Pick 29: Shai Bolton

[Tenacious]

Shai is the best #29 we've had since the best #29 we've ever had.

I don't know if he'll stay but I hope like hell that he does. He's a huge part of our future.

Too right - and I just hope like hell our future involves him playing with us rather than against us.

 

[houstontiger]

If it was one of our kids and they had a choice between working at Coles and Woolworths, and one of them was going to pay them five times more.

Agree with the above scenario 100%

But it wasn't Woolies vs Coles...More like staying at Harrods and rejecting a move to the $2 shop.

And obviously it wasn't 5 times more $$$. After the sponsorship deals (Puma? etc) and perhaps after footy earnings he might have got more long term staying at Harrods...maybe/maybe not.

 

[22nd Man]

There is a fundamental flaw in your analysis. It's all fine if a player gets a motza more than they were on, say Ellis, Hill, mayne, but that is clearly not the case with dusty or Shai. Can't buy firewood or feed his kids if he's on 700 rather than 900?? Seriously? Then there is tax, success, strength of club etc. Dusty would be bummed big time if you were his manager.

Great point.
See plenty of comments like "this is a life changing contract"
What is life changing is any young man who can stay on an AFL list for 8, 10, 12 years even on the average deal. Few would ever have a chance of that sort of income in any other career.
Their life is already changed.

 

[spook]

Brando had two Flags as well , got what most say is a 100k more an left to move interstate , not home to a *smile* plastic club .

Brando got 100k more than what he had been getting, but more like 300k more than we were offering for his next contract. I know you're agin him for leaving, but he's taking care of his parents - and you could argue the club was quite happy for him to leave if we'd got the first-round compo pick we should have for the contract he's on.

 

[AngryAnt]

Of course players have to make their own financial decisions, but hearing greats of the game speak I have no doubt that having played in a great team that wins flags gives you happy memories for life, and you just can't buy that. That's worth a lot more than 100K per year when you are already on 700K.

 

[Mr Brightside]

Brando got 100k more than what he had been getting, but more like 300k more than we were offering for his next contract. I know you're agin him for leaving, but he's taking care of his parents - and you could argue the club was quite happy for him to leave if we'd got the first-round compo pick we should have for the contract he's on.

As I’ve said before spooker, I don’t agree with “ walkers” I understand it but I’ll never like or agree with it , but I totally understand others difference of opinions on it , I guess we form our opinions on the paths we’ve each taken …*smile* Brando

 

[DavidSSS]

Emotional decisions should not be dismissed so lightly. Yes, players have to consider that their careers are short and their job prospects can be scarce after retirement, but staying with the group you want to be with, and the possibility of sharing success with them, is valuable, just not valuable in a monetary sense.

Any player has to balance their situation. Ellis is a great example as he came from a less well off background and the extra funds could transform his family, plus he was not guaranteed to always be in the team at Richmond and he did have success he can always cherish.

Money is not the only consideration, happiness comes from many sources and friends and family are major parts of this. Well being is easier with more money but is tied to many other things.

Each situation is different. With Shai another consideration is the support for indigenous players at Richmond and the large number of indigenous players we now have. This is important as indigenous people often talk about safe space to be themselves, to be indigenous without having to explain or excuse their culture.

DS

 

[tigersnake]

We're talking about a bit more than that. The difference in contracts was north of 2 million dollars, which is huge. And money makes money.

The suggestion Dustin's endorsements come because of Richmond is also way off the mark. Bonds didn't want him because he was a Richmond player, they wanted him because the kids love him. He's one of those players that transcends club loyalty, like Carey did. All the kids at footy clinics want to give don't argues and be like Dusty, that's what makes him marketable.

I'm sure he is very happy with the decision he made now, but all the success was nothing more than a hope when he signed. If you weighed it all up dispassionately then to leave was the only choice really. He made an emotional decision that has worked out well, but it doesn't mean it was the right one, emotional decisions rarely are.

Getting back to the initial point re Bolton though, he is never going to command the sort of endorsements Dustin does, because few players ever will. He's already achieved the ultimate success, so again the only case for him not to take a much more lucrative contract is an emotional one.

Strongly disagree. Part of the dusty package is RFC Tigers full stop, and his part in resurrecting the club, being a one club player, its all bound up together.

As for Shai, disagree strongly, his endorsements might not be as big as Dusty's, but they will still be big. A lot of your argument goes back to your belief that culture doesn't matter, which we will never agree on.

