Who leaves? - we cant keep them all

[ReLoad]

Hypothetical but looking more and more probable as the days go by.

We've signed Bont and Naughty to large long contracts, and very shortly (2024) the following all come up:

JUH
English
Smith

We cant possibly sign all 3 on the large contracts that they WILL be offered elsewhere, so out of the three which one goes?
Or is it a real possibility that we lose Two of the above?
Or is there a way the club can engineer keeping them?

Are we maybe better off taking the hit now?

[hujsh]

Smith or English.

Ruck is not a position you necessarily invest a lot of cap space into and it's easier to replace mids than talls.



Hawks fans are absolutely convinced talks are happening over a trade and it's more likely than not. Also that we're desperate for Watson and will do it for a swap of 4/5 and a future first. I'd not do that personally their future first could be a top 5 pick or a top 8-10 pick pushed way out by matched bids.

[MrMahatma]

Never say never. Keep them all.

[GVGjr]

We can keep all of them but the most vulnerable might be Bailey Smith.

[Grantysghost]

I think Smith out of those 3


Marra is pretty loyal I think he stays.

[hujsh]

i think smith out of those 3


marra is pretty loyal i think he stays.

GETTABLE.

WOOF doesn't want me posting in all caps so... yeah

[Mofra]

Well we just signed Harmes on $500k so if we lose one of them due to cap, it's entirely our own fault

[Grantysghost]

Well we just signed Harmes on $500k so if we lose one of them due to cap, it's entirely our own fault

Not quite as bad as Gresham on 700 but it's bad.

[hujsh]

Well we just signed Harmes on $500k so if we lose one of them due to cap, it's entirely our own fault

Where have you seen he's on 500k after next year?

[Bullies]

Well we just signed Harmes on $500k so if we lose one of them due to cap, it's entirely our own fault Did Melbourne not take a hit for this as well? I thought that was the case.

[GVGjr]

Well we just signed Harmes on $500k so if we lose one of them due to cap, it's entirely our own fault

It was reported that he had a one year deal from Melbourne at 500K to go but I'd hope given we have got him a 3 year deal it's at a lower rate per season.

[SonofScray]

JUH stays.

The others go.

Maybe they all go when we fail miserably again this year and they play out a season knowing we are no chance as early as R5.

[bulldogtragic]

I like Tim, but Grundy has been sold for chump change two years in a row after a million dollar a season contract so I f do not want a million dollar ruckman of any surname. I’d also sell Smith if Hawks offered Pick 4 and a F2.

[The Bulldogs Bite]

I like Tim, but Grundy has been sold for chump change two years in a row after a million dollar a season contract so I f do not want a million dollar ruckman of any surname. I’d also sell Smith if Hawks offered Pick 4 and a F2.

Say Hawthorn are only willing to do pick 4.

Do you do it in the end?

[SonofScray]

Say Hawthorn are only willing to do pick 4.

Do you do it in the end?
Yes. In an instant.

[bulldogtragic]

Say Hawthorn are only willing to do pick 4.

Do you do it in the end?

With 5 minutes to go. I’d love another F2 to try to get a F1, but Watson, McKercher/Sanders & Croft is a nice hit of talent. Plus the cash freed up goes to getting Marra signed. Smith was putrid for much of this year.

[1eyedog]

Hypothetical but looking more and more probable as the days go by.

We've signed Bont and Naughty to large long contracts, and very shortly (2024) the following all come up:

JUH
English
Smith

We cant possibly sign all 3 on the large contracts that they WILL be offered elsewhere, so out of the three which one goes?
Or is it a real possibility that we lose Two of the above?
Or is there a way the club can engineer keeping them?

Are we maybe better off taking the hit now?

Baz, Chilli, Marra in that order.

[bulldogtragic]

If Macrae can’t find form again, his large salary might mean we move him on with some salary paid.

I think we could keep them all, but we’d be knackered in trying to keep others or trade in others. We are going down the Collingwood route before they imploded if we sign them all to huge contracts. The consequence was most in power got sacked/quit.

[hujsh]

If Macrae can’t find form again, his large salary might mean we move him on with some salary paid.

I think we could keep them all, but we’d be knackered in trying to keep others or trade in others. We are going down the Collingwood route before they imploded if we sign them all to huge contracts. The consequence was most in power got sacked/quit.

He's maybe the guy that would be better off leaving. What that tells me more than anything is that we can't make Naughton our VC because it is actually a curse.

McNeil can stay on the list as long as he's VC

[jeemak]

Being VC worked out well for Easton and the team.

[Sedat]

Purely speculating, next contract English will command around the $1.2m a year mark, Marra about $1m a year (maybe a little higher) and Smith would be south of $1m.

Would we be competitive if any of them left? Of course. Nobody is indispensable.

Who replaces English? Well Lobb in the short term, we could also hold onto Sweet if we/he wanted and we have Darcy developing as a possible option in 3+ years time.

Who replaces Marra? Croft in 3+ years time and we can fashion a potent forward line in the meantime around Naughton as the big dog with English/Lobb as 2nd tall targets, and of course Darcy is a wildcard here as well. Not perfect but doable.

Who replaces Smith? As disappointing as he was this year, we don't really have adequate depth on the list with regard to elite running mids, especially under 25.

We don't want to lose any of them but we also don't want to push our cap situation into something untenable and unfixable either.

Are we a middling team at present because of personnel or because of system/game style? Until we answer that question honestly, it doesn't really matter who stays or goes.

[hujsh]

Being VC worked out well for Easton and the team.

I think since Bont became captain he's sucked all the good juice for himself so all that's left for the VC is poison. This is my scientific analysis

[jeemak]

How much does Gawn earn?

[hujsh]

How much does Gawn earn?

Google says 800-900k. Not sure what that equates to post CBA but probably around the million mark.

If English would take 950k I think I could live with that as he's not Gawn and I doubt he's ever quite at Gawn's level even if he is a very good player and manages bulk up his contested game a bit