Welcome to the Bulldogs: Bailey Smith

[Sedat]

Of course, but the media narrative would be completely different if he?d had a big year.

Possibly, but only by a matter of degrees - Geelong walk on water according to the scribes, and the media default expectation/narrative is that we need to know our place and simply let our stars go for what the 'superior' destination club is demanding.

[bornadog]

I meant we should have offloaded him at the end of 2021. I get his case was a bit different. He may well have intended to stay but he saw a repeat of things he didn't like in 2022. We also may have thought we were a legit chance at the flag in 2022 and the brisk of keeping him in his last contract year was worth it. I would understand that.

But he still left and we got unders. That's the lesson right there for avoiding this situation with Smith.

How much under did we get?

Trade paperwork lodged.

The Western Bulldogs trade Josh Dunkley, its Future Round Three Selection (tied to Melbourne) and its Future Round Three Selection to the Brisbane Lions.

The Brisbane Lions trade its Round Two Selection (21), its Future Round One Selection, its Future Round Two Selection, and its Future Round Four Selection (tied to the Geelong Cats).

[bulldogsthru&thru]

How much under did we get?

We essentially got 2 second round picks and a 3rd for a guy in his prime who helped them to 2 grand final appearances and a premiership.

[jazzadogs]

How much under did we get?

We got as much out of Brisbane as we possibly could, but it was well below market value for a player of Dunkleys calibre.

[bornadog]

We essentially got 2 second round picks and a 3rd for a guy in his prime who helped them to 2 grand final appearances and a premiership.

Alternate way of viewing it.

Dunkley out
In future first and 21

Upgrade future 3rd to future 2nd
Downgrade future 3rd to future 4th

We got as much out of Brisbane as we possibly could, but it was well below market value for a player of Dunkleys calibre.

Is Dunkley an AA mid - I think he falls just short. Averages less than 25 disposals per game

[Hotdog60]

Didn't Brisbane downgrade the 1st round pick instead of giving it to us?

[jazzadogs]

Alternate way of viewing it.

Dunkley out
In future first and 21

Upgrade future 3rd to future 2nd
Downgrade future 3rd to future 4th



Is Dunkley an AA mid - I think he falls just short. Averages less than 25 disposals per game

That summary doesn't make it any better to me haha. Two picks in the 20s and some minor upgrades was a really poor return. This year there were 8 All Australian mids - blokes like Cerra, Taranto, Shiel, Hopper have never been and will likely never be AA, but got better trade returns.

The Dunkley trade is actually one of the reasons why Geelong's stance on Smith is so bad. They're offering us less for a guy who is younger with more upside. The ACL is irrelevant when you look at Ashcroft winning a Norm Smith 12 months after ACL repair.

[bornadog]

That summary doesn't make it any better to me haha. Two picks in the 20s and some minor upgrades was a really poor return. This year there were 8 All Australian mids - blokes like Cerra, Taranto, Shiel, Hopper have never been and will likely never be AA, but got better trade returns.

The Dunkley trade is actually one of the reasons why Geelong's stance on Smith is so bad. They're offering us less for a guy who is younger with more upside. The ACL is irrelevant when you look at Ashcroft winning a Norm Smith 12 months after ACL repair.

I just think we rate Dunkley more than he really is. He is an above average mid.

[bulldogsthru&thru]

Didn't Brisbane downgrade the 1st round pick instead of giving it to us?

Yep. It was on the table but we wanted more (rightfully) and so they split it to screw us further.

[bulldogsthru&thru]

Alternate way of viewing it.

Dunkley out
In future first and 21

Upgrade future 3rd to future 2nd
Downgrade future 3rd to future 4th



Is Dunkley an AA mid - I think he falls just short. Averages less than 25 disposals per game

That pick 21 ended up being 24 which is pick 6 in the second round. The F1 ended up being pick 23 which is pick 5 in the second round.

To me it's not that great a return but given the scenario is about as good as we could've hoped for. The point is to avoid such a scenario in the first place (not the player picking top 4 team part though of course. Can't do much there.)

[Sedat]

I just think we rate Dunkley more than he really is. He is an above average mid.

Honestly, he's a difference-maker. Brisbane needed that big-bodied defensive-minded mid to compliment their existing midfield mix (which failed to win a single PF in 4 attempts from 2019-22). Dunkley has since made them much better than the sum of their parts, as proven by them making 2 GF's in a row since he joined them.

He's more than an above-average mid - he is a stud. And if we are being honest, he is exactly the type of midfielder we need in our team right now that would make our midfield much more rounded and even better.

We made absolutely as much out of this trade as we possibly could given the circumstances, but it has still ended up being pretty shit if we're being honest.

[bornadog]

Honestly, he's a difference-maker. Brisbane needed that big-bodied defensive-minded mid to compliment their existing midfield mix (which failed to win a single PF in 4 attempts from 2019-22). Dunkley has since made them much better than the sum of their parts, as proven by them making 2 GF's in a row since he joined them.

He's more than an above-average mid - he is a stud. And if we are being honest, he is exactly the type of midfielder we need in our team right now that would make our midfield much more rounded and even better.

We made absolutely as much out of this trade as we possibly could given the circumstances, but it has still ended up being pretty shit if we're being honest.

I don't think he is what we need. We don't need inside mids, we have too many slow mids. We need some pace out of the centre and around the ground.

[chef]

I just think we rate Dunkley more than he really is. He is an above average mid.

He was our 2nd best player when he left. We miss him badly.

[jazzadogs]

He was our 2nd best player when he left. We miss him badly.

I mean...he won the best and fairest. He is clearly high quality. I don't understand what we're arguing.

I want to know why jeenak/jeenak/jeerak didn't start a Trade Macrae thread back in 2020. Feels like that would have been the better option when you look back at it...

[angelopetraglia]

So Dunkley finished 4th in the B&F in 2023. He finished 3rd in the B&F in 2024. He has not been even in the AA squad in the last two years.

When Dunley left, Treloar then went inside mid. Treloar was AA. So is Treloar an upgrade on Dunkley? Slightly different players but playing in a similar position.

Dunley is a solid, high quality, defensive mid. He has played mainly a run with or tagging role at the Lions. Was he prepared to play that role a thte Bulldogs?