FireInTheBennelly

Thanks Saty. When you say Academy, do you mean our Academy, and players we have priority access to? Or are they available for all clubs and we're just taking a look?

I've been doing regular arm raises, but it doesn't seem to be working.

Still shopping for the right desk apparently.

But think of the money we save in mouthguards!!!

It's still very tender Moons, but I'm sure I'll get the balance back in my movements eventually and stop walking around in circles. It was the small one after all.

Bet you didn't have Nietschke....

Well played sir

Thanks Saty. Better news re Hunt. I'm interested to know if this preseason looks any different with the skills work. Is it normal for us to have these skills sessions so early in the PS? Or have we shifted focus from fitness work?

Put your hand up if you tipped us to get Tom Sparrow. I don't remember seeing anyone tip that.

Ok cheers. Hope he gets back to the main group shortly and has a clear crack at it. Back in form he'd be a big bonus for us.

Seriously? I was hoping by now he'd be over whatever it was that hindered him last year. Someone said back, someone said neck, did we ever find out what the problem was?

Yep, very dangerous with all the old rotting teeth all over the grounds.

It's all good Moons, the doc says I need to lose some weight.

With Wagner now added to the list, I'll put my left one on the line and say we have something arranged to trade back into the 1st round on the night.

Apologies to @Stretch Johnson You are correct, a player can walk to any other club as a rookie, has to wait a year if being rookied to the same club.

From memory he never sat out a year so it still wouldn't be allowed under this new rule.

I recall years back when Rivers shifted over to the Cats. He said preseason was completely different there, as the onus was put on the players to return in peak condition, so the bulk of preseason was about skills, not getting fit. I hope this is where we're heading.

Well technically any club could sign them, so if you wanted to do it you'd better make sure the player was dead set certain to stay. Perhaps offer him a coaching gig in the meantime..... That's just what I was thinking, may be way off.

It's interesting with the new rookie rules. Any injury plagued player that you can determine prior to the draft won't be physically able to play the next season, can be delisted with the option of 'sitting out' the year to get the body right, and then re-signed straight back onto the list the following year. Not saying that's what's happening here, but it's now a realistic option. Hell, we could sign LJ right now if we wanted to. Kind of makes me wonder why Mitch Grigg, who is being talked about as a mature age draft pick, doesn't just sign for his club of choice now as a rookie.

It doesn't have anything to do with free agents, I'm not sure why you've mentioned that and this is probably the wrong place to discuss, however; I can't find the salary cap rules re the rookie list, but I found this: Certain payments are excluded from the cap, and concessions are available for some players, in particular "veteran" players (those over the age of 30 and/or who have completed 10 seasons with their current club) and "nominated" rookie list players, who are discounted by 30% or 50% for purposes of the cap, depending on the number of these players at each club. That's clearly out-dated, and I have no idea what or who a 'nominated' rookie is, but If that's still correct, they've made a huge offer for a player to ward off other clubs. Now he's done they don't want that money in the cap anymore, so they move him to the rookie list where they save up to 50% of his wages. Buddy signed a 10 year contract on huge dollars. If (I think it's more like when) he retires early they'll be trying to wipe those dollars off their cap, in the exact same way. Their massive bid for Buddy beat off GWS, who would've felt they couldn't fit him in their cap. How would they feel if that happens, and the bid that beat them off ends up being halved? I should add, thank the lord he didn't go to GWS as they'd probably have a flag in the kick by now.

Because it's cheating the salary cap. Pay a player big overs to get him to sign. Then just hit delete and it all goes away when he's past it? It'll happen again with Buddy for sure. It's cheating, and we could've done the same thing with HL, but I'm really glad we didn't. We aren't cheats. Have a look at the 2 clubs doing it. 2 of the most successful in the recent era, who were seemingly able to sign any player they wanted with an unlimited cap. Well it's just caught up with them, and rather than let them suffer at the bottom of the ladder, the AFL has given them a free pass.

I propose a new rule, any players on the rookie list must only have played 'x' number of matches prior to being drafted to the rookie list. How many is x? 20? 50?

I wouldn't rule us out of the first round of the draft just yet either. I can see someone wanting to swap a first rounder for our 2 seconds come draft night. If we make a DFA move I'd say it'll be in the period after the draft.

I can't believe it's allowed. Perhaps we should move Jones and Lewis to the rookie list. As long as they come out in the press and say they'll retire rather than get picked and play for another club.

Possibly. Has he shown enough though?