AFL 2024: Adelaide Crows circle as Dees wait for Tom Sparrow to re-sign

The Crows haven’t given up hope of luring a rising Demon back to South Australia, with a young gun’s signature now a premium at Melbourne after Angus Brayshaw’s shock retirement.

PERTH. 25/09/2021. AFL Grand Final. Melbourne vs. Western Bulldogs at Optus Stadium, Perth. Tom Sparrow of the Demons celebrates a 3rd qtr goal. Photo by Michael Klein

Adelaide has expressed interest in luring Melbourne’s emerging midfield star Tom Sparrow home as he holds off contract talks until he established his role in the club’s star-studded midfield.

Sparrow is still likely to re-sign with the Demons but Angus Brayshaw’s sudden medical retirement has put a premium on the 23-year-old’s signature at Melbourne.

Sparrow was taken at pick 23 in the 2018 national draft after growing up in the Adelaide Hills and looks set for a breakout season after 67 games in the last three years including the 2021 premiership.

His three-goal, 20-possession outing against Carlton in last week’s community series game highlighted his potential as an inside mid who can still go forward to take overhead marks and hit the scoreboard.

Tom Sparrow of the Demons is in Adelaide’s sights. (Photo by Daniel Pockett/Getty Images)

As Adelaide and Melbourne haggled over the Shane McAdam trade the Crows asked about whether Sparrow or Harrison Petty might be involved in that deal.

The Demons quickly shut down the Crows but Adelaide has again asked about his availability.

In the end Adelaide threw a monster offer at Petty that involved him being paid over $1 million in the first season of a front-ended five-year deal worth $4 million.

Melbourne shut down that trade request but could have to ward off the Crows interest again given Petty made no secret of the fact he and his partner are at some stage keen to return to South Australia.

In an AFL environment where the salary cap will go up again by 12 per cent next season Sparrow can expect a significant pay rise to remain at Melbourne.

He is seen as a loyal player who enjoys living in Victoria, so if he can frank his pre-season form in the early rounds of the year it will give both parties a chance to broker a deal.

Ideally the Demons would have loved to have locked him away already but they are comfortable with their progress so far.

The Crows asked about Sparrow’s availability in 2023. Photo by Michael Klein.

He could sign a two-year extension through to free agency or a longer deal to give him security given the salary cap is set to 2027.

Melbourne is still in talks with the AFL about whether they can exempt some or all of Brayshaw’s salary for the next four seasons after he was medically retired by the AFL.

He is due more than $3 million in a deal to 2028 with Demons football boss Alan Richardson confident the AFL will work with the club on a resolution that helps the Demons’ cap picture.

Finding a way to place some of his salary outside the cap will help in the retention of Sparrow and Petty, who the club is keen to offer a long-term deal past 2025 when he hits free agency.