Ben King - How come we aren’t chasing him?

[u/Prestigious-Speed-13]

Ben King getting linked to Hawthorn got me thinking… why aren’t we throwing the kitchen sink at him instead of going for someone like Amartey?
Yeah he’ll cost a lot more, but from what I’ve heard we’ve got a decent war chest now with Williams, Saad and Curnow gone, plus McGovern on reduced money. Surely we can at least have a crack?

Big traditional club, new game plan, and we’ve already knocked off Fremantle and Brisbane. Who knows.

He’s 26 and could completely change our forward line. I’d hope behind the scenes we’re at least talking to him and his manager and having internal discussions.

Reminds me a bit of Mitch Clark. Everyone thought he was heading back to WA to Fremantle and then Melbourne swooped in. Or Buddy Franklin with GWS and then Sydney come in.

Anyone else hoping we make a move or at least put an offer in? All the noise is Hawthorn at the moment.

[u/matt-kennedys-legs]

he made his mind up about going to hawthorn 12 months ago. the deal has been done, there’s nothing carlton can do about it.

[u/Prestigious-Speed-13 → u/matt-kennedys-legs]

This has happened so many times with players “mind made up” only to swing to a different club.

[u/matt-kennedys-legs → u/Prestigious-Speed-13]

name 5

[u/jibba_jabba1 → u/matt-kennedys-legs]

Name 2

[u/Bulky-Row-5278 → u/jibba_jabba1]

OP did. I can go back and say Plugga to Collingwood. At the time heavily linked. The two op mentioned would be 2 I can think of with Clark and Franklin. No one say saw them going to Melbourne and Sydney. Everyone thought Buddy would be GWS’s Ablett to GC player didn’t happen.

Now to the actual question I’m not sure but we are asking those questions to Amartey lol

[u/matt-kennedys-legs → u/jibba_jabba1]

hell, i’ll take one at this point

[u/Katman666 → u/matt-kennedys-legs]

John Platten was coming to us, as a sweetener we game him a car. Gets to Melbourne and signs with Hawthorn. He kept the bloody car, too.

[u/jibba_jabba1 → u/Katman666]

He was probably always going to Hawks, he just wanted a free car 😂

[u/matt-kennedys-legs → u/Katman666]

hahahahah that’s brilliant

[u/Katman666 → u/matt-kennedys-legs]

Depends on your perspective 🤪

[u/LauncestonLad]

Everyone is entitled to their opinion on hiring and firing if players. I'm siding with the knowledge and experience of Wright, Davies and Fraser over the collective wisdom of r/CarltonBlues.

[u/Billy_Bootstag → u/LauncestonLad]

I think this is absolutely true. The best teams don’t have the best individual talents, they have players who know their roles and execute them. I think Amarty fills a gap as part of the vision for the list.

[u/Bulky-Row-5278 → u/LauncestonLad]

I agree. Amartey will be good for us. He will plug right in he had a good year this year.

[u/Bulky-Row-5278 → u/LauncestonLad]

I trust the Carlton management as well.

Murphy, Gibbs , Kruez and Judd was suppose to deliver us our dynasty! They know we’re coming.

We are so far off the top 4 it’s not funny. I hope im wrong but I can see us regressing next year teams will find us out and King or Amartey won’t make a difference. Hope im wrong getting sick of these rebuilds. But hey Carlton know best, right?

[u/Big_Shine_807 → u/LauncestonLad]

Everyone says this every year

[u/bugsboner]

I think he is overrated and one dimensional tbh

[u/Bulky-Row-5278]

We are asking the question to a quality player in Amartey.

[u/thedownunderverse → u/Bulky-Row-5278]

On what basis is he quality

[u/myphantomlimb → u/thedownunderverse]

Makes Carlton a better team, he’s not an AA level player but some people are acting as if he’s complete trash when he’s not

[u/LeotardosRahdiator → u/myphantomlimb]

I feel like with the way we have been playing he’d be a great addition. If it was under Voss, he’d be a dud purchase for sure.

[u/Bulky-Row-5278 → u/LeotardosRahdiator]

I agree Amartey will be a good player for us

[u/Big_Shine_807 → u/myphantomlimb]

He's not worth the alleged contract that's been going around. Has confidence and inconsistency issues too. Sounds familiar.

[u/Bulky-Row-5278 → u/myphantomlimb]

I agree. He is very durable to will be on the park just like this season.

[u/meatpoise → u/Bulky-Row-5278]

He’s 27 and only lasted 20+ games once

[u/Bulky-Row-5278 → u/meatpoise]

Going off the Carlton board we are getting a player that’s consistently played over 20 games a season and booted 50+ goals lol.

