Ever since they went public with their interest in Dustin Martin last year North Melbourne has been linked to every possible out-of-contract or vaguely-interested-in-moving AFL player.
And now it’s Andrew Gaff, previously considered a lock to be St Kilda’s 2019 best and fairest winner.
Sources tell me the Roos have put a mighty five-year, $5 million dollar offer in front of the West Coast midfielder, info Tim Watson has also been privy to by the sound of it, and the former Essendon champion doesn’t think Gaff’s worth the dough.
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“I don’t think he’s a seven-figure player, I really don’t,” Watson told SEN Breakfast on Friday morning.
“I don’t think he’s a game-changing type player.
“If you went after Dustin Martin in the midfield, you’ve got someone with a capacity to change the momentum of the game, I don’t think he’s a momentum changer in any way.”
And Timmy’s right.
Since the Dusty and Josh Kelly frenzy of 2017, fuelled by the Roos, every time a half-decent player comes out of contract they’re going to be put in the million-dollar category.
Gaff’s not worth a million.
Jeremy McGovern’s not worth a million.
Who is?
Martin, Buddy, maybe Nic Nat, these guys turn games on their heads, but more importantly they put bums on seats. And T-shirts on backs. Maybe even put Jeeps in driveways and life insurance policies in place.
You’ve got to do more than rack up the numbers nowadays, you have to pay your way if you want the big payday.
The Weagles Wave? 🦅🌊
— AFL (@AFL) June 2, 2018
Andrew Gaff finished off a string of handballs in fine fashion.#AFLEaglesSaints pic.twitter.com/PFSOSKqLLt
Can you imagine anyone buying a set of headphones because they saw Andrew Gaff wearing a pair on a billboard?
Or Asics getting back into profit due to Jeremy McGovern striding around his new home town in a pair.
To be honest, I’m not sure Tom Lynch is capable of promoting much more than the local Chinese restaurant in whichever inner-city suburb of Melbourne he calls home next year.
If North Melbourne has the money to burn then let them go ahead and throw it the way of Gaff, but then you know what a gaff is, don’t you?
A long stick with a hook on the end that makes it a bit easier to get a big fish in the boat when you’ve already done the hard work of hooking and reeling it in.
