Moneyball: Get the latest trade, draft, free agency and list news from around the AFL
Brisbane coach Chris Fagan says the Lions will explore all options to improve their playing list after Saturday’s preliminary final loss to Geelong – and that landing Joe Daniher is priority number one. ALL THE LATEST TRADE NEWS
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Brisbane coach Chris Fagan says Joe Daniher could help the Lions go one step farther next season following their preliminary final loss to Geelong at the Gabba on Saturday night.
The hosts struggled to hit the scoreboard against the well-drilled, stingy Cats defence, managing just six goals – which came through Charlie Cameron (two), midfielder Lachie Neale (two), Eric Hipwood and Cam Rayner.
Tall timber Daniel McStay was held goalless, registering only the one behind.
Essendon spearhead Daniher told the Bombers earlier this month that he wanted out of the club, with the Lions his preferred destination.
Seen as an untapped talent, the 26-year-old has yet to reach his full potential after being plagued with injuries throughout his eight seasons in the AFL – restricting him to 108 games.
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Asked post-game what Brisbane would need to do over summer to fill any holes in their list, in order to make the jump into possibly a grand final next year, Fagan was forthright in outlining the club’s position on Daniher.
“Probably in the next few days we’ll start to think about that, watch the tape, assess the game,” he said.
“We’re obviously pretty keen to get Joe Daniher to our club, I think he can help.
“We’re already in the business of improving for next year, we won’t let the grass grow under our feet.”
Addressing the performance of the Lions’ talls against Geelong, Fagan said while Hipwood and McStay “weren’t at their best”, both would be back bigger and better next season.
“Those two boys have been really good for us this year,” he said.
“It’s easy to look at a preliminary final and overexaggerate a performance one way or another.
“They weren’t at their best tonight (Saturday) clearly – and they’ll be the first ones to tell you they weren’t – but both of them have made big contributions this year and have bright futures.”
IS CROUCH TO PORT TALK REAL?
Speculation linking Adelaide midfielder Brad Crouch to a move to cross-town rival Port Adelaide is all but dead.
The 26-year-old is yet to re-sign with the Crows who are waiting to see offers from rival clubs before deciding on whether to match them for the free agent.
The Power has been linked to Crouch for weeks after he made it clear his preference was to stay in Adelaide where he is settled off the field.
But Port Adelaide was never really in the race when Crouch priced himself out of reach both in value and length of the contract he was seeking.
Compounding that was the belief that Adelaide would match a bid by its fierce rival for the Crows’ 2019 best-and-fairest to prevent him walking to Alberton without adequate compensation.
The Crows remain hopeful if Crouch leaves on a long-term, big-money offer then they will receive Pick No.2 in this year’s draft.
“I think it’s highly unlikely that Brad Crouch is at Port Adelaide,” Power football manager Chris Davies told ABC Grandstand on Saturday.
“I don’t think you can ever have enough midfield depth it’s more about what our priorities are at the moment and what Brad is going to be asking for in the marketplace and ultimately whether a deal could get done at the level that our club would be willing to pay.
“Adelaide have been clear in saying they’re going to wait and see the offers that Brad is presented and then contemplate whether they want to match those or not.
“I’m not sure how or who starts these types of things that link the club heavily with someone like Brad, I think it’s highly unlikely in the modern era that a player goes from Adelaide to Port Adelaide (or vice versa) in the case of free agency, I just couldn’t see that happening in the short term.”
Crouch’s asking price has taken a significant hit in the past 12 months with the impact of COVID-19 on the salary cap and player wages, a drop-off in form, recurring battle with injuries and his two-game ban for being caught with drugs in the city last month.
The midfielder will miss the first two games of next season after the AFL penalised him and teammate Tyson Stengle for conduct unbecoming.
Geelong and Gold Coast are among the clubs believed to be in the mix for his services next season.
DONS ADDRESS MERRETT, SMITH TRADE TALK
Essendon has told supporters stars Zach Merrett and Devon Smith have pledged their futures to the club as president Paul Brasher launched an exhaustive review of the club’s football program.
Brasher promised a “brutally honest” review to assess why the club had lost key players including Adam Saad and Joe Daniher that will see him interview people within and outside of the club.
The Herald Sun understands Esendon is prepared to offer Jye Caldwell a five-season deal to lure him to the Dons as well as the centre-square opportunities to help him grow into an elite inside midfielder.
Caldwell is expected to make his decision about whether to leave GWS next week as the Saints and Essendon attempt to drag him out of the Giants.
St Kilda sees him as the perfect player to round out a midfield that will see Jade Gresham return from a back stress fracture next year after a semi-final exit.
But Essendon’s five-year offer shows how determined they are to secure him and they can offer as much opportunity as he wants to play as a pure inside midfielder.
The club is also interested in Ben Brown, with rival clubs believing Orazio Fantasia toured Adelaide facilities over the weekend and is likely to nominate Adelaide as his new home.