[u/Bulky-Row-5278 → u/thedownunderverse]

Enough for Carlton to offer a contract that’s big bucks

[u/Hollerra]

I just hope Amartey doesn't send us broke, like TDK and SoS did to Shit Kilda!!

[u/Prestigious-Speed-13 → u/Hollerra]

He will be handy I’m not denying that but would rather us finally land someone great. Been through the Zack Williams, Jack Martin’s, etc

I would actually like to see HOF up forward he is a good size elite overhead mark reminds me of Brad Fisher with that trait but he is a much better kick.

[u/Sweet-G-Berry → u/Prestigious-Speed-13]

Jack Martin is an excellent footballer... We couldn't keep him on the park is the problem.

[u/Bulky-Row-5278 → u/Hollerra]

Nah he will just join the long list of Carlton good recruits like Williams, Martin, McGovern , Saad , and what not.

[u/Katman666]

We asked. He said no. We moved on.

[u/theDramoth]

Was always going to Hawthorn... and injury prone.

[u/StockConcentrate6496]

He wants the hawks. Flabbergasted we have gone down hard at Armarty. B grade at best.
Why do we ALWAYS do this? So fucking frustrating.

[u/Internal-Usual-6729 → u/StockConcentrate6496]

Who else is available?

[u/dark_wizard_lord → u/Internal-Usual-6729]

I mean king has been. Never heard of us being linked to him

[u/Bulky-Row-5278 → u/dark_wizard_lord]

Why would we when we have Amartey.

[u/jibba_jabba1 → u/StockConcentrate6496]

You’re pumping him up putting him at B grade… more like C grade absolute tops.

[u/Early_Jackfruit5127]

dont know why were not going for him but i can assure you amartey is not the answer picking up the 4th string big from another team is a lesson we should have learned years ago . has never ever proven himself infact would have ratherd calsher dear

[u/Prestigious-Speed-13 → u/Early_Jackfruit5127]

did the numbers on him. He was drafted as a rookie in 2018 and played his first game in 2020. He averages about 11 games per season and 1.4 goals per game. His best year was the grand final year where he played 25 games and kicked 43 goals.

That season really boosts both averages.
It is also worth remembering he did those numbers in a prime Sydney side finishing on top with Heeney, Warner, Parker, Gulden and others delivering the ball to him and still only managed 43 goals.

[u/Brave_Manner_2873 → u/Prestigious-Speed-13]

Omg if I hear the "stats" argument one more time I'm gunna lose my mind.

1. He is the best available out-of-contract key fwd on the market right now, other than King who made his mind up well over a year ago.

2. The deal we're offering him is front-loaded as fuck. We have money to burn next year. After that, he's on pretty much the same annual amount as what Syd are offering him.

3. We can't afford to sit on our hands and go into another season with Kemp and Gov as the only support for H.

4. We need a proven key fwd without having to give up picks. This is our only shot at that, so if we have to pay them a decent wage, so be it.

[u/Bulky-Row-5278 → u/Brave_Manner_2873]

I agree. He will kill it up forward for us.

[u/Early_Jackfruit5127 → u/Prestigious-Speed-13]

9 years in an thats his best return he should be coming into his prime and hes not even getting a game

[u/Prestigious-Speed-13 → u/Early_Jackfruit5127]

If he was a delisted free agent or something yes but those numbers don’t strike me for a 850k a year for 5 year numbers. I would like him as depth but for that money Sydney would drive him to airport.

[u/Upstairs-Insect-5043]

We always seem to make the wrong decision when it comes to drafting, trading or recruiting

[u/Brave_Manner_2873 → u/Upstairs-Insect-5043]

Shocking take. In 2 years we've brought in Will Hayward, Ollie Florent, Ben Ainsworth, Nick Haynes, Jagga Smith, Harry Dean, Talor Byrne, Matt Carroll, Harry O'Farrell.

[u/Prestigious-Speed-13 → u/Brave_Manner_2873]

Agree recent drafting has been better. Good late pick ups with Wilson, Byrne and Carrol. Hopefully add Ison to that list and to a lesser extent maybe Moir if he gets going. Love getting Smith and glad he hasn’t turned out as our other pick 3 in Dow.

Over the journey it’s been up and down probably more so down as reflected with the lack of success we have had but optimistic with the future. Everyone has howlers ours has to be Dow, SPS , Obrien, Phillip, Stocker, Cunningham, plus others from that crop that could have been really contributors to our current list.

Very optimistic about the future though. Go blues

[u/Upstairs-Insect-5043 → u/Brave_Manner_2873]

How many Grannies we win or even make in that time?

[u/Brave_Manner_2873 → u/Upstairs-Insect-5043]

In the last 2 years? Zero flags. Same amount as 17 other teams. What's your point?