MoneyBall column: Patrick Cripps set to ignore free agency and recommit to Carlton during off-season
Patrick Cripps is keen to sign a new contract at Carlton, but there’s a sticking point which could have Blues fans nervous. Check out the latest trade talk, including updates on Adam Saad and Braydon Preuss.
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Patrick Cripps will happily sign away his free agency rights over summer but only when the AFL has given clarity to clubs on the salary cap for coming seasons.
The Carlton captain is set for a summer rehabilitating his surgically repaired shoulder after he played on despite three “instability episodes” where the shoulder partially dislocated.
Contracted until the end of 2021, he would officially become a free agent next October if he had not already agreed to a new contract.
Cripps, 25, is the co-captain alongside Sam Docherty, who last week extended his contract to 2023 after a brilliant bounce-back season coming off two knee reconstruction.
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The pair are determined to stay at the club to bring about finals success for a team which has not won a final since the 2013 elimination final against Richmond.
But clubs are yet to be told of the scope of cuts to the 2021 salary cap as the AFLPA continues to push hard against significant pay cuts for players for the second consecutive season.
Harry McKay is in a similar position, loving his time at Carlton and contracted to 2021 but still awaiting a more solid TPP picture.
The league has now met with clubs and received feedback on an AFL discussion paper on its finances and is negotiating with the league on the 2021 salary cap but no decision is imminent.
Clubs are now certain any list size cuts would be staged over multiple seasons and would have minimal changes for next season given they are tied to a discussion over a new pay deal.
Carlton last week announced the signatures of 10 players including Marc Murphy, Ed Curnow, Levi Casboult, Nic Newman, Michael Gibbons and Matthew Cottrell.
The Blues will secure Zac Williams on a contract of around $800,000 a season that is likely to be a five-season deal.
And they remain in the race for Essendon’s Adam Saad, who the Herald Sun revealed early this month was considering his future with the Dons.
DEES BIG MAN TO MOVE AFTER BEING STUCK BEHIND GAWN
— Jay Clark
Melbourne ruckman Braydon Preuss is exploring his trade options as the Demons prepare to hand young tall Luke Jackson more opportunity next season.
And Essendon will ask for a first-round draft pick in return for speedster Adam Saad if the dashing defender wants a fresh start.
Preuss, 25, has been stuck behind superstar big man Max Gawn in his two seasons at the Demons and could be headed to New South Wales to secure a No. 1 ruck spot.
The Giants and Swans are both scouring the market for senior ruckman and could also make inquiries about Richmond’s Toby Nankervis and Port Adelaide pair Scott Lycett and Peter Ladhams.
Nankervis is out of contract but is required by the Tigers to lead the ruck in Ivan Soldo’s injury absence next season.
The Giants need a ruckman and are trying to retain superstar forward Jeremy Cameron on a revised five-year deal. Essendon and Geelong are keen on Cameron.
Melbourne smartly recruited the 206cm Preuss as insurance if Gawn went down with injury but will look to groom Jackson into a full-time key forward — second ruckman for next season.
It means Preuss’s options at Melbourne will be even more limited on the back of only three senior appearances this season.
He has two more years to run on a four-year deal after arriving at Melbourne in exchange for onballer Dom Tyson.
The Demons could be tempted by a second-round draft pick in a trade for Preuss which would strengthen the club’s position to nab North Melbourne speedster Jared Polec.
The Herald Sun revealed the Demons are interested in Polec but will not pay him overs to add more speed and polish on the wing for next season.
Melbourne is also trying to retain former co-captain and star clearance winner Jack Viney amid strong interest from Geelong.
The Cats want to add another mature-age inside bull and have identified Adelaide free agent Brad Crouch as another leading candidate.
Harley Bennell will be cut from the Demons after a disappointing finish to his time at the club.
Bennell, who was lined up to secure a contract extension a fortnight ago, broke COVID-19 protocols and dismissed Melbourne’s attempts to bring him back to Maroochydore.
Essendon is trying to keep Saad and have offered the linebreaker a four-year deal.
However, he has interest from multiple Victorian clubs including North Melbourne which has indicated it could part ways with Ben Brown, Shaun Higgins and Polec for the right terms.
