Brisbane free-agent midfielder Tom Rockliff is poised to sign with Port Adelaide rather than Lions or Carlton
UPDATE: Port Adelaide’s chase for free agents in the AFL trade period is expected to land Brisbane midfielder Tom Rockliff – but there is speculation on Jarman Impey’s future at the club.
PORT Adelaide appears to have won the eager race — against Carlton — for Brisbane free-agent Tom Rockliff.
And the knock-on result of the Power securing the 27-year-old former Lions captain might be Carlton becoming more reluctant to trade out contracted midfielder Bryce Gibbs to Adelaide.
Rockliff, an All-Australian in 2014, is expected to declare his intent to take up free agency — and join the Power — on Thursday, the eve of the free-agent market opening.
Port Adelaide football boss Chris Davies confirmed on Wednesday morning free agent Rockliff wanted to be at Alberton next year.
“I got it (confirmation) through Jason Cripps our list manager last night. It wasn’t too long after the news had broke that Tom had made Carlton aware,” Davies told AFL Trade Radio.
“We’re pleased Tom has shown a willingness to come to our footy club. Now it’s up to us to work with his management.
“We’re in a position where we think Tom can add to a pretty strong midfield already. We’re rapt we’re in this position.
“We think (Tom) wants to go to a club that gives him the best chance to play finals.”
Rockliff is a restricted free agent. But it is highly unlikely that the Lions will block the Victorian’s free pass to Alberton when the AFL is prepared to compensate Brisbane with a first-round draft pick for losing the 154-game inside midfielder.
Carlton’s willingness to consider a second bid by Adelaide to gain Gibbs in the AFL trade period — that opens on Monday — was heavily based on covering the South Australian with Rockliff’s arrival at Princes Park.
Port Adelaide flagged its interest in Rockliff during the AFL mid-season break when he is understood to have toured Alberton and met key Power officials with his manager.
Brisbane coach Chris Fagan said on Wednesday there was still a bit to play out on the move and the Lions may choose to match Port’s deal.
“We don’t know what Port Adelaide’s offer is,” Fagan told RSN.
“We may choose to match it because he’s a restricted free agent.
“(But) it’s not the end of the world. You do get a compensation pick if he does go and that will be a good player for sure, because it’ll be somewhere in the top 20. So it could be good for Tom and it could be good for the footy club.
“You’re a little bit disappointed because a lot of work did go into Tom during the year, but Tom put a lot of work in himself, too.”
The Lions currently hold pick No.1 as well as Port Adelaide’s first-round pick - No.12 - and the first pick in the second round, pick No.18.
Port Adelaide could be a major player in the free-agency market. It has utility Jackson Trengove ready to declare his intent to join the Western Bulldogs by accepting a four-year deal to return to Victoria.
The club is also still holding out hope on out-of-favour Melbourne forward Jack Watts, despite him expressing a desire to stay in Melbourne.
“We think we are still in with a chance. Until we are told otherwise we will continue to fight for the players we want to get into the club,” Davies told AFL Trade Radio on Wednesday.
Davies also addressed rumours Jarman Impey, who has a year left on his contract, was keen to return to Victoria. He said while a required player, Port would be willing to look at any offers.
“You never say never in these types of situations. Jars is someone the club has put enormous faith in during his time at the club. He’s 21 years old and he’s played 75 games he’s certainly a player that Ken (Hinkley) likes,” Davies said.
“He’s out of contract end of next year. As with many players nowadays, they look at what their options are I guess earlier than they used to and Jarman is in that boat. We understand the nature of the trade period. Losing someone like Jarman is not something we necessarily want to contemplate. If Jarman wants to go, then we’ll have to seriously consider what that looks like but right now we are planning on having Jarman in our forward line in 2018.”
But the chase for Geelong restricted free agent Steve Motlop — to add more firepower to the Power attack — has been complicated by multiple offers to the 26-year-old Northern Territorian.
Motlop toured Gold Coast on Tuesday after earlier considering offers from Adelaide and West Coast, along with Geelong.
Originally published as Brisbane free-agent midfielder Tom Rockliff is poised to sign with Port Adelaide rather than Lions or Carlton
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