Re-sign him now or cash in, says Port great Gavin Wanganeen
Port Adelaide great Gavin Wanganeen has urged the club to sign dual All-Australian Chad Wingard to a new long-term deal or cash in at this year’s trade period.
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PORT Adelaide great Gavin Wanganeen has urged the club to sign dual All-Australian Chad Wingard to a new long-term deal or cash in at this year’s trade period.
Wanganeen says the Power cannot afford to let the star forward/midfielder, who is on the radar of the Western Bulldogs, become a restricted free agent next year and must make an urgent stay-or-go decision on his future.
“Chad is a much-loved Port Adelaide player and has the flair and excitement the club desperately needs but footy is a business now and it would be dangerous to let him go into next season falling out of contract,’’ Wanganeen told The Advertiser.
“This is a really tough one for the footy club because Chad is such a talented player but the club must look after its future and make a strong business decision.
“I’d love to see Chad stay and become a premiership player at Port but the club has to look through the long lens.
“If it’s in its best interests to move him on to get some good trade value — and there are a lot of good South Australians in this year's draft — then that’s what must happen.’’
Wingard, 25, becomes a restricted free agent at the end of next season and is understood to be commanding a deal of more than $800,000 a season.
The No. 6 draft pick in 2011 and an All-Australian in 2013 and 2015, he was once regarded by the Power as being “untouchable’’.
But rival clubs now view him as “gettable’’ after three consecutive modest seasons and Wingard this year revealing he was close to being dropped after the round 11 loss to Hawthorn before being shifted into the midfield and rediscovering his best form before fading again late in the year.
The Bulldogs are understood to be his keenest suitor while Hawthorn, whose coach Alastair Clarkson said four years ago that Wingard would be the No. 1 player from a rival club he would like to recruit if given the chance, and St Kilda also are showing interest.
It is understood the Dogs have enlisted Wingard’s close friend and former Power teammate Jackson Trengove — who joined them as a free agent from Port at the end of last season — to help talk him into making the move to the Whitten Oval.
Another one of Wingard’s best mates, Jarman Impey, was traded from the Power to Hawthorn last year, adding to his sudden interest in moving to Victoria.
Wingard, who hails from Murray Bridge, has long been happy at Port but is understood to be disappointed at the club for seemingly shopping him around after president David Koch publicly declared that “no-one is off the trade table’’.
Port, which will lose wingman Jared Polec to North Melbourne, could command the Bulldogs first draft pick (currently No. 6) for Wingard.
That would likely give it three picks in the top 10 — six, its first pick (No. 9) and the Kangaroos first selection (10).
“Port needs to have a strong conversation with Chad to see where his headspace is at,’’ said Port product Wanganeen, who won the 1993 Brownlow Medal with Essendon before returning to Adelaide to be the Power’s inaugural captain.
“If he wants to be a one-club player and commit himself for the next six or seven years then do the deal now.
"If not — or if the dollars don't add up — then the club needs to act to get as much currency as it can for him.’’
andrew.capel@news.com.au