Off Season Trade Rumours

[roo boys!]

Leaving a club that's shown years worth of faith in you, and when you finally come good, go on the hunt for more coin thinking you're a topline midfielder. Good riddance Greenwood!

Two ways to look at this, either North did the right thing by not paying overs for a player who's had one good season, ensuring the rest of the team stayed together, or North flowered up big time recruiting the two free agents and not having enough $$ left over to pay Greenwood.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but a lot of great teams of recent years have taken paycuts in order to keep their whole team together, is that right? Geelong after Ablett left springs to mind. Maybe these are the sort of players we need at North anyway, not money hungry blokes.

I reckon its a bit of both.

According to Liam Pickering, the latest contract offer from North was "too little, too late" which suggests that North had focused their attention on securing Higgins and Waite over Greenwood.

Apparently the biggest reason he wants to go to Collingwood is because they offered him a longer contract = more money and stability. Choosing stability isn't a bad thing, but wow, its an exceptional move considering how close we are to a possible flag and how long we've stood beside him.

Bad North for not giving him a reasonable deal, Bad Greenwood for walking out like this.

Yeah fair enough mate.

A 3 year deal compared to a 4 year deal for a player his age shouldn't really be enough to move from a top 4 finisher to a side that finished outside the 8 should it?

I'm going to go ahead and blame Greenwood. But as Rico says, plenty of depth at the club to replace him with, one area that North have really built over the last few years more than any is the midfield. With Waite up forward this potentially cuts Ziebell's forward time right back down again and we see him move into the contested role he used to play, and Bastinac to take the next step in the middle.

Would still like to see O'Rourke in a North jumper too but looking more and more likely he's headed to the Hawks

[Cambo]

Greenwood deal expected to be 4 years @ $400k

I'll be shocked if thats the case. Its not much more than what Kangas would have offered. Start of the year North offered $280k for two, by this weekend, it would have had to be at least $350k for 3 years.

$50k more and sacrifice the chance at a premiership...good riddance.

Kangas arent a chance at a premiership lol.

Good to see im not the only one laughing at all these Kanga's fan's that think they are a chance at a Premiership  ;D ;D ;D
Good team maybe but genuine chance...............Dreaming............ :o

[WCarey18]

Leaving a club that's shown years worth of faith in you, and when you finally come good, go on the hunt for more coin thinking you're a topline midfielder. Good riddance Greenwood!

Two ways to look at this, either North did the right thing by not paying overs for a player who's had one good season, ensuring the rest of the team stayed together, or North flowered up big time recruiting the two free agents and not having enough $$ left over to pay Greenwood.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but a lot of great teams of recent years have taken paycuts in order to keep their whole team together, is that right? Geelong after Ablett left springs to mind. Maybe these are the sort of players we need at North anyway, not money hungry blokes.

I reckon its a bit of both.

According to Liam Pickering, the latest contract offer from North was "too little, too late" which suggests that North had focused their attention on securing Higgins and Waite over Greenwood.

Apparently the biggest reason he wants to go to Collingwood is because they offered him a longer contract = more money and stability. Choosing stability isn't a bad thing, but wow, its an exceptional move considering how close we are to a possible flag and how long we've stood beside him.

Bad North for not giving him a reasonable deal, Bad Greenwood for walking out like this.

Yeah fair enough mate.

A 3 year deal compared to a 4 year deal for a player his age shouldn't really be enough to move from a top 4 finisher to a side that finished outside the 8 should it?

I'm going to go ahead and blame Greenwood. But as Rico says, plenty of depth at the club to replace him with, one area that North have really built over the last few years more than any is the midfield. With Waite up forward this potentially cuts Ziebell's forward time right back down again and we see him move into the contested role he used to play, and Bastinac to take the next step in the middle.

Would still like to see O'Rourke in a North jumper too but looking more and more likely he's headed to the Hawks

Yeah, our midfield depth is definitely great enough to cover the loss, but I'd still like North to explore the option of replacing him. Of all the rumors going there are very few midfielders on offer...Robinson, Varcoe and Blease are the only two that spring to mind after O'Rourke.  :-X

As mentioned in my Best 22 post in the Norf section our midfield depth currently looks like:

Andrew Swallow, Daniel Wells, Nick Dal Santo, Jack Ziebell, Ben Cunnington, Sam Gibson, Ryan Bastinac, Liam Anthony, Kayne Turner, Jamie MacMillan, Ben Jacobs, Trent Dumont, Brad McKenzie, Timothy McGuiness

Of those, Swallow, Wells, Dal Santo, Ziebell, Cunnington, Gibson, Turner are on the field. After that you have Bastinac, MacMillan, Jacobs and Dumont (who made great strides in the VFL in his debut year) who will play throughout the year. I think we will be right, but I'm greedy and another one would be nice.  :P

[Tominator]

To the delight of Hawthorn and St Kilda (amongst others), O'Rourke left GWS in search of greater opportunities. He chose Hawthorn.

Box Hill will be ecstatic.

[WCarey18]

To the delight of Hawthorn and St Kilda (amongst others), O'Rourke left GWS in search of greater opportunities. He chose Hawthorn.

The Box Hill Hawks will be absolutely ecstatic.

This. Hard to see O'Rourke pushing his way into the 22 straightaway. Strange choice if he is looking for "greater opportunities".

[SydneyRox]

To the delight of Hawthorn and St Kilda (amongst others), O'Rourke left GWS in search of greater opportunities. He chose Hawthorn.

The Box Hill Hawks will be absolutely ecstatic.

This. Hard to see O'Rourke pushing his way into the 22 straightaway. Strange choice if he is looking for "greater opportunities".

LOL - straight away? He couldnt get a regular game with the Giants, Hawks have arguably the strongest midfield in the comp after they smashed what was thought to be the best in the comp in the GF

If he wanted more games, should have chosen the saints, would have stood a fighting chance!

[Jroo]

Second rounder for Eski. Seems fair.

[Toga]

Yeah, sounds about right to me

[SydneyRox]

Second rounder for Eski. Seems fair.

Happier with that than 3rd round. The number (approx 40) is unders but the round 1 @ 22 odd would be too high

[Noz]

Sydney shouldnt get a compensation pick for Malceski

[SydneyRox]

Sydney shouldnt get a compensation pick for Malceski

Why not?? 3 years @ 500k is a longer and more expensive deal than Waite got and only $100k behind the overall money that Higgins left for?

[Mr.Craig]

Who comes into the Sydney line up for Mal?

[Noz]

Sydney shouldnt get a compensation pick for Malceski

Why not?? 3 years @ 500k is a longer and more expensive deal than Waite got and only $100k behind the overall money that Higgins left for?

Because in reality he was an unrestricted free agent, Really if an unrestricted player leaves no matter the cost or contract length a compensation pick shouldnt work.

[Big Mac]

Sydney shouldnt get a compensation pick for Malceski

Why not?? 3 years @ 500k is a longer and more expensive deal than Waite got and only $100k behind the overall money that Higgins left for?

Because in reality he was an unrestricted free agent, Really if an unrestricted player leaves no matter the cost or contract length a compensation pick shouldnt work.

The Unrestricted and Restricted tags are only based on what the player was paid in the final year of their contract - So someone can be on 1mil a year but if their contract is heavily front-loaded they can still qualify for Unrestricted free agency

[kilbluff1985]

Manager of Essendon midfielder Ben Howlett, Jason Doven says Howlett is now likely to stay at the club after coach James Hird survived the sack from yesterday's board meeting.
Doven says that Howlett was considering his options had Hird been sacked, however Howlett has spoken to Hird in the last 24 hours and looks likely to remain at the club.