If Saad, 26, departs for a more generous five-year deal, the Bombers will seek a first-round draft pick in return.
The running backman finished top-four in the Bombers’ best and fairest for the third year in a row this month.
The Bombers are still waiting for an answer from free agent Joe Daniher when he returns from a camping expedition.
Brisbane Lions, Geelong Cats and Sydney Swans are all interested in Daniher and are making attempts to assess his recovery from a groin injury.
Gold Coast’s tall forward Peter Wright will also depart the club in the exchange period.
WHY GRAHAM KNOCKED BACK THREE CLUBS
Jack Graham’s desire to chase more premiership success and his connection to the Richmond group were the reasons he knocked back lucrative long-term offers from rival AFL clubs, including Carlton.
As reported on Friday, Graham has committed to the Tigers until the end of the 2023 season.
The 22-year-old midfielder was heavily courted by Carlton, who are looking for extra midfield assistance for skipper Patrick Cripps, as well Essendon and Adelaide but he couldn’t bring himself to leave Punt Road.
“The club’s in a great spot, an exciting future ahead and I’m rapt to be here for another three years.”, Graham said on Saturday.
“Since coming in 2017 – it was a pretty good year to come in – obviously we won the flag and I was lucky enough to be a part of that. Then I’ve had some ups and downs, a couple of shoulder injuries, which didn’t help, but here I am now ready to go again leading into finals.
“It’s just going to be an exciting time, I’m really looking forward to it, along with the next three years of my future at Richmond.
“I love the club for the culture, the boys, and obviously footy is the most important thing, but all the things off-field that I enjoy.
“It’s a great place to be, we have so much fun, and I can’t picture myself being anywhere else.”
Graham’s fifth game came in the club’s 2017 Grand Final success, but he missed out last year after dislocating his shoulder in the preliminary final.
He has played 12 games this year, including the past six in a row, and has been in solid form on return.
Graham’s decision to stay is a bonus for the Tigers as they approach a fourth straight finals series.
“Jack has been a fantastic player for us since arriving from South Australia and is an important part of our future,” Richmond general manager of football talent Blair Hartley said.
“We look forward to seeing Jack continue to play football the Richmond way and hope he is able to help contribute towards more team success.”
CROWS IN MIX FOR SA TALENT
Adelaide remains in the mix for SA-raised midfielder Jackson Hately, who is assessing his options.
Hately is out of contract at GWS and the No. 14 pick from the 2018 draft is considering his future after being limited to 13 games in his two seasons due to the Giants’ on-ball depth.
The Crows have inquired about the 19-year-old Central District product and can swoop with their top choice in the pre-season draft if he opts to join Adelaide and the clubs cannot arrange a trade.
Adelaide had also been courting Jack Graham but his desire to chase more premiership success and connection to Richmond led to him re-signing with the Tigers this week.
The 22-year-old, who slipped to pick 53 in the 2016 draft then kicked three goals in Richmond’s 2017 grand final triumph, was also being chased by Carlton and Essendon.
Meanwhile, Port Adelaide is set to re-sign defender Jarrod Lienert – likely this coming week – on a one-year deal with triggers.
Lienert has played 18 games for the Power, including five this year, since joining them from Sturt via the 2017 rookie draft.
He was promoted to the senior list at the end of last season.
IS COLLINGWOOD DEFENDER ON THE MOVE?
Collingwood defender Matthew Scharenberg will weigh up what options he has to return home to South Australia at season’s end.
The No. 6 draft pick, who has endured a nightmare run of knee and foot injuries over his career, has fallen out of favour this year, playing only three games in 2020.
His last game was against West Coast when the Eagles hammered the Magpies by 66 points in Round 8.
Scharenberg’s contract runs out at the end of the season, allowing him to secure an easy trade if there is enough interest from a rival club.
The 25-year-old has strong family ties in South Australia and a rebuilding Adelaide side could welcome his marking and kicking skills to help bolster the back half.
It could also be in Collingwood’s favour to trade Scharenberg as it would help relieve some pressure on its tight salary cap.
