Moneyball: All the latest contract and trade news and whispers
While 2020 was a season to forget for Melbourne, the club’s chief executive, Gary Pert, says coach Simon Goodwin remains the right man to lead the Demons out of the darkness.
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Melbourne has backed coach Simon Goodwin to take the club back to finals next season as it yesterday moved director of coaching Alan Richardson into a new performance role.
Demons chief executive Gary Pert told the Herald Sun on Monday night his exhaustive review of the club involving countless interviews had made clear Goodwin was the man to lead the club forward.
But while Goodwin will keep his job, it can be revealed Richardson will move into a role as the club’s general manager of football performance.
The club’s football manager role will effectively be split into two jobs, with footy boss Josh Mahoney the club’s new general manager of football facilities and administration.
Former St Kilda coach Richardson will be responsible for everything regarding the men’s AFL side, while Mahoney will take in AFL and AFLW list management and the club’s work on its facilities.
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The Demons are making encouraging progress on finding a new home within the MCG precinct, with Mahoney to take a key role in that journey.
Adem Yze will be the club’s midfield coach, with part-time ruck coach Greg Stafford to be elevated to forwards coach and Troy Chaplin to remain as the defensive coach.
The Demons missed the finals for the 13th time in 14 seasons this year as president Glen Bartlett lashed the club mid-season as “disgraceful” and “insipid”.
But Pert made clear the Demons believe Goodwin is made of the right stuff to return the club to finals next year.
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“The review identified significant support for Goody as the senior coach. They have faith in him and the game plan and his ability to take us to finals success,” he said.
“So there is support for him and his strategy but there is also a strong acknowledgement that we were way too inconsistent with our execution of the game plan.
“That inconsistency cost us our place in the finals.
“The review also identified it is an appropriate time for new experiences, energy and leadership so we will have some new assistant coaches around Goody next year and it’s a really healthy refresh of the program.”
The club has lost Daniel Cross and Max Rooke, with Justin Plapp moving on to run his family business and Ben Mathews as an assistant to be announced as a rival club.
The Demons will hire a part-time VFL coach in coming weeks as they continue to run a VFL side.
Pert said his review had started while in the Queensland hub and continued for four weeks post-season.
“I spoke to a cross section of players, coaches and staff and people from outside the club as a benchmarking exercise,” he said.
“Suffice to say that the biggest opportunity for us is to increase our consistency within a game and from week to week.
“What came through strongly is our best performances can hold up really well against the best teams that played finals but we didn’t deserve to play finals because we weren’t consistent over four quarters and with our consistency from week to week.
“So, I won’t go into specific details but everything we do will be based around our programs in the pre-season and working on the elements of the game that will build consistency into each game we play without exception.”
WA CLUBS CIRCLE STAR CAT
Rival clubs are keeping an eye on Sam Menegola’s contract situation at Geelong, with the game-breaking wingman’s future beyond next season unclear.
Menegola, 28, has one year remaining on his contract at the Cats and is understood to be looking to sign a four-year extension, at a fair salary increase, to remain at the club beyond 2021.
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However, the Cats have yet to present him with an offer and have signed another wingman, Hawthorn free agent Isaac Smith.
A source close to the situation said Menegola should be considered “very gettable” by other clubs.
Many AFL trades and free agency acquisitions are set into motion up to a year out from the transaction.
It’s understood the midfielder is open to a return to Fremantle — where he spent three seasons without playing a game from 2012-14.
The Cats rate Menegola highly and see him as more than just a required player.
Menegola was one of their best in the AFL Grand Final, with the league’s official player rating system ranking him as second best on the ground behind Dustin Martin.
Geelong has been busy off the field in recent weeks, with Smith’s acquisition coming alongside bids for Greater Western Sydney forward Jeremy Cameron and North Melbourne veteran Shaun Higgins.
But the free agency player raid could have a major impact on players already at the club.
