2022 Free Agency

[inxs88]

The era we are in, it might be best to pause on any free agents this year and with a likely bottom 5 finish, go to the draft and invest in elite youth. DeGoey could stay/go as a free agent and if he has a good year, it would only take one strong bidder to enact another top 5 compo pick. Then you have Nick Daicos, two top 5 elite talent picks plus the existing youth and we are suddenly building or stockpiling talent.

[Presti35]

Jack Macrae gone. Five-year contract extension with the Dogs.

This years FA looks like becoming Sweet FA. Karl Amon, Angus Brayshaw, Bailey Dale, James Sicily now the biggest name on the list. Followed by Daniel McStay and Jayden Hunt.

Collingwoods FAs:
Darcy Moore
Jamie Elliott
Jordan De Goey
Steele Sidebottom

Moore was earlier linked in rumours to have agreed on a deal, with JDG recently reported on his intentions to stay at Collingwood. Hopefully we get them sorted out and official soon. Hard to see too much interest in Elliott and Sidey, so possibly a couple of short term deals on the cards?

[Presti35]

[Pies2016]

[Jezza]

[Dave The Man]

[Pies2016]

^ ^ ^
Can’t argue with that Dave. Statistically, his contribution makes us a 5 point better team.
The problem with securing an “ average “ free agent is that you still would have offered more money than what they are worth because everyone joins in on the hunt when there is no trade required.
It looks a backward step to me. I would sooner go to the draft, draft a tall early and get games into him. That may not happen if McStay arrived and they kept picking him just to justify bringing him to the club. Krueger has played three quarters of footy so far. I see nothing to suggest he can’t play McStay’s role.
Let’s at least save our pennies for a strong marking 2 goal a game forward if you plan to go down that path. Match winners who draw two opponents and make it easier for their team mates. High cost, high return.
( F W I W, draft prospect Harry Lemmey looks a real talent. Good size already and likely to go anywhere between 3 and 6 right now. There’s still plenty to play out but if we landed him in the draft, things would start to look better, quickly )

[Pies4shaw]

The other thing is that a bundle of average free agents/easy trades of players from other clubs makes a team "competitive", which might be good for the bottom line in the short-term - but just puts a team up the ladder and out of the high-draft pick zone, without ever really threatening to win anything. Since we recruited Jolly and Ball, we've brought in a lot of players from other clubs. With the exception of Treloar, I can't think of any there was a risk of a bidding war over.

Here's the list from the end of the previous coach's first season (so, from the "ins" for 2013):

Quinten Lynch
Clinton Young
Jordan Russell
Taylor Adams
Patrick Karnezis
Jesse White
Tony Armstrong
Travis Varcoe
Levi Greenwood
Jack Crisp
Jeremy Howe
Adam Treloar
James Aish
Will Hosken-Elliott
Daniel Wells
Chris Mayne
Lynden Dunn
Henry Schade
Sam Murray
Jordan Roughead
Dayne Beams
Darcy Cameron
Nathan Kreuger
Patrick Lipinski

To be clear, some of them have been fine players for us. I'm not commenting on that - what I am commenting on is that I don't think there was too much interest in too many of them from other clubs.

[Pies2016]

^ ^ ^
It’s an interesting read and the two notable free agents in that list were Wells and Mayne ( I’m going from memory ) This is where my concern comes from being seduced by free agency. Sometimes the cost ( not salary ) appears so minimal in terms of what you give up, it seems a no brainer to just grab these guys and think it automatically makes you better. I’m not knocking those two but it’s usually your best players who win you a game, not the role players. There’s actually some decent spearheads around, so most of these guys will come out of contract over the next couple years. I would much prefer to invest heavily in players like the Larkey, Lewis, McDonald, Ugle Hagen types as a trade ( given that we would likely start with a top ten pick ) than chew up the cap with a bit player who fills his role most weeks.
Conversely, at least when you trade for a player who is out of contract, it’s the parent club who generally gets shafted.
As an aside, Lynden Dunn was great value and highly respected as a club man. Such a pity he did the knee when we needed him the most.

[Pies4shaw]

Dunn was good value. On the other hand, after playing 44 games across 2014 and 2015, he played just 4 in 2016 and was traded to us because he approached Melbourne on the back of his limited opportunities and they said they probably weren't going to give him more senior games. He debuted for us just 2 weeks before he turned 30. I'm not sure that the trade was much more than finding a solid clubman a good home. We got Dunn and swapped our pick 47 for their pick 51. As I said, I wasn't commenting on the quality of the players we got, I was commenting on how little competition there was, for the most part, for their services.

[Rd10.1998_11.1#36]

[Presti35]

Ok this is where my brain is at... keep in mind its fairly slow these days....

Bailey Dale. A 25 year old 187cm All-Australian defender. A bit of a swingman with 9 goals to his name last year. Young enough and good enough to slot straight into our back 6. Not the tallest player at 187.

https://www.theage.com.au/sport/afl/free-agent-bulldog-in-no-hurry-to-sign-contract-extension-20220311-p5a3qv.html

This article suggests he is waiting to sign a contract.

Karl Amon. Soon to be 27 years old, 181cm small forward and midfielder.

The question is, does he get enough of the pill or does he kick enough goals and how big is his impact in a game? But he is a good pressure player and his tackling is on point. A Victorian who might be looking to move back to Melbourne.

Without the need for a trade, we should at least think about these players. But hang on, they're not KFF's....

Which brings me to Daniel McStay. The 196cm Forward and the only tall player that seems available. Does that mean we should go for him based on that fact alone? Ask yourself, is he the type of player that is going to be our mainstay at FF and poll well in the Coleman medal? Probably not.

I still think McStay is a good player, and I still think he's a lot better than other talls on our list. But he is not the key goal kicker we need. If we were to sign him as a second or third option, I'd be ok with that. But he can't be our #1 guy.

Would love to snag Angus Brayshaw, but believe its a WA club or staying a Dee. If by some miracle happened, and he was a Pie, he'd be a sensational ball winner for our midfield. James Sicily is another interesting idea and is having a good year for the Hawks so far. Will be 28 in January and is likely to stay with the Hawks.

In house, we have decisions on Jamie Elliott, Steele Sidebottom and of course Jordan De Goey to come. Ideally JDG signs on soon with the other 2 getting a short term contract.

If Dale and Amon don't interest the club, we may not be involved with free agency at all this year.

[Presti35]

Geez things have changed a bit in the last few months.

Also, interesting to see if Heppell takes his offer at the Suns. Would love to see him leave Essendon and succeed. But feel like the Suns wont be in a position to win whilst he is still able to play.

And wouldn't it be something if Joel Selwood left Geelong. Can't see it happening, but would love to see it.

[Presti35]

https://www.footywire.com/afl/footy/out_of_contract_players?year=2022

After McStay, only one's of interest are:
*Karl Amon. 181cm Small Forward. (27 years old)
*Jake Lloyd. 180cm Defender. (28 years old)
*Lance Franklin, you all know who he is. AND how old he is.
*Jayden Hunt. 186cm Forward/Defender.
Then one of the aged ruckmen on a 1 year deal, only if Grundy is to be traded, have a look theres a few there.

*but not really.

Re-sign Jordan De Goey now and then McStay in the offseason. Dont think we'll see to much free-agency action from the Pies after McStay.