Round table: Jay Clark, Jon Ralph and Scott Gullan discuss the biggest issues in player movement

In an in-depth discussion, three experts in the player movement space look at the biggest issues facing clubs, including salary cap hacks, why players leave, secret meetings and the TDK question.

Is the rebuild dead? How do clubs get a competitive advantage over others in the race for free agents? Can you throw too much money at one player?

The world of player movement in the AFL is chaotic and always moving.

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In a special Dealmakers roundtable, Jay Clark, Jon Ralph and Scott Gullan delved into the biggest topics, stories and issues facing clubs, players and agents:

- Is the draft still the best way to rebuild?

- TDK offered $600k a year too much

- Can Essendon afford to lose Draper?

- The little things that matter in free agency

- Taking advantage of salary cap loopholes

TRADE VS DRAFT: WHAT’S THE BEST WAY TO REBUILD?

The Dealmakers round table debated whether Essendon’s strategy of using the draft to reset their list was the best way forward in the current environment.

Jon Ralph cautioned them from solely using the draft.

“Yeah, (the draft) as a pure mechanism (is dead),” Ralph said.

“There are just too many other ways in which you can improve yourself as a club. So if you look at someone like Geelong, not only have they brought in two absolute stars in free agency, in Patty Dangerfield and Jeremy Cameron, and yes, they had to pay up for them, but you also bring in players like Tyson Stengle.

“While Essendon is trying to go purely through the draft, Geelong is picking up players really cannily, guys like Max Holmes, guys like Shaun Mannagh, guys like Tom Stewart, and then Essendon really hasn’t been able to secure any of those other players.”

Shaun Mannagh has been one of the Cats’ success stories at the draft. Picture: Mark Metcalfe/AFL Photos/via Getty Images.

But fellow panellist Scott Gullan pointed to the Bulldogs’ recent success on draft night as why clubs shouldn’t completely discount securing young talent in their list builds as long as they can nail their selections.

“Joel Freijah’s the talk of the competition at the moment with the Bulldogs at pick forty whatever, so I still think the draft’s very important,” Gullan said.

“If you get high end – I know it’s complicated and pick two might end up pick eight – but if you get two good kids…

“The problem with Essendon is they stuff their high picks up. Maybe North, we’re looking at Duursma saying oh, you could have had Nate Caddy. So that’s the issue, if you don’t nail them.”

“Clubs like Geelong and now the Bulldogs you can get talent in the forties, but you’ve got to be very good at it. With Geelong, they pay overs to get generational talent and they build around it. Dangerfield? Flag. Cameron? Flag. That’s what they do,” Gullan said.

THE THINGS THAT MATTER IN FREE AGENCY

What goes through a player’s mind when they’re weighing up whether to leave their club?

While money is a factor, the sales pitch has evolved dramatically and the good clubs are at the forefront.

The ‘pitch’ has become a sophisticated process involving families, friends and all elements of a player’s life.

Scott Gullan said the Hawks have shot to the front of the queue thanks to coach Sam Mitchell’s ability to sell the dream.

“Josh Battle … He loved Ross Lyon and didn’t want to leave. But just those little things that Sam Mitchell and his wife (Lyndall) are across.

Sam Mitchell has been a key part of the Hawks’ recruiting strategy. Picutre: Daniel Carson/AFL Photos via Getty Images.

“(Mitchell also) … gets on the plane, travels to the other side (of the country) to see Oscar (Allen), there are just clubs that are across it and ahead of the game.”

While the Hawks might be leading the way now, the original gurus in this space aren’t far behind.

“I know Geelong when they sit down with all of their potential draftees, when they interview all of the draftees at the draft combine, to the players that they like they always say, ‘you’re always welcome at Geelong,’” Clark said.

“So then if they become a superstar down the track…”

EXPLAINED: HOW CLUBS USE SALARY CAP TRICKS TO CASH IN

How are clubs able to land multiple superstars without breaking the bank?

It all comes down to being able to work the books in your favour.

“What clubs like Essendon are doing now and what St Kilda would also do with Tom De Koning is they’ve been able to bank salary cap room,” Ralph explained.

The Bombers have been sneaky with salaries of big recruits like Ben McKay. Picture: James Wiltshire/AFL Photos via Getty Images.

“There’s a facility where if you don’t spend five per cent of your cap in any given year you can spend it in subsequent years. What clubs also do to save money when they’re pretty ordinary is they pre-pay. So if Essendon’s got cap space, which they did for (Ben) McKay, all of a sudden, most of his salary was taken up in the first couple of years.”

While McKay’s average wage is around $800,000, he was paid $1.4m in year one of the deal and will earn $500,000 in the final year.

WHY WOULD YOU PAY A PLAYER AN EXTRA $600K?

How much money is too much money to splash on a big name recruit?

St Kilda’s $1.7m per season offer for Tom De Koning has the football world talking, as the star Blue weighs up the tricky decision to leave one of the AFL’s biggest clubs for a cashed-up rival.

Ralph estimates that the offer for De Koning is around $600,000 per season more than what he is worth – but there is method to the Saints’ madness.

“Ideally you wouldn’t pay anyone $1.7m unless it was Marcus Bontempelli,” Ralph said.

“So yes, you’re (St Kilda) paying overs, you’re probably paying him $600,000 more than he’s worth, but I reckon it’s a building block.

“In isolation, it’s a really poor deal, but in totality, I think it’s quite smart.”

Adding De Koning to a young core of Alix Tauru and Tobie Travaglia would give the Saints plenty to get excited about as they look to return to finals under Ross Lyon.

Gullan agreed the deal was overs but could also understand the Saints’ logic.

“I struggle with it. They’re a club that has to make a statement, and the statement is, we’ve got one finally,” he said.

“So this is like, alright, we’re going to go overs, we know it’s overs, it’s too good for him, but it says we’re on the map now.”

Originally published as Round table: Jay Clark, Jon Ralph and Scott Gullan discuss the biggest issues in player movement