Young midfielder Charlie Constable has been told to explore other options, West Australian Quinton Narkle is without a contract for next season — he’s met with four clubs
already — and top-10 draft pick Nakia Cockatoo is expected to be on his way to Brisbane.
Menegola currently earns about $450,000 per year — rival clubs see him as a player worth between $550,000 and $600,000 a season.
The former Subiaco midfielder and his wife Emma welcomed their son Otis in May this year, making a move home to WA all the more enticing.
WILL PIES KEEP STRUGGLING YOUNG GUN?
Jaidyn Stephenson is keen to remain at Collingwood and fulfil three more seasons on his deal despite uncertainty about his future at the Pies.
Stephenson endured a miserable year at the Pies and was dropped multiple times but had believed he was on track to remain at the club.
Now as the Pies consider multiple options to shed cap obligations and tinker with a list that is still in the premiership window his name has been thrown into the trade mix.
The Herald Sun understands his contract was extended to 2023 last season in a new deal that was not publicly disclosed.
The Pies are attempting to trade Adam Treloar, are open to half forward Tom Phillips moving on and have had Mason Cox linked to rival clubs despite him being contracted.
Treloar remains a popular team member so Collingwood will have to be aware of managing relationships within the list if some of those players are not traded.
The Pies will re-sign Jordan De Goey on a deal much less than the $1 million a season he was determined to secure.
His indecent assault case over a 2015 incident was adjourned until April 22.
Collingwood is closing in on a settlement for star midfielder Dayne Beams on the two remaining seasons of his contract after he walked away from the game this year with mental health issues.
FRINGE TIGER HEADS NORTH
Richmond will trade running defender Oleg Markov to Gold Coast for a third-round pick or later as the Suns all but ruled out a trade with Collingwood’s Adam Treloar.
Markov will move to the Suns on a two-year deal, with the Tigers keen to keep him as Bachar Houli’s replacement but letting him go for more opportunities.
The Suns also secured free agent Rory Atkins on a four-season deal with a fifth-year trigger, with Adelaide receiving an end-of-second-round compensation selection.
The Tigers yesterday re-signed Marlion Pickett, Jake Artz and Nathan Broad on two-year deals as Richmond shores up its depth players.
Broad had at one stage been in Gold Coast’s sights but in the end was happy to stay at Richmond.
Markov never played more than eight games in a season for the Tigers but was pushed out of the senior team this year despite six encouraging games.
Richmond could also lose Jack Higgins to a rival like St Kilda or Carlton, with the season’s premiership team always vulnerable to raids from opposition clubs.
Pickett has been one of footy’s most incredible stories after two premierships in 20 AFL games, with list manager Blair Hartley hailing the trio of signings.
“The premierships have been a fantastic reward for Nathan and Marlion, and Jake is another who had a terrific season and significant impact this year.
“We are thrilled to have them commit to the Club and look forward to seeing what more they can help us achieve.”
SUNS RULE OUT TRELOAR
Gold Coast has all but ruled out a trade for Collingwood’s Adam Treloar. It would take Collingwood to suddenly decide they were prepared to pay a significant amount of Treloar’s five-year deal across the life of the contract for the Suns to reconsider.
And Treloar would need to actually want to come to the club, having made it clear he wants to stay in Melbourne.
Even then the Suns are likely to baulk at a Treloar deal, desperate to retain cap room for their band of young stars and aware of his injury history.
They believe if they were to absorb that kind of cap space they would have had to plan for months for his acquisition.Collingwood has not at this stage even indicated it would be prepared to pay much of Treloar’s contract at another club.
Rival clubs remain confused by how Treloar re-signed only last year on a five-season deal that has an average wage of $900,000 and rises well above $1 million in the last years.
Gold Coast will more likely use its No.5 selection in the draft if another suitable target does not come along and potentially trade its later picks.
With picks 24 and 33 it could trade them with a club like North Melbourne for an earlier pick or even swap forward into next year’s draft.
DIMMA’S BIG FLAG BONUS
Damien Hardwick has earned a tidy premiership bonus but will likely never become the $1.5 million-a-year premiership coach that he deserves to be.
