Welcome back to Demonland: Tayla Harris

[ChaserJ 5,169]

4 minutes ago, BDA said:

Sounds like the Hawks got cold feet and wasted everyone's time

Or they thought we would cave in. Very happy we didn’t. Welcome back Tayla!

[Dees_In_October 3,507]

Never in doubt!

We were right to stick to our guns. There was no point giving her away cheaply. All said and done, she's still #1 all-time for total contested marks and marks i50 in the league. That's not something to under-value in competition where contested marking is still developing.

Onwards and upwards!

Some quotes from list manager Todd Patterson here: https://www.afl.com.au/aflw/news/1263248/tayla-harris-to-stay-at-melbourne-demons-after-shift-in-hawthorn-hawks-negotiations

"We worked tirelessly to try to improve our list and assist other clubs' outcomes during this Trade Period. It's unfortunate that things have transpired so publicly, but we sit really comfortably with how we have operated over the last week and a half," Patterson said.

"I think the best of Tayla Harris is still to come," Patterson said.

"She's one of the most resilient people that I've met and I know that if anybody can come through this and be their best, it's Tayla. I have absolute certainty that, with the quality of people we have, no one is better placed to support her in that."

[Dee-tonator 255]

It seems that Tayla has run out of options and will have to stay next season.

But even with a topline performer, there are always potential risks in compelling a player to remain when she obviously wanted to leave.

[binman 44,174]

6 hours ago, Dee-tonator said:

It seems that Tayla has run out of options and will have to stay next season.

But even with a topline performer, there are always potential risks in compelling a player to remain when she obviously wanted to leave.

We didn't compell her to remain.

We were prepared to deal with the hawks but they wouldn't pony up.

And she could have quit and nominated for the preseason draft.

[Lucifers Hero 40,426]

10 hours ago, Dees_In_October said:

Some quotes from list manager Todd Patterson here: https://www.afl.com.au/aflw/news/1263248/tayla-harris-to-stay-at-melbourne-demons-after-shift-in-hawthorn-hawks-negotiations

My read of Patterson's comments in that article is the Hawks' renegged on early discussions to put up pick 14 as part of the deal.

When asked whether pick 14 was ever put on the table by Hawthorn, Patterson replied: "There were some preliminary, informal discussions which were directly related to some of the decisions we made early in the Trade Period.

"We thought there was going to be an outcome that lined up with our strategy. That shifted at a point in time during the Trade Period.  Once it opened, it became evident that was no longer the case."

Hawthorn declined to comment when approached by AFL.com.au on Wednesday.

[Lucifers Hero 40,426]

As an aside, Hawks also renegged on initial trade offers to WCE in the AFLM trade forcing WCE to trade out ND2 to honour a trade for Liam Baker. 

Regging on discussions is poor for a club's reputation.  Clubs like Geelong and Ess drive hard and sometimes unrealistic trades but they seem to honour their intentions/early promises.

Edited December 11, 2024 by Lucifers Hero

[BDA 22,955]

11 hours ago, ChaserJ said:

Or they thought we would cave in. Very happy we didn’t. Welcome back Tayla!

This is true also but either way, they've wasted everyone's time.

[Lucifers Hero 40,426]

11 minutes ago, BDA said:

This is true also but either way, they've wasted everyone's time.

Not to mention the emotional turmoil they caused Tayla.

[rpfc 28,832]

18 hours ago, red and blue forever said:

if you have no Loyalty, you can bugger off somewhere else

"The four-time All-Australian forward has an offer to stay at the Demons on a new contract, but could also delist herself and nominate for Monday's draft in an effort to find a new home.

If she stays, Great and good,  !

if the delisting option is taken, then we have dodged a bullet.  we don't need players like that

Mate, we might have been happy to shop her for a first round pick…

”you don’t need clubs like that,  !”

This is a business and Tayla is a great human being, a Demon flag hero, an excellent athlete and footy player, and I am glad she will be a demon a little while longer.

[darkhorse72 1,925]

Just hope she's fully fit for the season.  Unlikely with the shoulder this year. 

[Katrina Dee Fan 3,935]

6 hours ago, Lucifers Hero said:

Not to mention the emotional turmoil they caused Tayla.

This.  I spoke to Tayla at the B&F on Saturday, she told me she wanted to stay, but it wasn't up to her.  Going by Todd Paterson's comments, I take that as Tayla telling me the truth.  Regardless, I'm pleased she's staying, and I daresay so is she.