But meanwhile Brasher will dig deep into the club’s exodus after a scheduled board meeting on Thursday.
He said the club would not lose Merrett or Smith despite a flood of rumours about them wanting out.
“Last weekend I had a call from somebody telling me as an absolute fact that Zach Merrett had handed in his resignation the day before,” Brasher said.
“I was speaking to Zach over the weekend and he assured me there was no truth in that and he’s looking forward to a big 2021.
“Devon Smith has been the focus of some of those rumours. Again, Devon has assured us he’s got no interest in looking anywhere and he’s also looking forward to a big 2021.”
He said the club would speak to a “sizeable sample” of personnel inside the club to consider the club’s failures, with Essendon not having won a final since 2014.
“I have been talking to a lot of people within the club and outside to begin to get a feel for what is happening and where we are. While I don’t necessarily agree with everything I hear, I do listen and I, along with the Board, take it seriously.
“In the coming weeks, we will do much more of this. We can’t speak to everybody, but we will make sure we choose a sizeable sample right across our various demographics, including some players who have left the club. If any players or staff who are not included in the sample want to be heard, we will give them that opportunity to be heard.”
“I will do as many interviews as I can personally and will involve other board members as needed.
“In the case of football staff and players, I will have with me one of Sean Wellman, Simon Madden or Kevin Sheedy to pick up the nuances that I or other Board members might miss.
“I will also continue to talk to people outside the club as we go forward.”
WHY EDDIE’S NEW DEAL HAS BEEN DELAYED
Eddie Betts couldn’t guarantee he would be pulling on a jumper at Carlton in 2021 this week but his playing future is a done deal.
The Blues are a certainty to offer him a contract to play on but the holdup in his contract involves off-field matters.
Betts was to have worked on some of the club’s indigenous programs this year through their next generation academy but instead spent months in the hub.
He also has a slab of his contract tied up in the club’s additional services arrangement given his massive marketing pull.
The club is in no hurry to tie up the contract for those matters pushing into 2021.
But there is no danger of the club reneging on the deal for him to play on even if they could secure a Tom Papley-style forward.
WILL EVERY PLAYER TAKE THE SAME PAY CUT?
AFL clubs are pushing for the league to enact a universal clause that would see every contract altered by a set percentage if the AFLPA does agree to a pay cut under the collective bargaining agreement.
The AFL and PA are working away on a model, which every club expecting some type of cut but perhaps something of 10 per cent or less.
Many clubs are now only signing new contracts with clauses that state a player’s wage will lift or drop in line with the new CBA agreement.
But if the AFL does cut the 2021 salary cap by around 10 per cent, it would make more sense for every player to take the identical cut.
List managers don’t want to have to haggle with every player on their list to get under the cap.
The PA is likely to make non-negotiable a “claw-back” clause, which would see the players recoup money if the league’s estimates on total 2021 revenue turn out to be pessimistic.
It would mean they could take an initial pay cut but if crowds return and finances rebound they don’t lose out in the end.
ROOS TO STAY PUT
Polec was dropped when the Roos set him the impossible task of playing on Patrick Cripps, with North Melbourne believing he too often played on his own terms.
But despite speculation of Melbourne’s interest he hasn’t heard a thing and the Roos expect to have him on their list.
Same goes for Aaron Hall despite consistent talk he will be paid out by the Roos.
He isn’t everyone’s cup of tea as a player and hasn’t responded well to robust criticism of his game by coaches but his attacking skills are undoubted.
The North Melbourne players had a meeting this week amid uncertainty about their futures given the widespread list turnover.
Senior players were instrumental in handing over feedback about some of the coaches after a disastrous few months in hublife, which saw some move on.
But the club has a series of payout clauses and redundancy figures which will limit the financial damage to the Roos.
It still leaves the likes of Jade Rawlings feeling like they were sold a false promise after he left Melbourne to accept a three-year North Melbourne contract but was dumped only a year in.
WHY GOLDY WANTS TO BE A ONE-CLUB PLAYER
North Melbourne ruckman Todd Goldstein won’t be traded as he looks to round out his glittering career as a one-club player.
The veteran big man has been linked to a move to Western Bulldogs to help partner Tim English but Goldstein has made clear he has no interest in pursuing a move.
It guarantees Goldstein will be in blue and white in 2021 as the Roos look to make as many as 14 changes after delisting 11 players.
Rebounding defender Jamie Macmillan, 29, was one who got the chop, surprising some.
Talk swept recruiting circles and the Roos’ playing ranks this week that the Roos were considering reversing the decision and offering the backman a contract in the belief he could still play 15+ games for the club next year.
But Macmillan has no plans to play AFL next year and has not had contact with key officials at the club since he left the hub two months ago for the birth of his first child.
SYDNEY SET FOR ANOTHER DRAFT BONANZA
Sydney is set to gain by a perfectly placed top 10 draft pick, again cashing in on the pipeline which has seen it secure father-son and academy selections like Isaac Heeney, Nick Blakey and Callum Mills.