Hardwick is out of contract at the end of 2021 and the club will consider a contract extension past that period at some stage in the summer.
But Hardwick sacrificed some of his salary when he signed a three-year extension in 2018 to ensure the club could afford all of his assistant coaches and stay under the soft cap.
This time around clubs have had to slash their spending by as much as 28 per cent to get under the $6.2 million cap.
They can spend more than the cap but they are quickly taxed as much as 200 per cent on every dollar they spend so it is a strong disincentive.
Hardwick has joined Alastair Clarkson as one of footy’s most respected coaches after taking the Tigers to a third premiership in the past four seasons.
But any extension will have financial limits given clubs just don’t have the money to spend.
His current deal was reported to be around $800,000 plus bonuses for success.
After 11 seasons at Richmond he has become the club’s modern-day Tommy Hafey and shows no signs of wanting to move elsewhere.
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CORR BLIMEY: GIANT CONCERNED AT ROOS’ DIRECTION
GWS Giants’ defender Aidan Corr has held some robust conversations about North Melbourne’s direction in the wake of the club’s post-season player exodus.
Corr indicated to North he wanted to come to Arden St in 2021 but the loss of up to 14 players including Shaun Higgins and Ben Brown came as a surprise to him.
North is also looking for a new coach after losing Rhyce Shaw to focus on personal matters.
The Roos were able to allay Corr’s fears, lodging paperwork on Monday with the AFL to acquire the defender.
HARRY CALLS TIME
Geelong veteran Harry Taylor has called time on his glittering career.
Taylor was acknowledged by the club on Thursday night when he shared the Tom Harley best clubman award with teammate Mark Blicavs.
The Tom Harley Award is presented to the player who demonstrates outstanding care for his teammates, invests time and interest in all levels of the playing group and who champions the club and team values while working towards the greater good of the Geelong Football Club.
Taylor previously won the award in 2016.
WHERE WILL BIG BEN LAND?
A decision on where Ben Brown wants to play next season is imminent, according to his manager Adam Ramanauskas.
Melbourne has led the push for the out-of-favour Kangaroo forward, but there has been a sprinkling of interest from other clubs.
Ramanauskas said Brown was pleased with the direction in which the discussions had gone in recent weeks.
He told RSN: “I’m very comfortable with where things sit with Ben and where that decision will be to where he’ll play football next year … I think that will come very, very soon.
“We’re always hopeful that these things happen really quickly and I believe in this case it should happen really quickly, but you just never know,” Ramanauskas said.
Ramanauskas also said his former club Essendon faced a difficult trade period after sacking head of football Dan Richardson on Thursday.
“Being the year that it has, sometimes stability is the best thing,” he said. “Now to go on a search for a new football manager and to not have a football manager through a trade period, I would’ve thought is going to be a little bit tricky.”
DEES LOOK INTERNALLY AFTER MISSING OUT ON ISAAC
Melbourne speedster Oskar Baker looks set to be given the chance to step up on the Demons’ vacant wing next season.
The Demons were keen on Hawthorn premiership midfielder Isaac Smith but the Hawk’s decision to land at Geelong means Baker will be first in line to cement a wing position.
The Demons have Ed Langdon on one wing and plan to play Adam Tomlinson in defence next year.
Baker, 22, has top speed and has played 12 games in the past two years including only three last season.
The Demons are excited by his capacity to help add some speed and polish on the wing but the 184cm running machine will have a big pre-season ahead of him.
The Demons also spoke about North Melbourne’s Jared Polec but the midfielder’s giant salary at the Kangaroos is a hurdle to any move – unless North paid a chunk of his wage.
Harley Bennell was also given the opportunity on the wing but blew a contract extension when he broke COVID-19 protocols and then refused to return to Melbourne’s hub.
Mitch Hannan will depart the Demons for the Bulldogs.
ROLLING FIXTURES SET FOR 2021?