The Magpies remain confident of keeping superstar duo Darcy Moore and Jordan De Goey but it may have to part with some middle-tier types such as Scharenberg and Tom Phillips to make room in the cap.
Ben Reid announced his retirement on Friday, while veterans Travis Varcoe and Lynden Dunn are all a chance to retire from the club at season’s end.
PREMIERSHIP HAWK GOING NOWHERE … YET
Hawthorn has no plans to release forward Jack Gunston to a premiership contender for next season as Collingwood circles the ace goal kicker.
Gunston, 28, is understood to be open to considering all options at season’s end as the Hawks look to rebuild.
While Alastair Clarkson is not one to wave the white flag, his team is unlikely to be in premiership contention for at least next season.
Collingwood is keen to sharpen up its forward connection and Gunston would be a perfect addition to help partner De Goey in attack.
But the Hawks are planning to keep Gunston and are not yet entertaining any form of trade for the former Crow.
The Magpies would have to offer something really enticing or Gunston would have to demand to be released for his contract for the deal to happen.
Gunston has two more years on his contract and is believed to be on about $500,000 a season.
He had another strong year in the brown and gold and will finish high in the club’s best and fairest award next week.
Hawthorn has off-loaded several veterans in recent years including Luke Hodge, Grant Birchall, Jordan Lewis and Sam Mitchell, but the Hawks want Gunston around to help teach the next wave of young talent coming through.
SPEARHEAD WANTED TO STAY NORTH
Ben Brown’s manager Adam Ramanauskas has revealed his client clearly wanted to stay with the club, but will now seek a new home after multiple suitors emerge for one of the AFL’s most prolific recent goalkickers.
Rival AFL clubs were as shocked as Brown when North Melbourne went public with their decision to trade him.
When asked on RSN‘s Breakfast Club on Friday, Ramanauskas said: “Ben was engaged there, you look at his work at the AFLW team, he was a North Melbourne player.”
“Clearly, North Melbourne are moving in a different direction in the way they play and they don’t see Ben as a part of that.
“I find that staggering.”
He said Brown had been seeking a fourth year on a new deal earlier in the year.
“We wanted a 4th year and we thought we were in our right to be asking for that considering what he‘d achieved.
“Clubs make decisions and we obviously have to look for another home now.”
It’s understood there are multiple clubs looking at Brown, and that’s hardly a surprise given his record.
While the 27-year-old‘s 2020 was wrecked by injury and inconsistent form, kicking only nine goals from eight games, his previous three years were outstanding.
BOMBERS GUN COMMITS
Expect Andrew McGrath to sign a two-year deal to stay at Essendon.
The Herald Sun can reveal the jet midfielder and future captain will ink an agreement to remain at the club until at least the end of 2022.
While some of his teammates’ futures remain up in the air, McGrath’s signature will be a huge boost for the club after a tough week for the Bombers.
The Bombers want to help its midfield brigade by adding another strong-bodied clearance winner to the engine room for next year.
DAW HOPING TO FIND A WAY BACK IN
Delisted Kangaroo Majak Daw still wants to play football and is hoping a club might be interested in him as a delisted free agent.
Daw provided one of this season’s most heartwarming stories by making his return to AFL football after more than 700 days.
He was one of 11 players cut by the Kangaroos the day after their 2020 season ended, but he hopes to get another chance at playing at the highest level.
Daw played his best footy in 2018 when he was rated highly as a defender. But since returning to football the Kangaroos used him exclusive in an unfamiliar role in attack.
Would an AFL club back themselves in to return Daw to where he belongs in defence and hopefully reap the rewards?
INTEREST GROWS FOR FRINGE DOCKER
Out-of-favour Fremantle midfielder Connor Blakely, who was overlooked by coach Justin Longmuir for the majority of 2020, wants to stay at the Dockers.
Blakely is contracted until the end of 2022 but managed just five matches this year.
The 24-year-old had to wait until Round 9 for his first senior appearance of 2020 and wasn’t selected again after Round 14.
It is understood he caught the eye of Sydney in a multi-club reserves hitout late in the season, while Geelong and Essendon have been linked to the big-bodied mid.
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Originally published as MoneyBall column: Patrick Cripps set to ignore free agency and recommit to Carlton during off-season