It is Adelaide Crows or Fremantle Dockers for young West Australian forward Mitch McGovern

YOUNG Crows forward Mitch McGovern’s future rests at two AFL clubs — Adelaide or Fremantle

ONE FALLS: West Coast is no longer in the chase for Crows forward Mitch McGovern who now has to choose between a go-home deal with Fremantle or an extended stay at Adelaide. Picture Sarah Reed.

ADELAIDE is offering out-of-contract forward Mitch McGovern more — and has fewer AFL suitors to beat in the big-dollar auction for the versatile West Australian.

West Coast has taken itself out of the bidding game for the 22-year-old McGovern, ending the speculation he would be lured to the Eagles to join his older brother Jeremy in a go-home deal.

This leaves Adelaide to contend with the reported five-year, $3.75 million offer from the Dockers.

The Crows — perhaps with the expectation of losing out-of-contract defender Jake Lever in a go-home move to Victoria — have moved on the first offer to McGovern that is said to have offended his management team. This was reportedly a two-year deal on the base of $370,000 a season.

Negotiations have progressed at West Lakes to have the latest offer to McGovern from the Crows described as “substantially” enhanced — but still short of the Dockers’ prospective deal.

Lever earlier this week lost the Western Bulldogs as one of his Victorian suitors. These are now Melbourne, Collingwood and Hawthorn. A decision on his future is expected to be delayed until the end of Adelaide’s promising finals campaign that could end the Crows’ 19-year premiership drought.

McGovern will return to Perth at the weekend as Adelaide closes its home-and-away series against West Coast while Subiaco Oval is closed as an AFL venue. The Eagles and Dockers next season will be based at the new 60,000-seat Perth Stadium.

McGovern joined Adelaide as a third-round pick (No. 43) in the 2014 AFL national draft.

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