AFL 2022: Latest trade, free agency and contract updates
Forget any thoughts of a Richmond rebuild. The Tigers are making a massive play to jump straight back into flag contention with big contract and trade moves. Here’s the latest.
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Richmond triple premiership heroes Trent Cotchin and Jack Riewoldt will play on next year in the quest for more silverware after agreeing to one-year deals on heavily discounted figures.
With the Tigers set to secure Tim Taranto in the trade period while also chasing fellow GWS mid Jacob Hopper, Richmond is throwing everything into an assault on next season which will include its two most experienced current players.
Cotchin, 32, and Riewoldt, 34 next month, have agreed to take sizeable pay cuts, but believe they can play a big role in pushing the Tigers deeper into September next year in their 16th and 17th AFL seasons respectively.
The deal to secure Cotchin was revealed recently in the Herald Sun but confirmed by the club on Tuesday, while Riewoldt announced his contract renewal on Fox Footy’s AFL 360.
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“I am going around again next year, which is exciting,” Riewoldt said. “I am really excited to be playing for the Tigers in 2023.”
“I am just an old codger who has got to (near) the end of my career who will roll around again.
“A lot has been made about me being underpaid (in 2023). I have been very lucky to have been paid extremely well (over the years).
“I am not playing for financial gain. I am playing to win a premiership.”
Riewoldt said he can’t wait to see Dustin Martin joining him and Cotchin for the start of the pre-season, looking ahead to 2023.
Cotchin initially believed 2022 would be his final season, but a strong individual year, the prospect of playing 300 games in the yellow and black and the lure of chasing a potential fourth flag has convinced him to play on again next season.
“I am really excited to be given this opportunity to continue to work with our younger Tigers across another pre-season and to hopefully play a bit of footy (with them) in the seniors next year,” Cotchin said.
“As you get closer to the end of your career, you don’t know when it is going to come but I feel as though I contributed from a football point of view relatively well for the majority of the season.”
Cotchin said the enjoyment his kids are getting from watching him play and his belief in the group played key roles in his decision-making.
“The plan probably was not initially to go again, but I think that changed for a number of reasons; one my body and also that you are a long time retired, I had that nagging away in the back of my head,” he said.
“Something that really came to fruition this year as well was the joy it brought my kids.
“Having that additional purpose of not just trying my best for me and for our team, but also playing and really enjoying the journey of AFL footy and the Richmond Tigers (with them).”
Cotchin’s decision to play on means he could become the sixth Richmond player to push through the 300-game barrier. He needs 13 more games next year and he will join the likes of Kevin Bartlett (403), Jack Riewoldt (326), Jack Dyer (311), Shane Edwards (303) and Francis Bourke (300) in an elite Tigers’ club.
The No.2 draft selection from 2007 led Richmond to three premierships (2017, 2019 and 2020) as captain before handing the reins at the end of 2021.
Riewoldt said he was still “p--ed off” with the way Richmond had bowed out of the season. He joked on Fox Footy that the AFL’s new broadcast deal would mean the league could afford the best cameras to ensure the ARC goal review system would be even more accurate next year.
CATS MOVE EARLY TO RE-SIGN STENGLE
Geelong is open to an early extension for star All-Australian goalsneak Tyson Stengle over summer after a life-changing move to the Cattery.
Stengle signed a two-year deal with the club which secured him amid strong interest from multiple clubs and he has responded with a brilliant 46-goal season.
But just as importantly for the Cats he has been able to turn a new page after leaving Adelaide through offences including drink driving and being caught with cocaine.
Stengle splits his time renting in Torquay and staying with good friend and confidante Eddie Betts in Melbourne but has thrived with the club’s pastoral care.
Geelong and Stengle aren’t in any hurry given there is a premiership to win but locking him away over summer would give him some financial security.
The Cats don’t have concerns that they need to keep him out of contract for 2023 to ensure he stays hungry to perform.
Coach Chris Scott told the club’s podcast recently he was thrilled the club could play a part in his turnaround.
“Forget about his footy for a second. Tyson‘s life now, compared to 12 months ago, is exponentially better and so that makes the hairs of the back of my neck stand up as much as talking about what we’ve got in front of us the next four weeks.”
ROOS CONFIDENT RUCK CHAMPION WILL STAY
North Melbourne is optimistic about securing unrestricted free agent Todd Goldstein after strong progress on recent contract negotiations.
Goldstein has made no secret of his desire to play on for multiple years but has always remained loyal to North Melbourne and is only five games short of the 300-match milestone.
The Roos would get almost nothing for him as a 34-year-old free agent but his form is still exceptional after he played all 22 home-and-away games averaging 94 ranking points.
His capacity to go forward and kick 16 goals was just as important with Tristan Xerri needing ruck time as he emerges as a Roos regular.
Goldstein would join AFL games record-holder Brent Harvey, Drew Petrie, Glenn Archer, Wayne Schimmelbusch and Adam Simpson on 300 games for the Roos.
The Roos signed up 22-year-old wingman Curtis Taylor on a two-year deal on Monday after a breakout season on the wing.
North Melbourne has expressed interest in St Kilda’s Brad Hill but there is little movement yet given the Saints aren’t desperate to lose him.
They wouldn’t want to pay any of his $800,000 salary at a new club and would want a reasonable pick for the 29-year-old.
With so much time ahead of the trade period it could easily still happen but might depend upon the number of priority picks the Roos are handed given St Kilda doesn’t need to do North Melbourne any favours.
