Considering we been trying to get him for years and we probably expect Watson to hang up boots makes sense.
I do think he feels like Tigers have stuck by him through a lot so it would have to be something stupid by us $$ wise to sway him you’d think.
If any coach can manage an absolute spud off the field its woosha.
TL:DR Josh Kelly
That’s more the preferred format …
I trust Disco in terms of drafting, not in terms of trading or FA.
We simply never make any big trades or FA acquisitions each year.
I’m not going to be holding my breath as we seem to hear similar things every year (not having a go at you Fog, more so the club) and yet in my opinion, we simply have a nap during the pre-season other than draft night.
Except for that time we landed Goddard … and then well… why the fark would anyone else of significant note have come to us over last 4yrs?
Exactly. It’s a bullshit line of thinking/statement.
Very little thought put into it.
Oh baby.
THE AFL’s official list of free agents has been revealed with almost double the number of restricted free agents on the market for 2017 as there were last year.Nat Fyfe, Dustin Martin, Steven Motlop and Tom Rockliff headline this season’s restricted free agents with 12 players listed.
Hawthorn’s Luke Breust is listed as the Hawks have not yet lodged the official paperwork for the contract extension he signed on Thursday.
The other restricted free agents are David Zaharakis, Hayden Ballantyne, Josh Gibson, Scott Thompson (North Melbourne), Jackson Trengove, Sam Reid (Sydney) and Eric Mackenzie.
There is also a large number of unrestricted free agents with the most notable of the group including Matthew Kreuzer, Jasper Pittard, Mark LeCras and Liam Picken.
ADELAIDE CROWS
Andy Otten (unrestricted)
Scott Thompson (unrestricted)
BRISBANE LIONS
Claye Beams (unrestricted)
Ryan Harwood (unrestricted)
Tom Rockliff (restricted)
CARLTON
Dennis Armfield (unrestricted)
Levi Casboult (unrestricted)
Matthew Kreuzer (unrestricted)
Kade Simpson (unrestricted)
Simon White (unrestricted)
COLLINGWOOD
Tyson Goldsack (unrestricted)
Lachlan Keeffe (unrestricted)
Ben Sinclair (unrestricted)
Josh Thomas (unrestricted)
ESSENDON
Heath Hocking (unrestricted)
Ben Howlett (unrestricted)
Brent Stanton (unrestricted)
Jobe Watson (unrestricted)
David Zaharakis (restricted)
FREMANTLE
Hayden Ballantyne (restricted)
Zac Clarke (unrestricted)
Nat Fyfe (restricted)
Garrick Ibbotson (unrestricted)
Michael Johnson (unrestricted)
David Mundy (unrestricted)
Aaron Sandilands (unrestricted)
Nick Suban (unrestricted)
GEELONG CATS
Josh Cowan (unrestricted)
Andrew Mackie (unrestricted)
Steven Motlop (restricted)
Tom Lonergan (unrestricted)
Daniel Menzel (unrestricted)
HAWTHORN
Luke Breust (restricted) // RE-SIGNED
Shaun Burgoyne (unrestricted)
Taylor Duryea (unrestricted)
Josh Gibson (restricted)
Luke Hodge (unrestricted)
Ryan Schoenmakers (unrestricted)
NORTH MELBOURNE
Scott Thompson (restricted)
Lachlan Hansen (unrestricted)
MELBOURNE
Jake Spencer (unrestricted)
Jack Trengove (unrestricted)
PORT ADELAIDE
Jasper Pittard (unrestricted)
Jackson Trengove (restricted)
Justin Westhoff (unrestricted)
RICHMOND
Dustin Martin (restricted)
ST KILDA
Sean Dempster (unrestricted)
Sam Gilbert (unrestricted)
Leigh Montagna (unrestricted)
Nick Riewoldt (unrestricted)
SYDNEY
Jarrad McVeigh (unrestricted)
Sam Reid (restricted)
WEST COAST
Sam Butler (unrestricted)
Mark LeCras (unrestricted)
Eric Mackenzie (restricted)
Matt Priddis (unrestricted)
WESTERN BULLDOGS
Matthew Boyd (unrestricted)
Dale Morris (unrestricted)
Robert Murphy (unrestricted)
Liam Picken (unrestricted)
The problem is that those guys are to young for FA so they cost draft picks. The beauty of getting a good FA is that you keep the picks.
I think Pittard could fit in. The one I’d be keen on if he was truly available is Breust. Allow Walla and Fantasia to rotate more through the midfield and not as expensive as many.
And then I read Speedy’s article and see Breust has extended his contract. Rats. 
Freo will match any bid for Fyfe. Even if they finish last and pick 2 is an offer. Via trade they would expect 2 first rounders at least and probably more. If pick 2 was an absolute superstar maybe, but they could get 3-4 highly rated kids if they drive a hard bargain. No one is getting Fyfe for free.
Dennis Armfield!!!
YAY!!!
Are we getting Swallow from GCS?
It may come back to our arguments last year about would you trade the #1 pick.
Pick 1 for fyfe every day of the week.
There are some players that are so good its not even worth thinking about a kid thats a gamble as opposed to a brownlow medallist jet.
Sorry, I meant in the sense Fremantle may have to decide between 1 high pick via FA, or multiple picks that are much later. Even if they do better than Adelaide I’d still expect the best to be two picks in the #8 to #14 range and maybe a youngster like Gore. Reality is in this day and age if he leaves and selects one club they have Freo over a barrel.
So say we finished 9th and Freo 16th and he chose us. We could offer our 2017 1st (#10) and 2018 1st (with Fyfe likely later than #10) or they could take #4 via FA. That becomes a tough decision for them. Maybe our 2017 second (#28 before bidding) might also be on offer, but maybe not as we want them to use FA.
They wouldn’t know what’s on offer before they choose to match or not, only what compensation pick they’d get. There may be some informal discussion, but not the nitty gritty. It’d be interesting to see if the whole McCarthy situation makes them a bit belligerent come trade time.
There is no way they are letting the best player in league and WA born and bred player leave without a fight.
It’s not like that can’t pay him $1mil themselves so they can match whatever comes from elsewhere.
And Fyfe won’t be choosing any bottom dweller clubs so no threat of PSD, so Freo either get compensated fairly or he stays with them.
At this stage can’t see him leaving anyway and he has said as much. I reckon he is waiting until CBA finalized and also revenue share situation sorted before he signs anything.
Fyfe is only 25. I personally can’t see it happening. May as well shut the joint down if let him go easily.
They need the marquee player to build the club around. Already been rebuilding given bottomed out last year and will finish low in 2017 on present form.
The best mids play well into their 30’s.
Mids they’d expect to move fwd with and most are higher draft picks are - Fyfe (25yrs old), SHill (26), BHill (23), Neale (23), Bennell (23), Blakey (21), Weller (21), Crozier (21), Tucker (20), Balic (20). They have a very solid group there.
If Fyfe however doesn’t think they can turn around fortunes within 3-5yrs or that Lyon is man for job that will be the big question.
Freo don’t have to give him any consideration about family like Crows did with Danger. If he want to go to Vic club pushing for flag they would just secure the best deal from whoever offers it or keep him as he def won’t end up in PSD.
Saints for example will have potentially 2x top 10 picks via their own and Hawks, and clear cap room already, more so if Riewoldt pulls pin. An offer from Saints of picks/players would supersede the FA compo individual pick IMO / help rebuild quicker.