The AFL is seriously considering a six-week rolling fixture for next season so it can slot quality games into the Friday and Saturday night slots.
The league plans to have the AFL fixture out late November or early December, with work to ramp up next week after most AFL staffers took some time this week after an exhausting season.
But the fixturing team and Gillon McLachlan are open to the rolling fixture, which would maximise ratings but mean fans keen to fly interstate would have certainty about when a game is played.
Normally clubs have had to play well the previous season to handed chances under Friday night lights, which would mean the likes of St Kilda would have got prime time chances in 2021.
But a league which has preached being nimble and agile loves the flexibility of guaranteed ratings blockbusters.
Former AFL administrator Simon Lethlean, now the St Kilda footy boss, said on Friday he wouldn’t even mind being told which clubs the Saints had double-up encounters with that year then only knowing which teams they played six weeks in advance.
COULD BOMBER BE KING’S GUARD?
St Kilda wants some back-up for Max King so an injury to the young prized spearhead doesn’t change their structure.
Essendon delisted free agent Shaun McKernan could fill the void after the Bombers made the call not to renew his contract.
It is a targeted move from the Saints who know the pick-up would be largely as coverage and insurance but the Saints don’t have much depth in the key forward department.
The Saints moved on Josh Bruce to the Bulldogs a year ago but Bruce had a modest season in red, white and blue, other than a big night out against the Kangaroos.
The Saints remain keen on Max’s twin Ben at Gold Coast but he is enjoying his time at the Suns.
It would mean the Saints would have to come with a bombshell offer to tempt Ben King out of the franchise club.
TRADE WARNING FOR TOP PLAYER MANAGER
Player manager Tom Seccull has his hands full in coming weeks with a runner in the Melbourne Cup and a contender for the national draft’s top five selections in Denver Grainger-Barras.
It is a crazy period for Hemisphere Management with deals to be done for Jeremy Cameron, Tom McDonald and Tom Phillips as they also raise money for Movember.
Last year the club’s first-round picks all got involved in the Movember cause, with Dylan Stephens, Lachie Ash, Caleb Serong, Sam Flanders and Mitch Georgiades growing moustaches that ranged from bum fluff to something more substantial.
This year David Trotter’s client Elijah Hollands and Seccull’s client Grainger-Barras, a 195cm marking defender, are joining the party.
Hollands is coming off an ACL tear but is the best midfielder in the draft while Barras marks everything in sight and is one of the elite talls that populate the top end of the draft.
Seccull and a group of 10 mates have a quarter of Melbourne Cup runner Warning, which won the VRC Derby last year, but unfortunately won’t be allowed on course to watch it go around. “It is my first horse, so me and a group of 10 mates got a quarter of the horse for fun,” Seccull said.
“He’s been slowly building and it won the Derby last year so that gave us a rating high enough to get in. We only have a couple of per cent each but it’s been a really exciting ride.”
VFL UNREST
Some VFL clubs are upset the AFL has turned the competition into a development competition with six players 22 and under in each team and a salary cap of only $200,000.
Clubs in the VFL will continue on next year under a modified format with stand-alone VFL clubs, AFL clubs with a VFL-affiliate and AFL clubs who run their own VFL team.
Under the new model mandated by the AFL power clubs like Williamstown and Werribee have already had to move on senior players with the cap halving from $400,000.
AFL and AFL-aligned clubs can spend only $100,000 as a VFL salary cap given many of their players are already on senior lists.
Some senior AFL figures have bemoaned the talent drain given the league once had a powerful VFL league underneath it with a VFL reserves competition as well.
It comes as the Northern Bullants this week confirmed they would play in the VFL, which has now joined up with the old NEAFL competition.
AFL clubs with VFL teams won’t have top-ups as Richmond did with stalwarts like Steven morris, instead bringing Under-19 TAC Cup players into their teams.
It means the entire competition will have a development bent, which has put noses out of joint given the league has such a proud history.
Originally published as Moneyball: All the latest contract and trade news and whispers