Adelaide confident Fischer McAsey will stay despite trade rumours
Adelaide has hosed down the Fischer McAsey trade speculation but have the Vic clubs starting circling? And what could the Crows get? The big questions answered.
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Key Adelaide figures have been quick to hose down the prospect of Fischer McAsey asking for a trade back to Victoria at the end of the season.
Yet, talk about whether the No. 6 pick from the 2019 Draft, at the time the Crows highest ever selection, will go back to Melbourne will likely linger around West Lakes all year if he continues to remain unsigned.
Adelaide head of football Adam Kelly said on Wednesday the Crows were in discussion with McAsey and his manager over a contract extension, while board member Mark Ricciuto said he believed a new deal could be agreed “in the next month or so”.
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Why is McAsey a talking point?
Where do you start?
The Crows have had poor results keeping interstate draftees in South Australia in the past and the key defender is yet to sign a new deal to remain at West Lakes beyond this year.
So when speculation intensified that McAsey wants to return home - because he has not settled in SA, combined with a health issue concerning his dad over summer - Crows fans would have been thinking it was groundhog day again.
What Victorian clubs would be interested and why?
Key defenders don’t grow on trees and McAsey was highly rated in his draft class, especially his intercept marking ability.
If McAsey wants to return to Victoria, and it is still a big if given the reaction of Crows figures, there would not be a shortage of clubs ready to swoop on a 197cm tall who also has the ability to play forward.
In fact, some Melbourne clubs have begun to ask about his future.
Essendon and North Melbourne would surely be interested in a young talented prospect as they rebuild, while St Kilda would love a promising key defender to bolster their squad as would the Western Bulldogs.
What could the Crows get for him in return?
Crows fans would be hoping for a first-round pick, maybe a top 30 selection at worst.
But history shows that the Crows would not get a lot for McAsey if he decides not to sign a new contract and try and get back to Victoria.
Gold Coast received a future third-round selection for Jack Scrimshaw, also a defender who went at pick No. 7 in his draft, when he asked to go to Hawthorn - although he had only played four games for the Suns.
Even with a year to go on his contract, No. 2 pick Josh Schache was traded from Brisbane to the Western Bulldogs for pick 25 and 40.
The Crows could have some leverage if they, again, perform poorly and have a high pick in the pre-season draft.
But would they redraft a player who doesn’t want to be in Adelaide?
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Is he in the Crows best 22, or will he be this year?
Based on his pre-season, McAsey looks to be a fair way from the Crows’ best 22.
With Daniel Talia and Tom Doedee out, Matthew Nicks went with Jordon Butts and, at-the-time train-on player, Nick Murray for the Community Series match, after McAsey had a poor trial game a week earlier.
But McAsey did play 10 games in his debut season last year, so it isn’t out of the question that he breaks back into the team in 2021.
But it appears he has some ground to make up.
Why do Adelaide want to keep him, or should they look to do a deal?
Well, key-position players take time to develop so it is far too early to judge how McAsey will end up as a player.
Talia is also approaching the twilight of his career, so the Crows do need to find a replacement for their vital defender.
Convincing McAsey to stay would also be a big tick of approval for the new culture Nicks is trying to build at West Lakes.
There have been a lot of positive contract extensions to come out of the Crows in recent years but an interstate draftee, again, leaving early will reignite questions about the club.
But the Crows could make this a positive, either using McAsey, if he does want to go home, as a lure to get an SA kid, or even help strengthen their draft hand, with South Adelaide young gun Jason Horne in the mix to be the No. 1 pick.
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Adelaide football director Mark Ricciuto says he is confident Fischer McAsey will stay at the Crows, and believes a new contract for the No. 6 pick of the 2019 draft could be agreed soon.
His comments come as two-time Crows premiership captain Mark Bickley says it is “unfair” to be talking about the potential for McAsey to be seeking a move home.
Bickley said McAsey would be well served by the ability to work on his craft at SANFL level if he can’t crack the AFL side.
“We haven’t played a game yet and we are already talking about that he will go back at the end of the year,” he said at an AFL season launch at Adelaide Oval.
“I think that is unfair. Let’s see how he performs and Crows fans let’s get behind him.”
McAsey is out of contract at the end of the season and speculation suggests he may look to move because he has not settled in South Australia.
“As far as I’m aware he is in conversations down there (over a new contract),” Ricciuto said on Triple M. “I think a contract will happen in the next month or so.
“Sometimes you get blindsided but I’d be surprised if that was the case. I’m confident but funny things have happened.”
The Crows’ second-highest pick in history has struggled for form over summer and after playing 10 games in his debut campaign, the 20-year-old looks to have fallen behind Jordon Butts and new rookie Nick Murray in the key defensive pecking order.
Even with Daniel Talia, Tom Doedee and Jake Kelly out, McAsey was overlooked for the Community Series match against Port Adelaide.
This has pricked the ears of Melbourne clubs, but Ricciuto said he was confident McAsey would remain a Crow post 2021.
Former captain Bickley said McAsey would benefit from playing in the SANFL this year, “and if you think back over the last couple of years key position players they take time to develop”.
“Last year Fischer McAsey didn’t have the opportunity to go back in that lower level and develop his craft.
“I think he will really benefit from the ability to go back and play week-in-week out and then you get a chance to hone your craft.
“I hope by the end of the year we can see signs why the recruiters rated him so highly, and why other recruiters rated him so high as a key position player.”
Crows assistant Nathan van Berlo called McAsey an important part of the club’s future amid reports the second-year defender will seek a trade home to Victoria.
Van Berlo said he had not heard the trade rumours about McAsey but the club wanted to keep him.
“He’s a really important part of our playing group, obviously a high draft pick and we’ve invested a lot of time in ‘Fisch’ and seen him develop really well over the last couple of years,” van Berlo told reporters on Tuesday.
“He’s firmly part of our plans for the future, so we’ll work with him moving forward and see how this pans out.
“There’s going to be conjecture around players who are out of contract – there is every year.”
McAsey left training with soreness on Tuesday but was available to play this weekend.
Given his form and with Tom Doedee likely to return and Butts recovered from a rolled ankle, it would be a surprise if McAsey was picked to face Geelong in Round 1 on Saturday.
Van Berlo said McAsey’s confidence was fine and the club was confident in the way it was developing the Sandringham Dragons product.
“Often with coaches we have a different view on how we develop our players best to make sure they’re long-term players for us, which sometimes externally might mean throw them in the deep end and see how they go, and other times it’s about developing them to a point where we know they can hold up at the level,” he said.
“We’ve got to make sure any of those young players are ready to jump in when called upon and actually play the role they need versus throw them in the deep and they’re bereft of their confidence.”
Van Berlo said draft positions were not indicative of the opportunities players would get.
“Where you get drafted is irrelevant once you’re on the playing list – it’s just a number,” he said.
“It’s often quite entertaining to hear that because someone may be a high draft pick or a rookie pick for example, one should play before the other.
“Everyone does develop at different rates.”
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