Moneyball: All the latest trade and contract news from across the AFL
Jack Macrae’s trade options to leave Western Bulldogs are narrowing, with a late pick looming as key to negotiations. Get the latest in Moneyball.
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Geelong is not in the mix for wantaway Bulldog Jack Macrae as veteran Cat Mitch Duncan edges towards a 16th season and the 300-game milestone.
The Cats had been linked to Macrae, who put in a trade request with the Dogs this week, but are not planning to pursue the ball magnet in the trade period.
St Kilda has been thrown up as the most likely landing destination for the premiership Dog, who has played 249 games for the club but asked to leave after falling out of favour with coach Luke Beveridge this year.
Macrae played VFL for the first time in nine years this season – averaging a ridiculous 42 disposals in three games – and was named as sub four times, including in the elimination final loss to Hawthorn last week.
The Saints are keen to bolster their midfield but don’t want to part with early draft picks, with the club hopeful of securing pick 8 as free agency compensation for departing defender Josh Battle, which would slide in behind their current pick 7.
It would mean St Kilda’s three-round pick, which currently sits at 43, looms as a possible offer for Macrae.
However, the Bulldogs will hold a whip hand in any negotiations with Macrae contracted for the next two years.
Fellow midfielder Bailey Smith is out of contract and expected to join Geelong in the trade period.
Half-back Duncan appears likely to secure a one-year deal, even with talks on pause until the end of Geelong’s finals campaign.
The two-time flag winner has played 21 games for the Cats this year and while his numbers have dipped slightly, is still well regarded in the club for his calm ball use.
Duncan sits on 295 games and will need to play on next year to become the seventh Geelong player to hit 300 games.
With Tom Hawkins to retire at the end of this season, Duncan would be the only player left who pre-dates coach Chris Scott’s arrival at Geelong before the 2011 season.
Veterans Gary Rohan, Jed Bews and Rhys Stanley join Duncan in being off-contract at the end of this year, while Zach Tuohy will also retire.
Skipper Patrick Dangerfield also needs a new deal, which is expected to be nutted out once the Cats finish their season.
Midfielder Brandan Parfitt will be on the hunt for a new home.
Jack Macrae was an absolute maestro in the @vfl 🤯 pic.twitter.com/VsstP2mOXu
— AFL (@AFL) March 24, 2024
EAGLES TO CLEAR HUGE CAP SPACE IF DARLING LEAVES
West Coast would clear over $800,000 of cap space next year if Jack Darling becomes a North Melbourne player, with the Roos leading the charge for the premiership player.
Darling has two-year offers in Victoria with the Roos the hot favourites, even though his best football would seem well behind him.
But if the Eagles did want a quality pick in return for Darling they would likely have to pay some of his salary next year.
The Roos are keen on Darling given they believe he can add to their forward line as an elite-running forward who will get up the ground and help Nick Larkey and Cam Zurhaar.
He kicked 22 goals in 21 games and by his own standards had a poor year but at 32 believes he has multiple seasons left.
He would move his family with three children to Melbourne but would get a two-year deal from the Roos, who want experienced premiership players to help build out their list.
For the Roos to absorb his 2025 salary they would likely offer the Eagles a later draft pick.
The Eagles might need that cap space if Jack Graham and Liam Baker arrive, with the Eagles one of many clubs interested in GWS pair James Peatling and Harry Perryman.
But if they are only interested in enhancing their 2024 draft hand they might be asked to pay some of his 2025 salary.
EAGLES SET PRICE FOR BARRASS MOVE
West Coast is set to ask Hawthorn for two first-round draft picks in exchange for gun key defender Tom Barrass when trade talks open.
Barrass, 28, remains contracted to the Eagles until the end of 2029, giving West Coast the upper hand in negotiations for the star backman.
But the demand will be seen as a huge price tag for a man who will turn 29 before the start of next season.
Hawthorn would likely baulk at the Eagles’ demands and would certainly ask for a second-round pick back from West Coast to even consider parting with two first rounders.
Ideally, West Coast would want a pick inside the top-10 for Barrass as one of the best key defenders in the game.
But Hawthorn’s surge up the ladder means the Hawks’ first pick in this year’s draft is currently slated at No. 13 which would slide back even further after compensation, academy and father-son picks in the draft.
The Eagles won’t be satisfied with a late teens selection only for Barrass and will instead ask Hawthorn to double up with its future first-round pick as well.
Hawthorn is on the up clearly and would attempt to challenge for a top-four berth next year after claiming Barrass and St Kilda free agent Josh Battle.
It means Hawthorn’s first round pick next year is also likely to be a late pick in the teens.
Hawthorn’s request for a second-round pick back in the deal would be a handy return as it would mean the Hawks’ first pick would effectively only slide back into the early 20s.
The Hawks may attempt to offer West Coast a lesser deal based on Barrass’s age.
Sam Mitchell’s men have offered him a contract worth about $800,000 a season to move from Perth to Melbourne.
Mitchell played with Barrass at West Coast in 2017.
VETERAN BULLDOG PUSHES FOR NEW DEAL
Jason Johannisen is hoping he can secure another one-year deal at the Western Bulldogs but will retire as a one-club Norm Smith Medallist rather than move to another club.
His long-term manager Jim Marinis said on Tuesday Johannisen, who has battled injury all year, was not interested in moving elsewhere if his Dogs career came to a close.
He is still playing VFL finals this weekend after missing most of the season with hamstring and calf issues.
But a player who turns 32 in November still believes he has good football left in him.
He is one of the Dogs out-of-contract players waiting on deals which include Alex Keath, Dom Bedendo, Kelsey Rypstra, Lachie McNeil and Taylor Duryea.
Duryea is likely to win yet another one-year deal.
But Marinis said of Johannisen’s future: “He’s 31 and nothing will happen until well and truly after the VFL season. The Dogs have their hands full going through their list and they will eventually get to their veterans. If anything it would be a one-year extension but he’s the Dogs only Norm Smith Medallist so he wants to finish at the Bulldogs.”
BREAKOUT CAT CLOSES IN ON EXTENSION
Breakout Cat Lawson Humphries remains in steady talks on a new multi-year extension as he further beds down a spot in Geelong’s defence.
The draftee is on the books at Geelong next year given he was drafted at pick 63 in November’s national draft.
But the Cats are thrilled with the half-back, who has never looked like being dropped after making his debut in round 16 against Essendon.
Talks have been ongoing between Humphries and the Cats, with no rush to lock something down.
A standard two-year extension looms as most likely but length remains a talking point.
Humphries was typically clean in Thursday’s qualifying final smashing, gathering 20 disposals and kicking at 84.6 per cent efficiency in his September debut.
A West Australian, Humphries lived with teammate Brandan Parfitt when he first moved to Geelong before shacking up with fellow WA draftee Mitch Edwards.
“It’s been a seamless move really,” he told this masthead in July.
A mature draft pick, Humphries is studying anthropology outside of football.
Fellow older draft pick Shaun Mannagh is also due to come out of contract at the end of next year after his near-perfect finals debut on Thursday.
As the Cats begin eyeing off a Bailey Smith trade, they need to tick off a new deal for Jake Kolodjashnij, who is expected to sign on for two more years.
Patrick Dangerfield remains in line to become a restricted free agent, Jed Bews is due to be an unrestricted free agent after reigniting his career.
Gary Rohan is also off contract after he had surgery on Monday following a skull fracture in the VFL.
Originally published as Moneyball: All the latest trade and contract news from across the AFL
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