Compare the pair, … you’d have to be an idiot to pick the fformer over the latter.
That said, after my initial abject objections, I am now in a wait & assess mode to see what post mid 20’s maturity might allow him to bring to the table, and I fully trust the club to do due diligence on him, and if they so choose, I’ll back them.
Still don’t really see it happening if there’s a better, more low risk, plus less hassle/management option out there, … and I think there is.
[quote=“Humble_Minion, post:475, topic:3638”]he’s a hell of a player, obviously. But at Essendon he wouldn’t be given the chance to show that. My belief is that the AFL don’t want us winning a flag until that last of the ‘34’ have retired, cos of ‘optics’ and ‘tainted premierships’ and the like. They want us solvent, but not successful. As such, if we start looking too promising, they’ll do their best to discreetly nobble us. We can expect terrible fixturing, players being given quiet AFL encouragement to ask for trades out of the club, quality players being encouraged not to seek a trade in to EFC, and any off-field incidents by players to be trumpeted to the skies.
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I don’t agree with your post and that’s fine, but this is truly LOL worthy. Take off your tinfoil hat and have a cuppa mate
But then you have to weigh up cost draft pick/trade wise.
Free agency means in terms of burning draft picks or trading players mitigating a lot of the risk significantly. It’s $$$ only. And if the players farks up off field such that they breach their contract via behavioral clauses well then the $$$ doesn’t become an issue.
Could mean getting both the risky free agent good player as well as using a trade to get the non risky good player… i.e. Johannissen.
I like to think that our leadership group would be pretty vocal about not wanting him. We don’t need to be bringing in any players who will be attracting media attention for the wrong reasons.
Let him go to North to be with his mate, Marley, they can go night clubbing together.
Cannot like this post enough, and can vouch for a number of the comments too. Have personally seen DM in full flight, and he’s still mates with a couple of ex-teammates he shouldn’t be.
Gun player, but I genuinely think Richmond are keen to offload him before he blows up.
Hope we are just stirring the pot to make North pay more.
The AFL will love nothing more then Essendon to have some success by winning a flag. Essendon is one the leagues cash cows the quicker Essendon can achieve success the quicker the AFL can bury the saga of the last few years.
Pretty similar to what I wanted to say, except with better information. Way too much risk for liking.
Also, given the bidding war that looks like it’s already started to get his signature, you can be pretty sure that whomever ends up getting him is going to end up paying too much, and probably for a long time. If we were in a position where we were an attractive enough destination that someone like Martin/Fyfe/Dangerfield/O’Mera was prepared to come for us for less than market value, then that would be one thing. As is stands, I’d rather make sure that we’re in a position that we’re able to hang on to guys like Daniher, Merret, Heppell, McGrath, Parish, Tippa, etc than establishing a precedent of being prepared to pay huge sums of money to lure guys across from other clubs.
The AFL will not want any of the banned players to win a premiership. And they afl know that we can still be their cash cow without winning the premiership because we are loyal to our club
We have never been a club to pay huge money to poach a player, only done it once or twice that I can remember.
With jobe and BJ getting either smaller contracts for retiring in next year or two there is obviously cash there but reckon they’ll use it to keep the current list together. Can’t see them forking out $1m a year for Martin, no matter how good he is.
He is a ■■■■■■■ idiot. Dont want that trash at the club. Good as he is on it, not Essendon material. At 1m a year, we can surely land someone decent, and if we can make the finals a free agency push that will demonstrate this new player can elevate us will be easier.