Moneyball: All the AFL contract, trade and free agency whispers
Two triple Richmond premiership stars have agreed to contract extensions, but the future of ruckman Mabior Chol remains unclear. Check out the updated free agents list.
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Richmond ruckman Mabior Chol can simply accept a rival offer without the Tigers matching a deal after he was announced as an unrestricted free agent on Friday.
But the Tigers have signed up stars Shane Edwards and Jack Riewoldt, with the premiership pair missing from the updated list released to clubs.
The league’s list of restricted and unrestricted free agents also included players like Chol, who were previously delisted and then added back onto club lists.
Chol has interest from rival clubs, although Gold Coast this week made clear they are yet to offer him a rival deal despite speculation.
That could change by the end of the year, but they are assessing rival ruckmen rather than offering multi-year deals.
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News Corp Australia revealed in April Riewoldt was in talks with the Tigers on a one-year deal that he has since signed.
Edwards has also been removed from the list, which means talks on his contract have progressed to signing a one-year extension.
Remaining Richmond free agents include David Astbury, Bachar Houli and Kamdyn McIntosh, with the hard-running wingman keen to stay if handed a fair contract.
The high-profile free agents still to sign across the league include St Kilda’s Jack Billings, Essendon’s Zach Merrett, Carlton’s Patrick Cripps and Adelaide’s Matt Crouch.
GWS midfielder Josh Kelly is also a restricted free agent but can activate an eight-year, $8 million contract clause at the Giants.
It is understood Merrett’s suitors including Port Adelaide have all but given up hope of him leaving Essendon given his good form and the club’s renewed direction.
Those clubs are yet to be informed that he is officially staying but their hope was he would want to leave a club in the premiership window.
Instead the Dons look to have made real progress in their bid to build their list and at some stage win a final after a 6000-plus day drought.
North Melbourne has 10 free agents including captain Jack Ziebell, Robbie Tarrant, Shaun Atley, Trent Dumont and Taylor Garner.
Geelong’s free agents including Joel Selwood and Cam Guthrie, while unrestricted free agent Lachie Henderson continues to play himself into a 2022 contract after continued strong form.
FULL LIST OF FREE AGENTS
Key
* Previously delisted
^ Previously qualified as Free Agent
RESTRICTED FREE AGENTS
Matt Crouch (Adelaide Crows)
Patrick Cripps (Carlton)
Zach Merrett (Essendon)
Jake Kolodjashnij (Geelong Cats)
Josh Kelly (GWS GIANTS)
Jack Billings (St Kilda)
George Hewett (Sydney Swans)
UNRESTRICTED FREE AGENTS
ADELAIDE
David Mackay*^ (Adelaide Crows)
Taylor Walker (Adelaide Crows)
Daniel Talia (Adelaide Crows)
Thomas Lynch (Adelaide Crows)
Jake Kelly (Adelaide Crows)
Ben Davis* (Adelaide Crows)
BRISBANE LIONS
Archie Smith* (Brisbane Lions)
Mitchell Robinson* (Brisbane Lions)
Rhys Mathieson* (Brisbane Lions)
Connor Ballenden* (Brisbane Lions)
Grant Birchall*^ (Brisbane Lions)
CARLTON
Marc Murphy (Carlton)
Levi Casboult (Carlton)
Edward Betts*^ (Carlton)
Edward Curnow (Carlton)
Matthew Kennedy* (Carlton)
Oscar McDonald* (Carlton)
COLLINGWOOD
Scott Pendlebury (Collingwood)
Josh Thomas* (Collingwood)
Chris Mayne^ (Collingwood)
ESSENDON
Cale Hooker (Essendon)
David Zaharakis (Essendon)
Martin Gleeson*^ (Essendon)
Patrick Ambrose (Essendon)
Dylan Clarke* (Essendon)
Will Snelling*^ (Essendon)
FREMANTLE
David Mundy^ (Fremantle)
Stephen Hill (Fremantle)
Bailey Banfield* (Fremantle)
Brett Bewley* (Fremantle)
Reece Conca^ (Fremantle)
Lachlan Schultz* (Fremantle)
GEELONG
Joel Selwood (Geelong Cats)
Cameron Guthrie (Geelong Cats)
Jed Bews (Geelong Cats)
Lachlan Henderson*^ (Geelong Cats)
Oscar Brownless* (Geelong Cats)
GOLD COAST
Sam Day (Gold Coast Suns)
Jarrod Harbrow*^ (Gold Coast Suns)
Sean Lemmens (Gold Coast Suns)
