Round 9 � Hawthorn v Sydney: Priceless

House mortgage � hundreds of thousands of dollars.
TV � thousands of dollars.
Couch in living room � hundreds of dollars.
Sitting in my house, on my couch, watching Buddy Franklin on my TV, dominating Hawthorn � Priceless.

Buddy Franklin signed a 9-year, $10 million deal with the Sydney Swans at the end of the 2013 season. It was a bargain - since his arrival, the club has boomed.

Apparently, reputable businesses perform something called a cost benefit analysis when deciding on a purchase or investment. In the offices on Driver Avenue, this no doubt took place prior to Franklin�s landmark deal. Popular consensus at the time was that the deal was doomed. The Toorak Trillionaire labeled him the Bondi Billionaire and the media vultures circled the streets of Sydney just waiting to prey on any slip-up. Melbourne went into meltdown and it was decided that this deal would be the undoing of the famed Bloods culture. I disagreed then, and I find it laughable now.

Heath Grundy � drafted on minimum waged rookie list.
Dane Rampe � drafted on minimum waged rookie list.
Jeremy Laidler � signed as a minimum waged delisted free agent.
Nick Smith � drafted on minimum waged rookie list.
Our much-maligned defence holding the premiers to seven goals for the match, on their home ground, with our dependable fullback knocked out in the first quarter � Priceless.

A cost benefit analysis involves many complicated businessy steps including itemising the tangible and intangible costs, assessing the projected benefits, adding up and comparing the project's costs and benefits & calculating a payback time for the venture � Blah, blah�.Boring! Let�s take a crack at our very own cost analysis. Ours will be heaps better and way less businessy. Our CBA will take a look at the Buddy benefits vs the Buddy blunders. Not convinced? Follow me.

Combined AFL Coaches annual wage bill � millions of dollars.
Money I�ve wasted on newspapers containing articles written about Sam Mitchell being �untaggable� - $346.50
Money I�ve spent on Panadol after listening to the �experts� claiming that Sam Mitchell is �untaggable� - $146.95
Tom Mitchell PROVING that Sam Mitchell can be TAGGED � Priceless.

Buddy Benefits:
On-field results � Team: Two x top-four finishes, currently top-four in his third year. One x runner-up finish. Buddy: All-Australian, Coleman Medallist & Brownlow Medallist runner-up. Currently leading Coleman Medal 2016.
Club memberships � Pre-Buddy all time high = 36,358. This year = 52,335 (and rising).
Merchandise sales � all time high.
Corporate sponsorship � all time high.
National TV audiences � all time high.
Crowd attendances � all time high.
Friday Night Footy appearances � Pre-Buddy = seven from 2003 � 2013. With Buddy = ten from 2014 - 2016.
Market comparison - Tom Boyd: $7 million for 7 years. Tom Scully: $6 million for 6 years. Hmmm.
Untold joy for all in the Swans� flock.

Sewing needle & thread - $6.50
Posting a pair of footy shorts from Sydney to Melbourne - $7.45 each way.
Mrs. Smith crafting a pocket in Nick�s shorts that Cyril Rioli fit snuggly into for the entire football match � Priceless.

Buddy Blunders:
Loss of the Cost of Living Allowance � The Melbourne meltdown of 2013 prompted the powers that be to rid the Swans of what was actually an equalisation measure � Inevitable.
Trading Ban � The Melbourne meltdown of 2013 prompted the powers that be to rid the Swans of the fundamental right to trade players for two years. This decision was never explained.

Sheet of cardboard � $3.00
Pair of scissors � $5.00
Printing of Buddy Franklin�s life-size face � 30c
Cost of my Hawk-mad mate�s petroleum after driving from Launceston to Hobart to officially handover his homemade Buddy Franklin mask � $83.45
Tormenting said Hawk-supporting mate with photos of the Buddy mask after each win against his team � Priceless.

Now, I�m certainly not a businessy-man, but it�s clear to me, that the findings of this cost analysis indicate that the deal is heavily weighted towards being beneficial for the Sydney Swans. It�s been an astounding commercial success, coupled with on-field success, the prospects of which are looking brighter each week. A rising salary cap and increased TV rights deal also mean that clubs will have more to spend on player payments. This deal was a steal. That�s the end of that, then. Just like on Friday night, the Swans are clear winners.

Buddy has also inspired throughout his recent battle and subsequent management of mental illness. For a young man with such a prominent public profile to ask for the help that men so often don�t request, was incredibly brave and would have no doubt motivated many more to do the same. He just looks happy.

Poor old Gary Rohan�s hospital bills � Lots.
Poor old Gary Rohan�s time spent on the physio table � Lots.
Poor old Gary Rohan�s mates� bar tab at the Cobden pub, trying to console their mate through the hard times � Lots.
Watching a flying Gary Rohan leave Jordan Lewis with a nasty dose of windburn as he scorched into an open goal � Priceless.


Sure, there may have been better players than Buddy on the night. Hannebery was herculean, Tippett was titanic, Mitchell mighty and Grundy gargantuan. However, there is no greater joy in football than watching the Bloods� number 23 roll on to that luscious left-foot and send the Sherrin soaring through for goals of inconceivable magnitudes. We are blessed to have him. We made it work and it�ll work for six more years.

Buddy Franklin - $10,000,000.
Having him on your team � Priceless.