Just now, dazzledavey36 said:

Lol yeah hes not leaving Freo.

I wouldn’t either.

However, we have nothing to lose in trying.

If we want to have any shot, we need new better players.

14 minutes ago, GawnOfTheDead said:

I wouldn’t either.

However, we have nothing to lose in trying.

If we want to have any shot, we need new better players.

Okay.

But we have zero draft capital. Not only is he the type of forward they have been screaming out for but hes just had a break out year where Freo would easily ask for a 1st rounder.

In fact they wouldn't even ask for anything because hes contracted and they'd simply laugh at use and even entertain the idea.

Theres being ruthless and then there is unrealistic expectations. This is one of them.

7 hours ago, DeeSpencer said:

Because the game is going past him so it's better to cash out now rather than hold on. Depending on the offer.

For most of the season (and honestly for about 3 year now) Bayley has jogged around in second gear. It's not that he doesn't tackle enough it's that he sits and watches play go by until he makes a defensive effort and then invariable it's too little too late. The number of sloppy too high free kicks he gives away is abysmal.

Plus the terrible attempts at winning a contested ball on the deck and over reliance on the get the ball out the back efforts at contested marking rather than playing in front and being willing to wear a defender crashing in to you.

Similarly he's been tried up the ground and for such a skilled player his ball use and decision making are dreadful. He looks like a local football when up the ground.

Now the last 6 weeks or so the penny has appeared to drop a little. He's putting in more effort at the contest and defensively as well as finding the ball consistently. But we've also played a very soft draw. I'd probably still have a draft pick in mind at which point I'd be willing to let him go. He's far from untouchable. But for now anyway he's not almost free to a good home as he would've been mid year.

I don't disagree that he looked out of sorts at the beginning of the year.

I also think, however, that he was being played out of position. Why was he so far up the ground? Despite the fact that nearly none of our guys lower the eyes, he's one of the smartest lead up forwards we have! And he was nowhere near where we were bombing the ball.

If we replace him, who is going to score those 40 goals??

Anyway, you correctly reference his listless start to the year (which I still think was exacerbated by being played out of position) - which if he continued that way, fine, there's maybe an argument to consider an alternative. But if he ends the year playing well (he can only score goals against the teams he plays, he played against soft teams at the beginning of the year and was poor), and with his mojo back, wouldn't you want that version in the team next year? I suspect and hope the next coach will have taken notes that this guy knows how to lead into space and is usually a deadeye in front of goal (a rarity in our team).

The point is he's potentially the type of player someone might offer overs for. As his best stuff is elite, as is his recent form. Unfortunately he picks and chooses. We should have a price in mind and if we get offered that snap deal. If we don't then we keep a guy who on his day is a gun.

Demonland only wants to move on players that are worth 0 to the market.

Can we please include in this conversation the draft this year is BOTH highly compromised with academy and F/S and is supposedly a weak draft anyway.

So even a “ late first rounder” , that some here are so keen on getting, might end up being a pick 26 or so in a weak draft. Not the year for trading out players.

50 minutes ago, Wells 11 said:

Not the year for trading out players.

Unless <insert new coach> thinks they’re a problem