at him. He's a genuine star and ticks all the boxes for a "Melbourne" person with his competitive nature and working hard.

Rather than looking at who becomes a FA in 2019, it might be better looking across the competition at who becomes one in 2020. Clubs who cannot get those FA's to sign by the end of next season will look to trade ala Hogan, May, Shiel etc.

Does anyone have a list of those who become FAs in 2020?

I think we should continually look to add to our team. Oliver, Brayshaw and co will be well looked after, but we must instil a want to take unders in order to keep the list together. It will also enable us to continue to bring in players that fill a gap in our list.

And although we've got quite a well balanced list now, in two years time we'll need further midfield depth (with the likes of Jones and Lewis gone) and our backline will also be on the older side.

Now that we've drafted our elite midfield talent (everyone under 25), the next 5-8 years should see us follow the above strategy of topping up.

2 minutes ago, A F said:

Rather than looking at who becomes a FA in 2019, it might be better looking across the competition at who becomes one in 2020. Clubs who cannot get those FA's to sign by the end of next season will look to trade ala Hogan, May, Shiel etc.

Does anyone have a list of those who become FAs in 2020?

 

Josh Kelly.

43 minutes ago, grazman said:

Josh Kelly.

All that needs to happen is for us to strongly challenge for the flag again next year. We then approach Kelly and tell him where we see him fitting into our plans and improving as a better player, and hope that he comes across for $700k, spurning multiple opposition offers in the $1mill region.

Dream on, Adam.

Highly unlikely
Coniglio - will cost megabucks and in a position we should have covered
Swallow - the same issues as Coniglio but not as good
Sheppard - unlikely to leave Perth
Haynes - big money and we have Lever (and May etc)
Tomlinson - not sure if he's a wingmen, CHB, flanker or all of the above but I can't see him being a value buy for us
Shiels - probably stays at Hawks and isn't a position upgrade

Worth asking
Stratton - even aged 30 he'd combine so well with Lever and May, could Hawks go full rebuild?
Hill - if Freo have a down year and he's keen for a change up
Edwards - almost no chance he leaves the Tigers but what I'd give to have him on a forward flank

Free can = cheap?
Ellis - if he's out of favour and cheap he'd take Lewis' spot on the list/team
Newnes - if we're still searching for outside runners in 12 months
Casboult - if we need a cheap back up to the key forwards/ruck

I'd love to see Coniglio playing for the Dees.  I think of the GWS collection he's the most likely to fit into our style and culture, but as has been pointed out, he's a WA product, so odds are that he either stays at GWS or heads home.  Still, I'd love to hear that we are having a go at him. 

I'd also love to see us make a play for Jack Martin, even though he won't be a FA.  He's exactly what our list is missing, fast, skilled, marks like someone half a foot taller than he is and he can win his own ball when he needs to.  He'd be great as the attacking wing we want to add.  Sadly I'm pretty sure Clarkson has been in his ear for a while and he'll find his way to the Hawks when his time comes.