North Melbourne, St Kilda must make Josh Kelly an offer he can’t refuse, writes Mark Robinson

INSTEAD of being resigned to Josh Kelly staying at GWS, North Melbourne must up the ante and throw more money at him, and St Kilda should also get adventurous, writes MARK ROBINSON.

Josh Kelly hasn’t re-signed with GWS yet. Picture: Getty Images

SOMETIMES, all you have left to bargain with is money. It’s why North Melbourne and St Kilda need a revised wrecking-ball approach to entice Josh Kelly from Greater Western Sydney.

The Giants believe Kelly will re-sign for two years and the Kangas and the Saints are probably resigned to that pathway.

So, it’s time they upped their ante.

North Melbourne has offered $9 million over nine years — and it could be more.

Whatever it is, they should increase that offer to $12 million over nine years.

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Another $300,000 a year just might be the difference.

If it isn’t nine years they should ponder a five-year offer worth, say, $7.5 million and renegotiate when he’s 28.

They’re already in for a penny, they might as well be in for the pound.

It would completely wipe out a deal with the Giants, said to be offering a two-year contract extension and it would have to be $750,000-800,000 a season.

The Kangas have more than a war chest — they are a bank.

The retirements last year of Brent Harvey, Nick Dal Santo, Drew Petrie and Mick Firrito, plus the anticipated $2 million increase in the salary cap, mean the Kangas have the money to go all-in.

Josh Kelly may be enticed south if they money’s big enough. Picture: Michael Klein

A five-year deal at $7.5 million is not beyond them. If Dustin Martin, who is another target, wants to join Kelly, the figures would have to be revised. Still, they would be north of a million for both of them.

They are staggering sums, but this is the new world order.

A figure hasn’t been linked to St Kilda, but they, too, should get adventurous.

They should today walk into the office of Kelly’s manager, Paul Connors, and plonk down a guarantee in writing there’s $12 million in the salary cap for the next nine years for the best young midfield talent in the competition.

They need to blow Kelly’s mind and blow up North Melbourne’s offer.

The Saints and North won’t get Kelly otherwise.

He’s 22 and, while GWS being in the premiership window will challenge his thinking, it would be foolhardy to knock it back.

If he stays, he knows the risk. He could suffer a career-ending injury in any match and lose everything.

Any new deal with the Kangas or Saints would guarantee his money.

This is not about incentives — which includes best and fairest wins, Brownlow Medal finishes and All-Australian selection — this is about cash for the next five or nine years. In the hand.

GWS is confident, but they should be worried because the Herald Sun believes the Kangas at least are prepared to go bigger than their nine for nine.

The risk is also there for North Melbourne and St Kilda.

If they rip Kelly from the Giants, they are in for the pound for a long time.

A career-ending injury means they will have to put Kelly’s salary into their cap for the duration of the contract.

Is it a risk worth taking?

If neither of those teams does, another team will because there will always be a buyer for elite talent. The Bombers want Dustin Martin so why wouldn’t they want Kelly as well.

A trade would be difficult, but let’s deal with one hurdle at a time.

St Kilda has first-round picks in the bunker and would need to give the Giants two.

North Melbourne should go harder to get Josh Kelly. Picture: Getty Images

North would probably entertain picks and player(s).

Kelly remains gettable because he hasn’t re-signed.

He said this week: “Right now it’s something I’m just trying not to think about, I’ll think about that at a time when that’s right and right now I’m just focusing on my footy.”

Reckon seven point five over five years would have him thinking.

“I’m feeling no pressure from the club at all which has been fantastic,” he said.

“I’m happy with where I am, the club’s happy and my manager’s happy.”

He said everything perfectly except: I want to stay at the Giants.

His stunning rise this year is one of the joys in football. He’s skilled, wins inside and outside ball, and is a big moments player in tight games.

The contract stuff hasn’t fazed him. His past four weeks have returned 28, 36, 32 and 29 disposals, he’s averaging six tackles a game, five clearances and is double-figures in contested ball in nine of his 10 games.

He hasn’t the blitz of Chris Judd as a youngster, but talent-wise is up there beside the dual Brownlow medallist.

North and probably St Kilda have already offered him a deal he probably can’t refuse.

It’s time to go again and drop the probably.

Originally published as North Melbourne, St Kilda must make Josh Kelly an offer he can’t refuse, writes Mark Robinson