 

[momentai]

Emotional decisions should not be dismissed so lightly. Yes, players have to consider that their careers are short and their job prospects can be scarce after retirement, but staying with the group you want to be with, and the possibility of sharing success with them, is valuable, just not valuable in a monetary sense.

Any player has to balance their situation. Ellis is a great example as he came from a less well off background and the extra funds could transform his family, plus he was not guaranteed to always be in the team at Richmond and he did have success he can always cherish.

Money is not the only consideration, happiness comes from many sources and friends and family are major parts of this. Well being is easier with more money but is tied to many other things.

Each situation is different. With Shai another consideration is the support for indigenous players at Richmond and the large number of indigenous players we now have. This is important as indigenous people often talk about safe space to be themselves, to be indigenous without having to explain or excuse their culture.

DS

Really good observation SSS.
Ralph is doing his job and really if you look at the last contracts to Dusty and Shai it is apparent from their subsequent performance, that his demands were entirely reasonable.
In 3 years (I think) Shai will become a free agent.
He plays like Dusty in that he brings his best when it is most needed.
He is obviously particularly close with his indigenous team mates, but he also seems to enjoy a similarly close relationship with quite a number of the others, including Dusty. IMO he is the second most valuable player on our list and is entitled to be rewarded accordingly.
Possibly on $500,000 now and a lift to an average of $750,000 over 3 years plus a leadership role alongside Dusty seems fair?

 

[Baloo]

Of course players have to make their own financial decisions, but hearing greats of the game speak I have no doubt that having played in a great team that wins flags gives you happy memories for life, and you just can't buy that. That's worth a lot more than 100K per year when you are already on 700K.

Look at people like Jack's cousin and you don't even need Premierships to have happy memories for life. There's a lot to be said by being a one club player and I reckon it opens more doors once your playing career is over, especially if it's one of the biggest clubs in the country.

 

[eZyT]

He made an emotional decision that has worked out well, but it doesn't mean it was the right one, emotional decisions rarely are.

So does Mrs BR own a brewery, or is your life a living hell?

disagree kids love dusty unconditionally. They love Dusty at Richmond.

i dont see ben cunnington on tv running around in his jocks

 

[zippadeee]

Shai is the best #29 we've had since the best #29 we've ever had.

I don't know if he'll stay but I hope like hell that he does. He's a huge part of our future.

Torney says hello
How about Alex Gilmore??

 

[eZyT]

You've just created a fantasy that has never occurred to me before, but will now never leave me. I'm shopping for home brew kits as we speak.

I'm not sure how many kids clinics or Auskicks sessions you get to Ezy, but the percentage of kids who barrack for another club and name Dustin as their favourite player is extraordinary. I'd say it's close to 2/3 when I've seen it.

Bonds aren't riding him to be a $500 million business because they want to sell jocks and socks to the Richmond kids, they want the whole lot and they know Dustin is the vehicle that delivers them.

He's the current version of 90s kids kick to kick when everyone was 'Carey'.

It's also telling that when the Dustin/Bonds partnership was first negotiated, it was in 2017 when he was out of contract and at least some chance of moving on. They didn't give a stuff about that, they just wanted the best season of all time associated with their brand.

By the way, did you just compare Ben Cunnington to Dustin?

fair enough.

I guess part of my argument is,

North made Carey, Richmond Created Dusty.

star players that move mid career for $$$ dont retain neutral respect.

buddy, plugger, gablett?

with Cunnington was suggesting at North, Dusty could have been a poor mans Dusty.

 

[Mr Brightside]

Karl Langdon “emphatically “ saying Shai going to Freo

 

[zgod]

Karl Langdon “emphatically “ saying Shai going by Freo

I will look fwd to Shais 4 year deal at the Tiges in the near future

 

[seven]

Karl Langdon “emphatically “ saying Shai going to Freo

So he’s signing with the tigers tomorrow.

 

[jb03]

Karl Langdon “emphatically “ saying Shai going to Freo

Interesting. What have Freo got to offer?

 

[Smoking Aces]

Interesting. What have Freo got to offer?

Fyfe Cerra Brayshaw and their first round pick.

 

[DavidSSS]

Fyfe Cerra Brayshaw and their first round pick.

Seems reasonable . . . for an initial offer.

DS

 

[Mr Brightside]

Interesting. What have Freo got to offer?

Not enough.

seriously I’d be wanting Serong in any deal , Serong and there first pick would be a good starting point