Moneyball: Follow all the latest trade, contract and draft news across the AFL
The Bombers have locked away one of their biggest names on the back of a stellar season. Meanwhile, a veteran is set to extend his storied career.
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Essendon star goal kicker Jake Stringer says his best football is yet to come after clinching a new three-year deal to stay with the Bombers.
The new contract rewards Stringer for his outstanding form this season and includes incentive-based bonuses which he can trigger with continued strong performances.
Stringer has been lauded internally for his maturity and leadership around the club and the impact he has had in a Dustin Martin-style goal kicking role from the centre square.
Stringer, 27, said he never gave any thought to exploring his options elsewhere and was determined to make the most of his next three seasons helping lead Essendon into finals.
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“As long as the club is getting some success that is all that really matters for me and I want to really play my part in that and help this footy club find its groove over these next few years,” Stringer said.
“It’s a nice relief to get it (contract) done and be locked away for another three years because I’m really looking forward to what the future holds and these next couple of weeks as well.
“I have really been able to find my feet in the team and a role that I can take with both hands and make my own, and hopefully I can continue that for the remainder of the year and grow on it for years to come.”
The Bombers are in the eight on the back of Stringer’s scintillating second half in the comeback win over North Melbourne with the game-breaker slotting another four goals.
But bigger tests loom as the Bombers prepare to take on GWS, Sydney Swans, Western Bulldogs, Gold Coast and Collingwood on the run home.
“We are still trying to take one of those big scalps which we haven’t quite been able to do as a group but we are rocking up each weekend giving our best and if we keep doing that hopefully we can play some footy in September which would be nice,” he said.
Stringer, who told News Corp this season he wasn’t ready for the spotlight or attention which followed him in the early part of his career at the kennel, praised Essendon coach Ben Rutten for the influence he had had elevating his game in 2021.
“We have numerous catch ups every couple of weeks where I sit down with him and we talk through my game and what my weeks look like,” Stringer said.
“He has put a lot of trust in me and my footy and I couldn’t be more thankful for the opportunity has given me and continues to give me and I think it’s really paying dividends.
“Everything he says is from a good place and I’m really comfortable with where I am at the footy club and he is a big reason for that.”
The Bombers face Giants at Metricon Stadium on Sunday after moving to Noosa where the club is expected to be based for at least one more week.
Essendon wants to return its players home to Melbourne as soon as possible but it is likely the Bombers will stay north until after their Round 20 game against Sydney Swans.
The Bombers struggled in the hub last year which contributed to three key players leaving but Stringer said the environment at Essendon couldn’t be faulted.
“It has been really good. It is obviously a fair bit different this time around, knowing you are only going to be here for two to three weeks,” he said.
“You can get your head around it a bit easier, but we have got a really good bunch of blokes, Jayden Laverde, Devon Smith and Zach Merrett have been my rocks up here so we are enjoying it.”
HOW TIGERS CAN PULL OF POWER-STYLE DRAFT HEIST
Richmond has the potential for the Port Adelaide-style draft heist that secured the Power Connor Rozee, Zac Butters and Xavier Duursma with its massive arsenal of early picks.
The club’s five picks within 42 selections have been well-scrutinised, but what does it actually mean from a draft value?
The Tigers have pick 10, pick 16 (tied to Geelong), pick 27 (their own second-rounder), pick 29 (tied to St Kilda) and pick 42 (tied to Gold Coast).
Those picks add up to 4213 draft points — which is in effect the draft collateral they have to trade into earlier picks or multiple first-rounders.
Port Adelaide went bang in the 2018 national draft, securing Rozee (pick 5), Butters (pick 12) and Duursma (pick 18) after deciding to trade out stars Chad Wingard and Jared Polec.
The value of those three picks five, 12 and 18 — 4131 points.
The beauty of Port’s draft haul was nailing all three picks as well as grabbing Ryan Burton from Hawthorn in the trade haul.