[Dees_In_October 3,507]

So basically, if we take everyone at their word (though the Hawks haven't had much to say). Tayla wanted to stay. Hawks approached us, promised a high pick. The club were willing but only for a certain number. Cue much back and forth and attempts to do mega trades. These fall through. Hawks won't give what they implied they would. The club refuses to give Tayla up for a packet of chips a la Carlton. Tayla stays. The media put out click-baity headlines about why she wanted to go. Fin.

[Katrina Dee Fan 3,935]

18 minutes ago, Dees_In_October said:

So basically, if we take everyone at their word (though the Hawks haven't had much to say). Tayla wanted to stay. Hawks approached us, promised a high pick. The club were willing but only for a certain number. Cue much back and forth and attempts to do mega trades. These fall through. Hawks won't give what they implied they would. The club refuses to give Tayla up for a packet of chips a la Carlton. Tayla stays. The media put out click-baity headlines about why she wanted to go. Fin.

I'd go so far as to say that Melbourne and Hawthorn had a very informal hypothetical chat, Melbourne asking do you reckon Tayla would be worth pick 14, Hawthorn said no, the conversation was dead early last week and the media decided to spread it out and create a non-existent story.  I don't think Melbourne and Hawthorn have been seriously discussing it. 

[Lucifers Hero 40,426]

34 minutes ago, Katrina Dee Fan said:

I'd go so far as to say that Melbourne and Hawthorn had a very informal hypothetical chat, Melbourne asking do you reckon Tayla would be worth pick 14, Hawthorn said no, the conversation was dead early last week and the media decided to spread it out and create a non-existent story.  I don't think Melbourne and Hawthorn have been seriously discussing it. 

I'm leaning more to DiO's view below as there were enough credible reports of negotiations continuing. 

And as of Sat at the BnF your chat with her suggests she herself was uncertain. If it was dead early last week I wouldn't be happy if the club kept her in the dark and let her stress out.  I don't think we would do that.

As it was only a few days ago the club offered Tayla a contract that seems more likely when we decided there was no deal.

54 minutes ago, Dees_In_October said:

So basically, if we take everyone at their word (though the Hawks haven't had much to say). Tayla wanted to stay. Hawks approached us, promised a high pick. The club were willing but only for a certain number. Cue much back and forth and attempts to do mega trades. These fall through. Hawks won't give what they implied they would. The club refuses to give Tayla up for a packet of chips a la Carlton. Tayla stays. The media put out click-baity headlines about why she wanted to go. Fin.

 

[Katrina Dee Fan 3,935]

Yeah, fair point.  Nonetheless, Tay wanted to stay, and I'm glad she's now able to.  It's a crappy situation to put players in, tbh.

[Dee-tonator 255]

10 hours ago, binman said:

We didn't compel her to remain.

We were prepared to deal with the hawks but they wouldn't pony up.

And she could have quit and nominated for the preseason draft.

Melbourne were absolutely right to stand firm if a fair trade could not be agreed.

All I am saying is that I don't know whether Tayla's feelings will be of resentment that the move failed or of determination to prove the Hawks' judgment wrong in rating her as below the value of pick 14.

I hope it will be the latter. We certainly don't need any more clickbait material for the media.

[binman 44,174]

1 hour ago, Dee-tonator said:

Melbourne were absolutely right to stand firm if a fair trade could not be agreed.

All I am saying is that I don't know whether Tayla's feelings will be of resentment that the move failed or of determination to prove the Hawks' judgment wrong in rating her as below the value of pick 14.

I hope it will be the latter. We certainly don't need any more clickbait material for the media.

Fair enough

But surely if she has any feelings of resentment it will be towards the hawks not us.

It's not our fault the deal didn't happen - it's 100% on the Hawks.

[whatwhat say what 23,072]

3 hours ago, binman said:

Fair enough

But surely if she has any feelings of resentment it will be towards the hawks not us.

It's not our fault the deal didn't happen - it's 100% on the Hawks.

exactly

we don't know what the discussions between the clubs actually were, and we don't know what dingley said to her in those negotiations

i'm happy she's staying; we have a dearth of players with her experience and in her age bracket - we'll be better for having her as part of the squad in 2025 as opposed to another first round pick