Biz, I’m not saying the list managers are doing a bad job of managing the list, but there seems to be an intense focus on the top end of the list, and some perceived indifference about the fringe players.
I’d like to put all of this on Young, but that removes everyone else’s agency in events. If Young is able to convince a fair chunk of his players that Freo and/or their offers are disrespectful, despite the players being embedded in the club for 11 months of the year, then that is also a failing of the club. Bear in mind Young isn’t losing out of this situation, and the players are getting better offers elsewhere, so it seems to me the biggest loser out of the apparent spat between an agent and the club is the club. It’s up to the club to find a solution, and if that’s erring against Young’s players in the draft then I’m fine with that.
I’ve said dozens of times over the years that premierships are decided just as much (or more) by the bottom six players in a team as the top six, but I don’t think our list managers seem to agree. I think we’ll probably throw a lot of draft and salary equity at Logan McDonald, and I reckon we’d be better off if we had just paid Acres, Schultz and Henry.