Zac Smith* (Gold Coast Suns)
Nick Holman* (Gold Coast Suns)
Jack Hombsch* (Gold Coast Suns)
Jordan Murdoch* (Gold Coast Suns)
Jacob Townsend*^ (Gold Coast Suns)
GWS GIANTS
Matthew Buntine* (GWS Giants)
Sam Reid*^ (GWS Giants)
Daniel Lloyd* (GWS Giants)
Zachary Sproule*^ (GWS Giants)
Jake Stein* (GWS Giants)
HAWTHORN
Shaun Burgoyne (Hawthorn)
Tim O’Brien (Hawthorn)
Dylan Moore* (Hawthorn)
Keegan Brooksby*^ (Hawthorn)
Michael Hartley*^ (Hawthorn)
MELBOURNE
Nathan Jones (Melbourne)
Neville Jetta* (Melbourne)
Aaron Nietschke* (Melbourne)
Mitchell Brown*^ (Melbourne)
Majak Daw*^ (Melbourne)
NORTH MELBOURNE
Robbie Tarrant (North Melbourne)
Jack Ziebell (North Melbourne)
Shaun Atley (North Melbourne)
Taylor Garner^ (North Melbourne)
Trent Dumont (North Melbourne)
Kyron Hayden*^ (North Melbourne)
William Walker* (North Melbourne)
Tom Campbell* (North Melbourne)
Joshua Walker*^ (North Melbourne)
Connor Menadue* (North Melbourne)
PORT ADELAIDE
Robert Gray (Port Adelaide)
Hamish Hartlett (Port Adelaide)
Steven Motlop^ (Port Adelaide)
Tom Rockliff^ (Port Adelaide)
Boyd Woodcock*^ (Port Adelaide)
Tyson Goldsack^ (Port Adelaide)
RICHMOND
David Astbury (Richmond)
Bachar Houli^ (Richmond)
Kamdyn McIntosh (Richmond)
Mabior Chol* (Richmond)
Derek Smith* (Richmond)
Matthew Parker* (Richmond)
Benjamin Miller* (Richmond)
ST KILDA
Jarryn Geary^ (St Kilda)
Sebastian Ross (St Kilda)
Luke Dunstan (St Kilda)
Darragh Joyce* (St Kilda)
Oscar Clavarino* (St Kilda)
James Frawley*^ (St Kilda)
Paul Hunter*^ (St Kilda)
Shaun McKernan*^ (St Kilda)
Mason Wood*^ (St Kilda)
Sam Reid (Sydney Swans)
SYDNEY SWANS
Luke Parker (Sydney Swans)
Robbie Fox* (Sydney Swans)
Sam Gray* (Sydney Swans)
Kaiden Brand* (Sydney Swans)
WEST COAST
Shannon Hurn (West Coast Eagles)
Joshua Kennedy (West Coast Eagles)
Mark Hutchings*^ (West Coast Eagles)
Daniel Venables* (West Coast Eagles)
Brendon Ah Chee*^ (West Coast Eagles)
Jamaine Jones* (West Coast Eagles)
WESTERN BULLDOGS
Tom Liberatore^ (Western Bulldogs)
Mitch Wallis (Western Bulldogs)
Lin Jong (Western Bulldogs)
Roarke Smith*^ (Western Bulldogs)
Ben Cavarra* (Western Bulldogs)
Taylor Duryea^ (Western Bulldogs)
Ryan Gardner*^ (Western Bulldogs)
William Hayes* (Western Bulldogs)
Stefan Martin^ (Western Bulldogs)
Why Hardwick reckons Bolton will be staying put
Richmond coach Damien Hardwick is confident out-of-contract midfield star Shai Bolton will follow the team’s mantra of accepting less to stay, even joking that he had offered him “a view of the beach” at their Sydney base if he signs a new deal immediately.
While Bolton and the Tigers remain a long way apart financially at the moment, Hardwick said he had been working overtime on the 22-year-old highlighting the benefits of staying with a club still pushing for more premiership success rather than looking to chase lucrative alternatives.
It comes as Hardwick also revealed plans to keep another of the Tigers’ off-contract youngsters Callum Coleman-Jones in the senior team as a third tall when Tom Lynch returns from injury.
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The Giants have previously courted Coleman-Jones, who turns 22 next week, but more clubs could also be in the frame following his six goals from two games so far this season in Lynch’s absence.
“It’s always a challenge … (in) the good sides, the players play for less and they have got an understanding that they will always get paid more elsewhere … but we think our players and our organisation creates a great culture that the players want to stay and be a part of that,” Hardwick said on SEN.
“The vast majority of those guys will sacrifice to stay and we hope Shai is one of those players. He is a prodigious talent, there is no doubt. You only have to look at the last 12 minutes (of the Dreamtime game) to see what he can do.
“The improvement level he still has in front of him is enormous.”
Hardwick said he had been giving Bolton “an incredibly hard time” trying to coax him into striking a deal with the club.
“We think he will stay, but until he puts his signature on the dotted line, we don’t know,” he said.
