Veteran Adelaide Crows ruckman Sam Jacobs has been heavily courted by GWS but must decide which incentive-based deal suits
Veteran Crows ruckman Sam Jacobs must consider an incentive component as part of a longer-term offer from preliminary final-bound Greater Western Sydney before taking flight from West Lakes.
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Sam Jacobs is odds on to join GWS but incentive-based deals to fly north or remain with Adelaide are complicating a final decision on the ruckman’s future.
Jacobs would prefer the security of a two-year contract at Greater Western Sydney but must predict where he will play the maximum amount of games in 2020 and beyond.
Veteran ruckman Jacobs will rely on games played to maximise total payments in any deal.
Jacobs, 31, must bank on displacing Shane Mumford — who wants to continue in 2020 but is waning — and Dawson Simpson at the Giants.
Mumford, 33, has fronted 18 times this season but struggled to stay on his legs against counterpart Stefan Martin in GWs’s semi-final win against Brisbane, conceding eight free kicks.
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Emerging big-man Matthew Flynn, 21, tore his anterior ligament in July meaning the GWS academy graduate will miss most of next season.
While a switch to western Sydney would extend his career there would also be relocation costs and lifestyle considerations that 200cm Jacobs wouldn’t face in Adelaide. Jacobs would have to accept year-to-year deals to remain in Adelaide but avoid uprooting his family.
If form or injury curtails Reilly O’Brien then Jacobs would get a free run at West Lakes barring any blockbuster move for homesick Collingwood superstar Brodie Grundy.
He managed just five games in Adelaide’s dismal 2019 campaign but GWS football director Jimmy Bartel confirmed strong interest in Jacobs.
“He has been a super player for a long time and originally went over to Carlton then the Crows and had an amazing career there,” said Bartel.
“He plays pretty much 100 per cent game time in the ruck. He has got incredible fitness, is a big bloke and can win a lot of hit-outs.”
The Giants can swoop when restricted free agency offer and unrestricted free agency period starts on Friday October 4. A player can’t accept a contract until the free-agency window opens.
“We will be looking around for a ruckman because we got big Mummy out of retirement. Dawson Simpson is coming to the end. We have two young ruckmen on our list but one of them suffered an ACL injury so he will be coming back from that,” Bartel told Macquarie Sports Radio.
“Big Sauce is towards the tailend of his career but still a super player. We will be kicking the tyres on him to see if he wants to come up to western Sydney.
“We will have a look at ruckman whether that be in the draft or trade period.”
Jacobs has already completed medicals with interstate clubs including Carlton but GWS has shown concrete interest since the 201-game Crow fell out of favour at West Lakes.
Jacobs hurt his right knee against Sydney in round 2 and required surgery before featuring in Adelaide’s three season ending losses.
Jacobs, contracted favourite Eddie Betts, defender Alex Keath and Cam Ellis-Yolmen are expected to leave Adelaide pending a list overhaul and arrival of a head coach to succeed Don Pyke.