It feels like we've missed the boat with the cap. How can Hawks have so many blue chip players, how can Carlton afford Thomas? Is it all to do with back ending contracts?
Can anyone explain how a club could go over the salary cap when you can just continually back end contracts.
Ie. If Sydney get stuffed with Buddy's contract (which they have back ended cause they can't afford to fit in his 1.5mil a year in next years cap) later in his career and he retires and they are forced to pay out his contract under 1 years cap, can't they just back end everyone else's contract? Just feel with backending contracts you can affectively have 22 players all on huge money for 1-2 years and back end half of them, then the next set of players come in, just back end there contracts and so forth. Seems a never ending cycle.
Carlton lost Betts, Buddy leaves Hawks, Thomas leaves Pies and they pick up who they pick up. Cats have moved on Chappy, Corey, Hunt and Pods which frees up salary cap cash for a Taylor Adams/Heath Shaw
Trading quality for quality on theory gives you bargaining power but also cap relief.
You also get cap relief by moving on players who don't go last their use by date on stop delivering value for their salary.
While I can see the logic with Grimes, I'd still hold out hope he will overcome his injuries - the question is whether he will keep his pace. If that looks gone he is stuffed. I remember Dutchy Holland who was always a bit slow but he looked like he was running through quicksand after his knee reco.
We should've traded/delisted King, Foley (getting a 2nd or 3rd round pick and even paying half his salary would be worth it) and retired Newman who has been a great servant of the value but is slow as treacle.
This in addition to moving on McGuane, Nahas, White and Tuck would've freed up plenty of cash to even attract a decent free agent if we couldn't trade.
These players won't impact on our ability to play in the 8 next year but their combined salaries might jag us the 2 quality players required to push for a top 4 spot.
My guess is that when people get frustrated at our list management it is for these reasons.
To be blunt, while Graeme Richmond may not have been as successful today as he was 40 years ago, he would've been ruthless enough to make these changes without blinking an eye lid.
We haven't been in this position for a long time, it will be interesting too see how thing evolve over the next few years.