Once admired, the Swans are now despised

So you think the offer of a reserves player and a 2nd round pick was a fair offer for the most expensive player on your list? Would you trade Tippett to Hawthorn for that?

"Which is why Freo is really the only team I dislike at the minute"… Yeah,It's a real bummer when they beat you!! :)

All well and good saying that Sydney players can live a comfortable life without COLA, but then they would be able to live a more comfortable life in any other capital city, and rival clubs wouldn't have to pay a cent more. A player would rather be paid $100k or whatever it is in Melb rather than Sydney any day of the week.

The AFL pays 9.8% on top of the Swans player contracts. Not sure if it's direct or via the club. Either way it's easy to audit.

Wolfroo - you got that wrong! Tippo is on a fairly flat wedge at approx $750k for his whole contract plus the option. I don't know about Buddy but I'm guessing the length of his contract is a form of back-ending that noone else thought of. Both are effectively slightly front ended in real dollars. We have lost some vets and will lose more which will lower our cap next year, especially if we pick up the flag. Think I'll go book my flights to Melbourne now.

Tippett wanted out after his first contract. He was poorly advised by his agent in his second contract. Hard to say no to the money though. He treated Adelaide better than they treated him with their dodgy dealings. Why would you go to GCF rather than last year's premiers? Sydney made him a legitimate offer at the right time and he accepted. OMG! Sydney tried to construct a fair trade and Adelaide refused. That's how all ADELAIDE'S dodgy dealings came out and that's why they were "disadvantaged". Go back and read the history. Hate who you like but try to be a bit logical about it.

Absolutely spot on. Smart pickups and hard work have brought a fair level of success including a flag and now it's being leveraged to replace our best ever player, one A Goodes, with some quality. Happened with Lockett too. Dead and buried at Saints but so successful up here. Kinnear Beetson for President!

Adam, Buddy's marking stats have improved a lot and his kicking is getting there too. He took Harry Taylor to the cleaners and that ain't easy. He's starting to play Swans footy and looks a lot more effective. He or Reid will most likely replace Goodes' role next year. Once the midfield learnt to deliver properly to Tippett he really stood out. Both these guys are taking their games to a new level. If you were Buddy would you want to play with GWS? Ablett has been just amazing at GCF but noone else could have done it. I'm still not sure we're not paying Buddy too much but he's starting to delivrr after a shaky start and you can't ask more of any player. Love Tippo - fits like a glove. Kinda sad to see the Cats going backwards. Port are a tremendous story and Hinckley is a genius!

Rent is the key cost differentiator between Sydney and Perth, with Sydney rental prices almost 18% higher than in the WA capital.

Numbeo stats; http://www.numbeo.com

I don't get.....even if the Hawks wanted Kennedy but he couldn't get a spot, wouldn't he feel a little....ummm unwanted?? I mean what else was Kennedy going to do at Hawthorn? Sit and watch their games?

Imagine if the Cats had been able to draft Franklin and Tippett after the 2011 Premiership under a COAA (cost of attraction allowance) because it was deemed that living on Corio Bay was less attractive to potential draftees than Sydney Harbour, and the capital gains on their real estate purchases would pale into insignificance next to the riches they could accrue by opting for Sydney and avoid tax on their nest egg by living in their investment in the meantime. I can just hear those same Sudney fans rationalising their booty on this site howling about that. No, Sydney wants the Party all right, they just want someone else to pay for it.

Hmmm, the old "I heard it in a pub" reference hey Cameron ;-) Notwithstanding, the facts are the other clubs were yelling, the media was reporting and, similar to how the Carbon Tax was going to destroy us all, the people listened and are now complaining.

What is going to be really interesting is what happens when the GWS honeymoon period of 3-4 years is over - if the team really bottoms out the kids will want to go home (ala Brisbane) and it will be a field day for Victorian clubs looking for young talent...

There's little doubt that Gold Coast will soon be in the top echelon very soon if it isn't already. GWS also has amazing talent and will be dammed if it suceeds (too many concessions) and dammed if it doesn't (not taking advantage of its riches.) I don't see that predicted ascendancy as trouble . When clubs rise after doing pergatory- Sydney in 1996, Brisbane early 200s, Port Adelaide this year, it energises supporters and nationally broadens the base of the game. New interstate powerhouses are unlikley to drive away the devoted fans in Victoria from their allegiance to club and code. They will nevertheless grumble.

That's bril' Bill. Franklin and Tippett better watch out for trucks around GF time.

I was at the Geelong game on Thursday night (as a neutral supporter) but my Geelong supporting mates were far from happy with the 'GST' (Great Sydney Top-up) that even though it's within the current rules. Consensus amongst the swans fans we were sitting around said they thought it should only be available to the bottom half of the contracted players on their list which seems like a fair compromise to me.

The last time that the Swans had a surfeit of riches was back in the 1930's when they bought a team . I was just a wee boy when we played off for the flag in 33,34,35 and 36. Sadly we won only the once, in 33 at the height of the depression. For Tippett and Franklin read Pratt and Nash, two of the greatest players ever to pull on a boot . The only difference between the pairs is height and weight but men were smaller then eighty years back. I love the chutzpah of Buddy but Nashie had chaff bags full of it. If you are looking for the best player, just check the image in the mirror when shaving was his recommendation. Playing off for the flag in 2014, 2015, 2016 and 17 sounds good to me. As Oscar Wilde said " start worrying when they stop talking about you, whether good or evil". So. On with the chatter and unfurl the flags.