It was also was the club’s confidence it could secure players that would hit the ground running that allowed it to rise up the ladder again.
So the Tigers can go one of two ways:
Give up multiple first rounders — something like 10 and 27 — if they want to secure Fremantle’s Adam Cerra in a trade.
Or back in their recruiter Matthew Clark to bring in the new wave of stars.
Clark is part of a recruiting team that has nailed the likes of Shai Bolton (pick 29), Noah Balta (pick 25), Jack Graham (pick 53), Sydney Stack, Marlion Pickett and the latest in mid-season recruit Matt Parker.
DEMONS AIM TO KEEP THEIR HOOKS IN WEIDEMAN
Melbourne remains confident key forward Sam Weideman wants to stay at the club for the long-term despite being pushed out of the senior side.
The agile goal kicker is out of contract at season’s end but has not yet flagged any plans to explore a move to a rival club at the end of the year.
The Demons have strong belief Weideman has a bright future at the club even though he has been leapfrogged by new recruit Ben Brown and remains behind Tom McDonald and Luke Jackson in the forward line pecking order.
He has been out of the team since the Round 13 loss to Collingwood but the Dees are content the contract discussions will lead to his signature even if he is yet to put pen to paper.
Collingwood would be a natural fit but does not have the salary cap room to accommodate Weideman, while Gold Coast is hunting another key forward and has put its first draft pick on the table to help secure a quality marking target.
Weideman, 25, has booted only three goals from five games this season and averaged eight disposals a match, having failed to grab his chance when he was in the senior side.
The average form means even if he did demand a release he would not command a considerable bounty in return at the trade table.
The Demons brought in Brown from North Melbourne and have been thrilled with McDonald’s output this year after failing to trade him last year.
The Demons have done an outstanding job tying up their priority targets this year re-signing stars Clayton Oliver, Christian Petracca, Max Gawn and Christian Salem.
FORMER GIANT EMERGES FROM THE BLUES
Matthew Kennedy’s five-week patch at Carlton has turned into a career-saving burst after Greater Western Sydney turned the No. 28 draft pick they secured for him into the brilliant Sam Taylor.
Kennedy, a former No. 13 draft pick, had hit such a slump in form last year the Blues could not offer him a contract.
He was saved at the last minute — thrown onto the rookie list — when the club received clarity from the AFL over list sizes.
He played only 88 minutes across three games from Rounds 4-6, used as the sub twice.
But since coming back into the side in Round 14 — against the Giants — he has peeled off three 100-ranking point matches from five games, averaging 23 possessions, nine contested possessions and four clearances.
Clubs do not expect list sizes to shrink again — especially given long injury lists this year — so he is quickly playing himself into another one-year extension.
CROWS NEED TALIA TO STEP UP INJURY FREE
Restricted free agent Daniel Talia is confident he still has plenty of good AFL football left, despite a foot injury that has sidelined him all season and uncertainty about his future beyond this year.
Talia, 29, comes out of contract at the end of this season, along with Adelaide teammates Matt Crouch and Tom Lynch.
The Crows are unwilling to make a commitment to any of the three players at this stage and Melbourne clubs are eyeing their potential availability for next year.
Adelaide coach Matthew Nicks said recently the club won’t make a decision on Talia’s future until they know he is on top of his foot issues.
The dual All-Australian and one-time Crows best and fairest winner is a class defender at his best and would be an asset to a Melbourne-based club if he can get his body right.
Talia is back running again and is increasingly confident he is over his issues and can play on for multiple seasons.
HALL LOOKS GOOD FOR NEW DEAL WITH KANGAROOS
Aaron Hall’s rich vein of form across the past few months could see him rewarded with a multi-year contract with North Melbourne.
The Kangaroos started preliminary discussions with the 30-year-old’s management group a few weeks ago but were keen to see how he would perform in the second half of the season.
Hall has enjoyed a career resurgence since his move to half-back where he and skipper Jack Ziebell have assisted the young team in its development phase.
