Why the likely Liam Baker trade shows the AFL has gone soft

Where is the ruthless edge that once defined the AFL? Clubs are no longer willing to play hardball on trades, contract negotiations, honest feedback to players or even setting strict training standards.

Instead, we are witnessing a wave of softness and appeasement. Clubs are more interested in keeping everyone happy rather than chasing success at all costs. This shift is evident across the league – and there are a few glaring examples.

Why should the Eagles pay anything for Liam Baker?Credit: Getty Images

Take West Coast’s pursuit of Liam Baker. Baker is out of contract, and Richmond will demand a first-round draft pick to close the trade.

But why should West Coast give up anything? Richmond wouldn’t redraft Baker, and North Melbourne are unlikely to take him, so they could simply claim Baker for free in the pre-season draft and keep their prized first-round pick.

They would acquire a high-quality player at no cost and send a message to the competition: West Coast will not be pushed around. After three seasons at rock bottom, they would finally be flexing their muscles.

Instead, West Coast, at risk of offending the rival club or Baker’s management group, will cave in to Richmond’s demands.

Richmond coach Adem Yze.Credit: AFL Photos

The gentle approach is not limited to the West Coast. At Richmond, new coach Adem Yze has also taken a page from the “nice guy” playbook.

Departing chief executive Brendon Gale recently remarked that Yze has “taken a step back” in his first year as coach – no surprise there, considering his tone after some truly dismal performances this season.

The first warning signs came after Richmond was annihilated by 91 points against the Western Bulldogs in round nine. Consecutive losses followed — a 43-point defeat to Melbourne and a 54-point hammering by Fremantle. But instead of using these humiliations to demand more from his players and to set a standard, Yze chose to satisfy them.

“I just spoke to our players about our effort, and I can’t fault our effort,” Yze said post-match. “The boys are trying. It’s like they are trying hard ... I’ve said this over and over that we can’t fault the effort; it’s just the execution and our tackle technique.”

Really? After three consecutive thrashings, the best he can muster is praise for “trying hard”?

This is not the language of a ruthless leader determined to set high standards.

Yze’s cheerleading approach meant his first season at the helm was a total waste, and it will be hard to change his approach next season with a playing group familiar with his relaxed demeanour.

At Adelaide, coach Matthew Nicks was due to come out of contract at the end of this season.

But the club board was generous in rewarding Nicks with a two-year contract extension at the start of the season because it did not want Nicks to face any scrutiny from the media.

It was another mistake from the underperforming club.

Adelaide’s Matthew Nicks.Credit: Getty Images

Adelaide started the season with five losses from its first six games and finished the season in the bottom four. It’s the seventh season in a row Adelaide has missed the finals, and Nicks is there for another two years.

Adelaide’s lack of ruthlessness is not limited to its handling of the coach. Former captain Taylor Walker is another beneficiary of the club’s nice approach. As he has done in the past, Walker applied pressure for a contract extension, which was granted and announced last week.

If Adelaide had been truly ruthless, it would have moved on from Walker. At his age, with a deteriorating back, he struggles to meet the demands of today’s game. Forcing him to retire would have allowed Adelaide’s young and dynamic forward line to flourish without his looming presence casting a shadow over the squad.

With a deteriorating back, Taylor Walker is struggling to meet the demands of today’s game.Credit: via Getty Images

The Crows have clearly not learnt from their mistakes with Rory Sloane. Despite his obvious physical limitations, they allowed Sloane to remain on the list this year, only for him to suffer an eye injury and retire without playing a game this year.

It is clear that Adelaide are afraid to make tough and sometimes unpopular decisions.

This is a far cry from the ruthless approach Malcolm Blight took when he became Crows coach in 1996. Blight wasted no time making hard calls, cutting club stalwarts, including captain Tony McGuinness, Chris McDermott, and Andrew Jarman.

Those decisions paved the way for Adelaide to win back-to-back premierships in 1997 and 1998.

Jordan Ridley’s season was again ruined by injury.Credit: Getty Images

Essendon were determined to be nice guys this season.

The Bombers’ decision to extend defender Jordan Ridley’s contract by a further three seasons was one of the biggest list-management mistakes a club has made. The injury-prone Ridley was already contracted until the end of 2026, yet the Bombers signed him for another three years, meaning he does not come out of contract until 2029.

There was no surprise that Ridley’s season was again ruined by injury after he’d played just nine games.

The Dockers chose to sign ruckman Sean Darcy on a seven-year contract and not cash in with a trade to a club desperate for a ruckman at the end of last season – another prime example of a club lacking a hard edge.

Sean Darcy missed Fremantle’s last three games when their finals hopes were on the line.Credit: AFL Photos

Darcy played 12 games this season and missed Fremantle’s last three games when its finals hopes were on the line.

Today’s AFL is filled with players grinning ear to ear and shaking hands with their opponents before the game or lining up in guards of honour to clap off rival players who have played in minor milestone matches.

The days of clubs with a ruthless edge, as carried by Hawthorn under Alastair Clarkson or Essendon under Kevin Sheedy, are gone and replaced by those running a popularity contest.

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