GETTING THE DEAL DONE

by Ricky Nixon

What would I do if I was managing Buddy Franklin, Dustin Martin and Alan Didak at the moment.

Three very different players at very different stages of their careers.  Buddy an out and out premiership superstar with a big decision to make.    Dustin a rising star at a Club looking at Finals the next 5 years and Alan a Premiership Star and all-time great at the biggest footy club in Australia …..now delisted but looking for another home the next few years.

BUDDY FRANKLIN

Buddy’s Agent Liam Pickering wouldn’t be doing his job if he didn’t explore everything on offer for Buddy.   In doing this he would have taken into consideration the following:

1.  Hawthorn – Buddy’s achievements there and service to the Club

2.  Buddy’s age and injury history and potential to play into his 30’s (which would be high with his athleticism)

3.  Hawthorn’s Premiership Chances the next 5 years

4.  Business Networks and Personal Relationships anchoring him to Melbourne or not (ie his T-Shirt and Football businesses)

5.  Hawthorn’s ability to pay ie what is the maximum they could pay Buddy but still keep a premiership list together.

6.  What reliance Hawthorn have on Buddy

7.  What would Buddy command elsewhere and how would he get there (ie Free Agency or via the Draft)

After all of those things i would then consider whether Buddy would cope with moving Clubs.    Would he contribute at a new Club as much as he has at Hawthorn ?  Does that matter ?  Or is the only outcome to get the most money.    This is where i think the counter balance of life, happiness and future after footy are also thrown in the mix by a good Agent.

Liam Pickering is an experienced Agent.   He has managed Gary Ablett Jnr.  He has learnt the lesson from that………..Gary was put under enormous pressure by Mark Thompson to commit to the Club.  This was unpleasant for everyone.    He has seen the manner in which the Travis Cloke drama played out at Collingwood last year.   Both Liam and Buddy set the tone early and stated two things very clearly

1.  He would not make a decision until after the season (which translates to we will tell you after the season)

2.  That Buddy would love to stay at Hawthorn (of course he would but that doesn’t mean he will)

Both Buddy and Liam have limited the commentary on the subject all year and the Media gave up speculating.    Good work Pickering !

Buddy has been a very loyal boy to date and he genuinely likes playing with the boys at Hawthorn,      Would the sheer weight of money make him move to GWS ?

Don’t be fooled by Hawthorn announcing that they withdrew their offer to Buddy some months ago.  What a load of rubbish.  So what ?  This is a negotiating tactic that worked in 1927 !!  It will be back on the table this afternoon if Buddy or Liam wanted it to be.

Liam would still consider the deal to be on the table and he will tell Hawthorn in due course via Buddy if it’s acceptable or needs some alteration.

Liam would know Hawthorn’s limits and it would be silly to make a counter offer out of their reach.  He would also be saying “Gary Ablett made the successful move to Gold Coast….yes it was tough the first year but look at how he is playing now and look at how the team has developed……can you do that at GWS…..a very different proposition”

I’m not here to start guessing on Buddy’s decision (like most Media Commentators) other than to say it’s been handled professionally.   I don’t think Hawthorn could argue about that given they have had ample time to plan for what they might get in compensation and also how much $$$$ it will free up in their cap.

Buddy is a very strong willed young man.  If he says he is waiting until after the season then he is.   Yes he should tell Hawthorn of his intentions but a few days after his last game this season is fine.

What i can say is that with 20 years of experience I think Buddy should stay at Hawthorn like Carey did at North, like Voss did at Brisbane, like Ablett Snr at Geelong, Dunstall & Brereton at Hawthorn and many other of the true greats.

Buddy is worth $1.2M a year to stay at the Hawks but would have to take less to keep Hodge, Roughead, Mitchell, Rioli etc. How much is probably the determining factor.   If I was managing Buddy I would be asking for a 4 year deal keeping in mind that he would become a veteran as some stage and only a proportion of his wage kept in the salary cap not 100%.  It’s Buddy’s last big contract.  It will set him up for life.  He needs to maximise it.

DUSTIN MARTIN

Dustin Martin is a rising star at Richmond.      Who is to blame for the current situation ?  Does it matter ?  I always held the view that you can’t change yesterday so fix the problem today before it get’s a whole lot bigger tomorrow.  The stalemate seems to exist because the goal posts keep shifting and i’m pretty sure it’s not the Club shifting them.

Put simply Dustin’s Agent Ralph Carr has to put up or shut up.   He either is able to get other offers on the table and a pathway for Dustin to move Clubs or he will have to go back cap in hand to Richmond because if my information is right they are fast running out of patience.

To make matters worse if Carr doesn’t act soon or pull a rabbit out of the hat and the Tigers sign rising star Reece Conca then there will be even less cookies in the cookie jar and he will be made to look very foolish.

It should never have got this far.  I was a big believer in doing your homework 12 months before your ‘”star” was out of contract.

1.  Find out who else in the top 5 players at the Club are coming out of contact

2.  Find out if other Agents are trying to get new deals for their clients.

3.  Keep an eye on up and comers on the team list as they can surpass your client with a blink of the eye

A lot a management from a Club level has gone in to Dustin this year.   Mark Williams is brilliant with the type of Players.

What should Ralph Carr be doing right now ?   He’s running out of time.   He needs to get offers on the table in writing from other Clubs.   Offers that make sense.   There is no point Dustin moving Clubs in Melbourne for an extra $100-$150K for a variety of reasons.

Let’s face it the only Clubs probably willing to put an offer on the table in Melbourne that are $600K+ are Clubs that are not in the Premiership race the next few years.   Richmond could be if he stays !

Carr needs to sit down with Richmond and talk about how the deal could be worked around either via clever financial structuring, incentives, third party agreements or help outside the Club that will contribute to the overall bottom line.    All of which should have been done 6 months ago !

 

ALAN DIDAK

Before discussing Alan Didak i want to make it clear that what i say about Alan applies to all long term players I’ve managed who were coming towards the end of their career.

Alan is a special player and a great person and character around the club.  But this is cut throat professional football where as an Agent you have to be honest and true to your client.

Mick Malthouse loved and thrived on coaching characters.   Nathan Buckley doesn’t.     This doesn’t make one coach any better.   It is however something a good Agent should have observed and know.  Something that perhaps in hindsight could have been managed better for Alan earlier in the year.

When i thought a player was within 2 seasons of retiring and i’m talking about players who were very good players, played over 200 games and usually the favourite son type players (ie Alan) i would say the worst person to decided when you should retire is YOU !!!  Look at Ricky Ponting.    I would always tell a Player to get three people around them……a close friend, a person within the club ie fellow player or assistant coach and myself to tell you when we think it’s time.     I never had a Player argue with me when we sat down with him and said it was time.    Some wanted to play on but they never did.

Alan its time.    You’re a premiership star.   Your Agent will get you a gig in the media or coaching.   You are an ornament to the game.    Keep the smile on your face don’t be bitter about how it ended this year.  Whilst to date I think you have handled yourself well with the Media it’s time to close shop forget about how it ended and focus on either an assistant coaching role, specialist coaching role (after all you were a freakishly skilled player) or business interests (which via Collingwood networks wouldn’t be too hard).

The Agents job with a retired player is to follow up after they finish to always give the “after hours service”….see how they are travelling and help them in to the next phase of their life…….why  ?  Because it’s part of your responsibility.

And you never know……..If you do the right thing by the Ex Player then maybe he will remember you when he is coaching the next Wayne Carey who is looking for an Agent.

 

For All Speaking Enquiries:    info@rickynixon.com.au