The former Suns player, who is in his third season at Arden St, has averaged 29.5 disposals since Round 7 this year.
He is ranked eighth overall for metres gained behind Brodie Smith, Jack Lukosius, Paul Seedsman, Daniel Rich, Marcus Bontempelli, Jayden Short and Christian Petracca.
Hall has played 15 games this season for the Kangaroos and has been one of driving forces in the club’s more competitive performancesin the second half of the season.
CARMODY LEAVES PLAYER MANAGEMENT FOR MEDIA
Nigel Carmody, the manager of Joe Daniher, Bachar Houli and several other AFL stars, is leaving player management to expand his burgeoning media roles.
Carmody has had to balance player management with his media career as a caller and host with Channel 7 and Racing.com in recent years.
He has been with TLA for 18-and-a-half years and will remain until the end of the 2021 football season before moving into the media full-time.
Carmody said: “I have been presented with some pretty amazing opportunities in the last few years.”
“The journey with Seven doing VFL to AFLW to AFL has been amazing. The work with Racing.com has been increasing over the lastcouple of years and that’s a space I am really passionate about as well.
“The time is right for me to have a proper crack at it.”
Carmody has loved his experience working with many great clients over the years, including for a time Shane Crawford, Nathan Buckley and Garry Lyon.
But he sees this as an opportune juncture to devote more time to his highly-regarded media hosting and calling roles.
“The balance has been really challenging, with two young kids, and effectively two jobs, but I’ve loved it,” he said.
LIONS ON THE LOOKOUT TO FILL HIPWOOD VOID
Brisbane is not prepared to hand over one of its two first-round picks for a ruck-forward but is considering rival players including Greater Western Sydney ruckman Kieren Briggs.
The Lions are short for talls after the loss of Eric Hipwood (ACL), who won’t be back until deep into 2022.
Brisbane is determined to take picks currently at 14 and 18 instead of handing them over for established talent.
But Briggs, out of contract, will start next year third in the pecking order at GWS behind Matthew Flynn and Braydon Preuss.
He is one of the rucks clubs are considering after three solid games this season.
Essendon star Matthew Lloyd told Nine on Monday he would not pay $700,000 a season for Rory Lobb, as the Suns consider whether to offer him a deal to cross the country.
The Suns are very aware of his sizeable salary and are having that discussion at list management.
But if they were to offer him a four-year deal it would likely be on reduced terms of around $550,000-$600,000 rather thanhis $700,000-per-season wage.
ROOS SECURE BONAR’S FUTURE
North Melbourne defender Aiden Bonar has signed a two-year contract extension keeping him at Arden Street until at least the end of 2023. The 22-year-old has suffered multiple injuries this season undergoing surgery on his ankle after an incident in round 8 but showed promise locking in a spot in the Roos backline. Bonar was traded to the Roos in 2019 after two seasons with Greater Western Sydney and believes the future at his second club is bright.
“We’ve been going super well … so exciting times for the club,” Bonar said.
“I’m loving it at the moment … I guess with the age demographic everyone’s sort of similar age so we’re all sort of doing the same thing so it’s easy to connect and then the older guys in Jack Ziebell, [Robbie] Tarrant and all the blokes like that, they really help out and buy-in.”
Bonar joins Will Phillips, Tom Powell and Ben McKay as recent signings.
WEIGHTMAN PUTS PEN TO PAPER
Livewire Western Bulldogs forward Cody Weightman has also put pen to paper signing a two-year extension. Weightman has been a revelation since he forced his way into a permanent spot in the Dogs forward line earlier this year managing 16 goals in nine matches. The new deal keeps him at Whitten Oval until for at least two more years but the immediate focus for the 20-year-old is the upcoming finals campaign.
“We’re building something special and growing as a group,” Weightman said.
“I’m playing with confidence and feel like this group is helping to bring out the best in me.”
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