Alex Keath tells Crows he wants to stay with the club as negotiations on a new deal begin
The reigning Showdown Medallist and one of Adelaide’s 2019 revelations has told the club he wants to stay as the two parties open talks on a new contract, his manager has revealed.
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Reigning Showdown Medallist Alex Keath has told Adelaide he wants to stay at the club as the two parties open talks on a new contract beyond this year.
The 27-year-old Victorian has been a revelation in defence this season and is in All-Australian contention after making his transition from cricket to AFL football complete.
Keath went into this season unsure of his spot in the side but has played every game and after Round 15 is ranked second in the competition for intercept possessions and fourth for intercept marks.
The two-year contract he signed in 2017 is due to expire this season but he has told the Crows he is happy in Adelaide and his preference is to re-sign with the club.
“That’s exactly right,” his agent Neil McMullin from OMP Sports Management told The Advertiser on Monday.
“It’s going at a measured pace.
“There is no real urgency on either party in the negotiating, everyone is relaxed about it.
“With any two parties there is toing and froing and if we get down to the nitty gritty we are at the point where we are waiting for something from the club.”
Negotiations will centre on the length and value of Keath’s new contract but McMullin would not comment on specifics or whether Keath’s preference was for a long-term deal in the ballpark of 3-4 years.
“They (Adelaide) have a number of different players they are trying to deal with, so they have a lot more to do than we do,” he said.
Keath’s stunning form this year could reportedly earn him up north of $600,000-a-season if rumoured interest from interstate clubs is genuine. A Fox Footy report last month said Melbourne was considering making a play for him.
If Adelaide offers that type of pay rise it would put Keath in the top bracket of players at the club alongside the likes of Josh Jenkins and Rory Sloane.
Keath walked away from a promising cricket career to pursue his AFL dream with Adelaide and has risen from a Category B rookie to become one of the first picked at West Lakes every week.
The versatile defender captained Adelaide’s SANFL side before making his AFL debut in 2017 and has now played 26 senior games.
Crows coach Don Pyke last week said the club’s priority was re-signing its uncontracted talent before worrying about end-of-season trades or draft picks.
“Clearly we’ve got some guys on our list that we want to re-sign … all of the machinations that go with trading, from this point on it starts to really build as guys who are either out of contract or free agents and that whole circus will start kicking off shortly,” Pyke said on FIVEaa.
“My priority, or our club’s priority, is to firstly try to re-contract the guys who we value, who we think are going to have great careers for us and keep them on board the list.
“Then we’ll assess the list and the needs and what we need to add from there.”
Pyke wouldn’t comment on individuals but asked about Keath, ruckman Reilly O’Brien and midfielder/forward Hugh Greenwood, he described them as “required players”.
“Clearly we’re engaged with those guys and in discussions and trying to come to some arrangement, they’re all required players so hopefully we can keep those things moving forward and get something done.”
Riley Knight, Jake Kelly, Richard Douglas and Sam Jacobs are other Crows coming out of contract this season.
reece.homfray@news.com.au
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