DOCKER OFFER UNLIKELY TO BE ENOUGH
Fremantle upped its offer to $500,000 a season for Griffin Logue but it still won’t be enough to keep him at the club as Victorian rivals circle.
Logue, wingman Blake Acres and key forward Rory Lobb will put in trade requests when Fremantle’s campaign finishes, with the Dockers still well-stocked for talent given the emergence of No. 1 pick Jye Amiss.
Logue’s initial offer was about half of that figure but Victorian clubs including North Melbourne are clamouring to secure a lockdown defender who can go forward.
The Roos have entered the picture late but aren’t seen to be the favourite at this stage.
Acres is a lock to get to Carlton on a three-year deal of about $1 million after being lowballed on a number of contract offers by the Dockers.
SUNS DEAL INVITING FOR PROVEN DOG
Gold Coast has had only preliminary talks with Dogs free agent Jason Johannisen but their main pitch is returning him to the position where he won a Norm Smith Medal.
The Suns are adamant he hasn’t been offered a three-year deal but that is likely what would be required to secure the hard-charging defender.
He has been pushed to half forward but as a free agent could pick his choice of club and the Suns have ample opportunity given ACL tears to Connor Budarick, Lachie Weller and Wil Powell.
He kicked eight goals in his eight games in an injury-hit year playing as a forward but would maximise his gifts in defence.
The Suns won’t attempt to find a replacement for small forward Izak Rankine — leaving for Adelaide — believing Izak Rankine, Ben Ainsworth and Joel Jeffrey can fill that void with Ben King returning to shore up their attacking stocks next year.
SCHACHE WAITING ON FUTURE CALL
Josh Schache is waiting on a decision from the Dogs about his future but is desperate to continue his career somewhere if he is moved on after five years at the Dogs.
He played only seven games this year but finished his VFL season with consecutive seven-goal hauls and averaged 2.6 goals for the season in that competition.
With Rory Lobb arriving at the club it should only bolster Tim English’s damaging play after his improved his tap work in the best season of his career.
Five times this year had had double-figure hit-outs to advantage, which was a weakness of his play as a round-the-ground ruckman in previous years.
What critics bashing Tigers’ Taranto offer have got wrong
When you are in a street-fight with a dangerous foe it pays to strike at their most vulnerable areas.
For Greater Western Sydney, so desperate to keep their No. 2 overall pick in Tim Taranto, a monster offer from a rival club was always likely to pry him loose.
But for the Giants especially, the long-term nature of the seven-year deal Richmond has offered was always their version of getting a low blow that ends the fight.
GWS knows it is already saddled with a bunch of long-term deals to Josh Kelly (2029), Stephen Coniglio (2026) and Lachie Whitfield (2027) so could never risk that type of tenure, even for a player that loves the club.
So the Tigers will get their man and that deal, revealed by the Sunday Herald Sun, will also ward off Collingwood’s strong interest.
One of these days a seven-year deal will backfire spectacularly on a club, and it arguably already has given Collingwood is prepared to pay $300,000 of Brodie Grundy’s $1 million a year deal for the next five years.
But if some recency bias means Taranto has tumbled down the list of hot emerging mids, he should prove a spectacularly good addition to Richmond’s midfield.
This year everyone is wild about Josh Dunkley, who amassed 585 touches, 101 clearances and 18 goals in his brilliant season playing midfield and forward.
Taranto battled a grumbly back injury and concussion this year, but as recently as last season he amassed 637 possessions, kicked 13 goals, had 103 clearances and was awarded 15 Brownlow votes.
When played as a pure mid in 2019 he had 721 touches, averaged five clearances, still kicked 11 goals, was rated the Giants best grand final performer and won the best-and-fairest.
He has never been a great kick but playing as a mid forward this year he was elite for disposals, contested possessions and pressure and a surprising above average for inside-50 kicks.
The same critics who bashed Richmond for trading picks 6 for Dion Prestia and pick 24 (which was on-traded for dual premiership player Josh Caddy) have lined up to kick a seven-year deal.
It doesn’t make Richmond immune from future mistakes but look at their record.
The only players secured from other clubs on the entire list next year will be Tom Lynch, Toby Nankervis, Dion Prestia and Robbie Tarrant.
Carlton had 18 this year, Essendon and Geelong 10.
If they had drafted at pick six (it slid to pick 7) in the Prestia year their options were Jack Scrimshaw, Griffin Logue, Will Brodie and Jack Bowes.
The same year they used the Tyrone Vickery compo pick on a skinny kid called Shai Bolton.
They got Nankervis for pick 46, and he is now a triple premiership co-captain and only 28 years of age.
Lynch was a free agent who cost them millions but nothing from a trade perspective.
Richmond has always been fairly miserly with contract offers for its mid-tier players and if Lynch and Dustin Martin will be on seven figures next year surely Jack Riewoldt and Trent Cotchin will play for much less than 2022.
If this is a monster mistake then at least it is targeted and done with a 24-year-old inside beast with flawless character.
Even the last years of the seven-year deal will be fulfilled with the collective bargaining agreement having risen twice that time.
At least the Tigers know exactly what they want.
At Melbourne they seem to be fixing their forward needs by trading for Brodie Grundy when it would push Max Gawn out of his preferred position and into a role where he has kicked two goals in eight games.
Taranto has the traits and qualities that will help fill in the gaps for Richmond to play exactly how they want to in the next five years.
He might not be flashy enough to win the Brownlow Medal, but if Shai Bolton does next year in a Richmond team that returns to the top four, Taranto’s acquisition might have helped make it possible.
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