Port Adelaide vows to play hardball over Chad Wingard trade demands
PORT Adelaide has vowed to play hardball over wantaway dual All-Australian Chad Wingard, insisting it won’t trade him unless it is “suitably compensated’’.
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PORT Adelaide has vowed to play hardball over wantaway dual All-Australian Chad Wingard, insisting it won’t trade him unless it is “suitably compensated’’.
Wingard, 25, has nominated Hawthorn — instead of fellow suitors the Western Bulldogs — as his club of choice for next season.
But the Power, which already has traded fellow playmakers Jared Polec and Jasper Pittard to North Melbourne, insists it will not give him up easily.
This is despite telling Wingard, who has a year to run on his contract before becoming a restricted free agent, that he could test the market after he clearly fell out of favour at Alberton because of a modest 2018 campaign and a lacklustre attitude.
It is understood Hawthorn is prepared to offer its first draft pick this year, No. 15, and 2017 AFL Rising Star runner-up Ryan Burton, a South Australian, for Wingard.
“As we’ve mentioned from the beginning of the trade period, the only way that the Port Adelaide would consider a trade for Chad Wingard is if Chad requested to explore his options at another club,’’ Power football boss Chris Davies said in a club statement.
“Chad has now informed us of his want to explore the opportunity that Hawthorn has presented him.
“However, he is also aware that unless an acceptable trade can be struck — and that the club is suitably compensated — he will be playing for Port Adelaide in 2019.’’
The Hawks, who are understood to have offered Wingard a five-year deal worth about $4 million, are slightly hamstrung at the trade table.
They have money to spend on Wingard after missing out on Gold Coast’s Tom Lynch, who joined Richmond as a free agent, and GWS’s contracted Dylan Shiel, who wants to join Essendon.
But their first draft pick this year is 15 and their next selection 35.
The Power on Thursday boldly traded selections 11, 23, 30 and 49 to Fremantle for pick 6 and a 2019 third-rounder and would have preferred to have dealt with the Bulldogs, who own pick 7.
An aggressive Port now has selections 6 and 10 and wants to get as many top-10 picks as it can to get its hands on the strong SA talent available this year.
Wingard has played 147 games and kicked 232 goals for the Power since being drafted from SANFL club Sturt at pick 6 in 2011.
An All-Australian in 2013 and 2015, the brilliant but enigmatic left-footer was the Power’s club champion at age 20 in 2013 and runner-up best and fairest in 2015.
He finished sixth in club champion voting this year.
It is understood Wingard’s management group informed the Bulldogs on Thursday afternoon that they were out of the running for his services.
This was after Wingard had reportedly met with Dogs coach Luke Beveridge to discuss his future.
Wingard would help replace retired Hawthorn champion Cyril Rioli in coach Alastair Clarkson’s forward line next season.
He is close mates with Jarman Impey, who joined the Hawks from Port last year.
andrew.capel@news.com.au