Adelaide has the war-chest to tempt Collingwood ruckman Brodie Grundy into a homecoming

Adelaide holds the aces to bring Brodie Grundy home from Collingwood in a potential $8 million raid, with an out-of-favour Crow looming as the potential wildcard.

• Tex dodges Grundy trade talk
• Bickley: Why Crows must make big offer for Grundy
• Fight for spots as injured Crows stake claim
• Six games that will define Crows’ season
• Jenkins discusses Crows’ axing

Adelaide holds the aces to bring Brodie Grundy home from Collingwood in a multimillion-dollar play while Josh Jenkins looms as a wildcard in heavyweight trade machinations.

Grundy — a restricted free agent next year — can command a seven-year deal matching that offered by Richmond to retain Dustin Martin before its successful 2017 finals campaign.

Collingwood’s South Australian ruckman Brodie Grundy is a wanted man. Picture: Quinn Rooney/Getty Images

Richmond was able to accommodate Brownlow Medallist Martin at around $1.2 million annually but the walls are closing on Collingwood to keep the AFL’s leading ruckman Grundy.

“Brodie Grundy is in the top handful of players and plays the most specific role in the competition, a very limited commodity,” noted dual premiership skipper Mark Bickley, who first mooted a Crows swoop on Grundy.

“Dustin Martin put contract negotiations off and his form kept getting better and numbers went up and up.

“If you are Brodie Grundy, you leave it to your manager, play good footy. The pros are you can get more money and an extended deal. The negatives are you get a bad injury.

“The upside is he is playing really good footy in a really good side and can maximise that whether any discussions are on hold or not.”

Brodie Grundy, middle, celebrates with Tom Phillips, left, and Rupert Wills, right, after Collingwood’s come-from-behind win against Carlton on Saturday. Picture: AAP Image/Hamish Blair

If it chooses, Adelaide is armed with the financial war chest to tempt 203cm 25-year-old Grundy, who misses his home town. The Crows could have to outlay $7-8 million for Grundy when they traditionally don’t pay any player more than $1 million a season.

A potential No.1 draft pick — obtained from Carlton as part of last year’s controversial draft trade for Liam Stocker — could sweeten any deal to get Grundy to West Lakes next season.

If Josh Jenkins failed to regain his spot from Elliott Himmelberg then another trade path could open. Jenkins, who finished an impressive third in club champion voting last year, is contracted until 2021.

Josh Jenkins plays against Norwood in the Crows’ SANFL side earlier this month. He has been unable to win back his spot since being dropped after Round 4. Picture Dean Martin

Collingwood risks minimal compensation if Grundy chose to leave in 2020 as Adelaide found when its 2015 Malcolm Blight Medallist Patrick Dangerfield exited to Geelong.

Adelaide is set to prosper from last November’s landmark live trade for Carlton’s first-round pick. The Blues are on track to clinch the wooden spoon giving Adelaide the No.1 pick this year.

Third-ranked Adelaide offloaded its pick 19 at the 2018 draft and 2019 first round pick to Carlton.

“If that No.1 pick remains that is a pretty big inducement for Collingwood. Otherwise the Crows can wait and get him for nothing. That pre-free agency role is a big carrot,” Bickley told The Advertiser.

The Crows’ Melbourne-based list boss Justin Reid will be doing due diligence with Grundy’s management despite skipper Taylor Walker declaration on Tuesday that “it would be disrespectful to Collingwood if I was to go and say we want him”.

Collingwood has stars including Grundy, Jordan De Goey, Darcy Moore and skipper Scott Pendlebury off contract next year.

Brodie Grundy up against Crows veteran Sam Jacobs at Adelaide Oval. Picture: Daniel Kalisz/Getty Images

Veteran Crows ruckman Sam Jacobs hasn’t played since injuring a knee in Round 2 against Sydney. Jacobs’ eight-game understudy Reilly O’Brien, 23, is finding his feet at AFL level but is several seasons short of the finished article brilliant Grundy would represent for Adelaide’s engine room.

Oakleigh Chargers’ Matthew Rowell, already compared to Brisbane ball magnet Lachie Neale, is the early favourite as 2019 No.1 draft pick should Adelaide seek to bolster its midfield.