Clubs are raving about the Swans’ two academy players in Braeden Campbell and Errol Goulden, both definite first-rounders.
Sydney has the No.3 overall pick in the 2020 national draft – which will push to four when Jamar Ugle-Hagan is taken – and it gives the Swans the perfect chance to go tall or small at the draft if it keeps the pick.
There is a chance the best midfielder will be available in Victoria’s Elijah Hollands or they might secure a tall like WA’s 195cm defender Denver Granger-Barrass.
But it gives them an extra pick before they are likely to have to match bids for 180cm midfielder Campbell, a definite top-10 selection, then 171cm midfielder Goulden, less explosive than match-winner Campbell but more consistent.
Sydney was able to wait until pick 10 for Blakey and instead of their next pick shuffling back in the order, they traded it out first then traded back into the second round to secure an extra selection.
So not only have they kept Tom Papley, they will secure three of the premier players in the draft’s top 30 to add to their stockpile of young talent.
AGENTS’ DRAFT MOVEMENTS
Player agent Ben Williams has struck gold signing up two of this year’s top draft prospects.
Williams, a director of Players Ink Sport and Media, manages gun key forward Logan McDonald and star ruck-forward Riley Thilthorpe, who are tipped to go No. 2 and No. 3 in this year’s draft.
Robbie D’Orazio, from Connors Sports, looks after the potential No. 1 draft pick Jamarra Ugle-Hagan who will head to Western Bulldogs as a next generation academy selection.
Adelaide, North Melbourne and Sydney Swans hold the first three picks in this year’s draft but the Dogs could shoot to the front of the queue to match a bid for Ugle-Hagan, making the other clubs all shuffle back one selection.
The next generation academy system is set to change for next year following confirmation from the AFL it was under review.
STEVIE J HOLDS SWAY
Don’t underestimate Steve Johnson’s role in the Giants’ battle to re-sign Jeremy Cameron.
Johnson has recently signed a deal to be Cameron’s forwards coach at GWS after a stint at Sydney Swans.
It is known Cameron is a big fan of Johnson’s and is excited about the close mates potentially going back to work together next season.
Johnson was on hand as Cameron met GWS chief executive Dave Matthews and Channel 7 boss James Warburton at flashy Sydney restaurant Rockpool on Wednesday.
While Warburton is believed to have spoken to Cameron about the opportunities for him in Sydney, Johnson was talking up the Giants’ prospects on the field after a disappointing 2020 season missing finals.
GWS remains confident Cameron will re-sign and get back to his best in 2021 after taking out the Coleman Medal with an average three goals a game in 2019.
IS SANDY DRAGON THE NEXT MARK BLICAVS?
Melbourne Grammar Year 12 student Max Holmes has a great pedigree and a reputation as a draft bolter given his mother is former Olympic and Commonwealth Games runner Lee Naylor.
Holmes is a national 400m hurdles star but the issue for recruiters is they don’t have much vision of him given he broke his arm last year and has been unable to take the field with COVID this season.
So after only three total games for Melbourne Grammar and Sandringham Dragon he has found a unique solution for recruiters.
In his spare time Holmes put together a 20-minute highlights video for the 10 or so AFL clubs who have interviewed him in recent months, complete with his junior running career and time at Melbourne Grammar and the Dragons.
Holmes is expected to put together impressive Year 12 marks but given the need for speed in AFL ranks he is hopeful of being secured by an AFL team.
Meanwhile Rebels player Harry Sharp will take part in Vic Country testing next Thursday in Bendigo where his hope is to smash the 2km time trial record.
The cross-country runner and 10km steeplechaser has a long way to go to prove he is the next Mark Blicavs yet.
But after training on the family farm pulling chains around his hips the feeling is he might obliterate Jay Rantall’s time last year of 5.50min before he was drafted by the Pies.
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CLARKO’S DOORSTOP VISITS DENIED
Hawthorn coach Alastair Clarkson has a habit of landing on the door steps of his recruiting targets.
The premiership mastermind famously lobbed at the Florida hotel where Jake Carlisle was staying in 2015 as he weighed up a move to the Hawks or the Saints upon leaving Essendon.
So when Braydon Preuss told Melbourne he wanted to explore his options, there was half an expectation Clarkson was going to roll up on his lawn for a cup of tea with the ruckman.
But the travel restrictions have made the face-to-face visits more difficult as clubs have used on-line zoom meetings to speak with their recruiting targets in recent months.
In the end Hawthorn lost the battle for Preuss’s signature to Greater Western Sydney which is keen to make the former Demon and Kangaroo the club’s new No. 1 ruck.
The Demons are chasing something in the vicinity of a second-round pick for Preuss if they can’t make him part of a deal for Ben Brown.
Brown’s manager Adam Ramanauskas said on RSN: “The interest in Ben is building nicely, things are progressing and hopefully things continue that way.”
Originally published as Moneyball: Get the latest trade, draft, free agency and list news from around the AFL