“I keep saying he has got a view of the tennis court at the moment (at the club’s Sydney base), ‘by tomorrow you could have a view of the beach, just let me know’.”
The Tigers coach said Coleman-Jones would continue to get opportunities when Lynch returns from a knee injury later in the season.
“The thing about those guys going out injured is the opportunity that is presented to CJ (Coleman-Jones) and Mabs (Mabior Chol),” Hardwick said.
“They have grabbed it with both hands.
“The fact of the matter is we sort of do want to play the three talls in CJ, Jack (Riewoldt), Lynchy and Mabs, and Nank (Tony Nankervis) going through the ruck.
“We think it is a good problem for us to have and one that I think we can rectify moving forward.
“Those guys have played incredibly well over the past two weeks and we’ve got a fair thought process that will continue in the not-to-distant future.”
“They are young and exciting … and it is our job to try and fit them all in.”
Hardwick said he was an advocate of continuing to take the Dreamtime blockbuster on the road even after the pandemic.
“Any time you play in a Dreamtime game, you don’t really care where you are playing,” Hardwick said.
“It is a significant event.
“It was great last year up in Darwin and playing this year in Perth. Look, it is something I can possibly see being shared around from my point of view.
“It is great for everyone to get the privilege to see such a game.”
ROOS LOCK GUN DEFENDER INTO NEW DEAL
North Melbourne defender Ben McKay has been locked into a new deal as the Roos consider rushing Robbie Tarrant straight into the senior side after a serious kidney issue.
The Roos on Tuesday agreed to terms with McKay on a two-year deal that will take him through to free agency.
He has emerged as one of the best young defenders in the league after admitting his early seasons were “pretty barren” as a No. 21 draft pick.
Tarrant needed surgery to remove a lump on his kidney and has not played a game alongside McKay this season.
He was set to play a half or more in the VFL in recent weeks before Covid-19 temporarily shut down the season.
He will join the Roos on the track on Thursday as he continues to increase his training workload.
While Tarrant would have ideally had a VFL hitout, the roos are missing defenders Aidan Corr, Aiden Bonar and Luke McDonald as they prepare to take on Greater Western Sydney on Sunday in Tasmania.
The Roos will assess the potential for fans to attend their AFL game in Round 14 at Marvel Stadium against Brisbane before a decision is made on whether it is moved to Tasmania.
McKay has taken on and beaten some of the league’s best forwards this year and said he could see the growth under David Noble.
“I’m really excited about what the future holds personally and also as a team,” he said.
“I think the way ‘Nobes’ has come in and galvanised the group — he’s really driving some high standards around here, and I’m all for that.
“It’s going to be an exciting couple of years and I can’t wait to be a part of that.”
“This is my sixth year — the first two or three years were pretty barren I suppose. I was probably thinking a bit of how it’s going to play out, how am I going to find a spot in the team. Through persistence and hard work, earning a spot last year and trying to keep that … I’ve managed to do that and that’s something I’m proud of.”
Swans superstar to go around again
Champion Sydney Swans midfielder Josh Kennedy has extended his AFL career into a 16th season, re-signing for at least one more year.
The 32-year-old, who shares the Swans’ captaincy with Luke Parker and Dane Rampe, remains a pivotal figure in the club’s success.
The new deal means he could bring up game 300 next year, given he’s already up to 270, including 257 for Sydney and 13 at Hawthorn, where his family is football royalty.
Kennedy’s form remains strong, evidenced by only Luke Parker averaging more disposals, ground ball-gets, clearances and centre clearances among Swans on-ballers this year.
The midfield brigade around him has evolved in recent years and begun to emerge in 2021, with the likes of James Rowbottom, Ollie Florent and Chad Warner helping Sydney claim a top-eight berth.
“I’m really excited about the group we have at the moment and where we can go,” Kennedy said.
“They are a really young, talented and enthusiastic group and I am enjoying getting out there and competing with them each week.
“One of my major goals is to get us back up to competing for finals and if I can be around long enough for that to happen that would make me very proud.”
Kennedy has already established himself as one of the Swans’ all-time greats since crossing from the Hawks with Ben McGlynn after the 2009 season.
His achievements include playing in the 2012 premiership, winning three best and fairests, being an All-Australian three times and finishing third in the 2014 and 2017 Brownlow Medal counts.
Kennedy also played in Sydney’s 2014 and 2016 Grand Final sides.
“Walking into the club feels like I am walking in the front door of home,” he said. “It’s something special and I don’t think that will ever change.”
Parker remains the Swans’ top re-signing priority, with Jordan Dawson, George Hewett, Dylan Stephens, Sam Reid and Sam Wicks among the others without a contract for next year.
Originally published as Moneyball: All the AFL contract, trade and free agency whispers
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