Moneyball trade special: Collingwood at impasse with forward Brody Mihocek over new deal
Brody Mihocek’s manager has conceded negotiations over a new deal at Collingwood have been “slow going” and the forward could explore his options at season’s end. Check out the latest trade and free agency whispers.
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Collingwood’s salary cap squeeze could force out Brody Mihocek, as rivals express their interest after a below-par contract offer to the mature-age forward.
Mihocek has been one of the club’s best recruiting stories in recent years after being plucked from the VFL as a defender to turn into a reliable, selfless forward.
The 27-year-old has kicked 82 goals in his 54 matches with the Pies, including 29.18 in the 2018 season and 36.26 last season.
This year despite being badly knocked out in a clash against Melbourne he has kicked 17 goals from 14 games in a team struggling to get the ball inside 50 with real fluency.
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While he has shown no signs of leaving Collingwood, the offer so far reflects an incredibly tight salary cap.
Mihocek is in the unusual position of having to make every post a winner with the next contract given it could be his only chance to secure his financial future.
The former Werribee and Port Melbourne footballer worked in a logistics job at a timber business before being taken with the 22nd pick of 2018 rookie draft.
His manager Anthony McConville confirmed on Thursday negotiations were underway but still far from completed.
“It has been slow going so we are still working with Collingwood and it might take a little time. Hopefully we will be able to get there, and if not we will see.”
Mihocek has effectively had to play as Collingwood’s key forward this year given a revolving door of partners including Mason Cox, Darcy Cameron and Will Kelly, with Darcy Moore thrown forward at times.
Collingwood will likely sign Moore on a two-year contract with Jordan de Goey keen to resign with the club as his two-year $1.5 million contract expires.
Josh Daicos also needs to re-sign after his breakout season, while the Pies will eventually come to a financial settlement with retired midfielder Dayne Beams.
He played nine games on a four-year Collingwood contract worth $2 million, with Mason Cox having ticked off a games clause on a contract that will next year pay him over $500,000.
CARLISLE’S SAINTS FUTURE UNCERTAIN
Star Saint Jake Carlisle faces an uncertain future at Moorabbin.
Carlisle is out of contract and has not received an offer from St Kilda as the club attempts to lock-in a drought-breaking finals spot.
Carlisle, 28, signed a bumper deal to leave Essendon for the Saints but he has been left out of the team for the past four matches.
It meant Saints defender Nick Coffield was up against it trying to cover a bigger and stronger Jack Darling in the narrow loss to West Coast on Thursday night.
Coffield has played as the third tall with Carlisle sidelined and while he is a star on the rise it could have cost St Kilda the game.
Hawthorn had an interest in Carlisle when he left the Bombers but it is unclear whether Alastair Clarkson is still keen on the versatile tall.
Manager Anthony McConville said on Friday of his client: “I can’t speak on their behalf other than that they are not prepared to do anything with his contract at this point in time.”
Another McConville client at St Kilda, captain Jarryn Geary, has been told he will go on with a deal to be struck when the salary cap is finalised.
He could still hand over the captaincy or the Saints could urge him to go on while Jack Steele and Dougal Howard hone their credentials.
The issue for Geary is he won’t necessarily be an automatic selection next year, so would a transition over summer be better timed?
WILL CLUBS TAKE SECOND LOOK AT CONIGLIO?
SURELY the clubs that missed out on Stephen Coniglio last year will be making another call with the Giants dropping him this week after a run of poor form?
The Giants confirmed on Friday that Leon Cameron has lost patience with the GWS captain and will not play him against Melbourne.
The Giants have a huge cap crunch with out-of-contract players which include Zac Williams, who will move on, and Jeremy Cameron, as well as Harry Perryman, Jeremy Finlayson and Aidan Corr.
The Giants paid up on a seven-season deal of as much as 7 million with Carlton and Hawthorn pushing hard for his services.
Both clubs still need a hard-running midfielder like Coniglio, so why not at least drop a line to see if his mind is wavering?
ROO TO TEST MARKET FOR BROWN
BEN Brown wants to remain at North Melbourne to finish his career as a one-club player.
But the Roos will almost certainly explore at least what they would get in a trade for a player who kicked more goals than anyone in footy in 2017-19.
The Roos have paused talks on his contract ahead of meetings in the off-season, the likely outcome is that both parties will look around to see if there are suitable options for him.
North Melbourne’s exit meetings will come next week given the Roos finish their season on Friday.
With many players leaving the club’s hub on Friday morning, they will play a game, have an exit meeting 12 hours later, then be on their way to Queensland holidays.
Others who are not in the team will have their exit meetings before Thursday, with 23 players out of contract.
North Melbourne’s issue with Brown, apart from his dramatic tail-off in form this year, is his style of play.
Rhyce Shaw wants to play a contested style that includes plenty of pack-crashing and one-on-one contests for forwards.
Brown is a one-trick pony with his mark-and-lead style, but what a trick it is.
The issue for North Melbourne is finding a suitor that allows them to find a replacement as a key forward, whether a mature-ager or a young kid to groom.
As they have been warned, there is no point trading a 27-year-old who should be at the peak of his powers for an early second-round pick who could become a trade bust.
Ben Jacobs’ career will come to a close given his medical issues, but there’s no word yet on the likes of Majak Daw, Ed Vickers-Willis, Jasper Pittard, Marley Williams, Paul Ahern and Sam Durdin.
Williams ran past an errant handball that eluded him late in the loss to Port Adelaide and showed no inclination to chase Ollie Wines as the ball turned over in a damning passage of play.
It was not good timing for a player attempting to save his career.
NEW AGE MEETINGS
Clubs are interviewing prospective recruits on zoom.
Normally clubs would conduct face-to-face meetings with trade targets to help get to know them and have a conversation about their footballing future.
But the COVID-19 crisis and AFL hub setup means clubs have turned to technology to have the chats online.
Clubs accept these conversations and meetings are a standard part of the caper even though the season has not finished yet.
The professionalism of the players to weigh up offers and their futures as they continue to play for a team is lauded by managers and club officials.
GET IT DONE. BOMBERS!
MICK McGuane is perplexed by Essendon‘s tardiness in locking rebound defender Adam Saad into a new deal only two rounds out from the end of what has been yet another disappointing season for the club.
The Bombers are confident they can get a new contract finalised sooner rather than later, but rival clubs would be ready to swoop if there remains an impasse.
As reported in June, the Dons don’t want to pay big money for back pockets but Saad does it all as a defender who also rebounds with savage intent.
Saad’s importance has only been heightened by the loss of Conor McKenna, who this week has quit AFL football to return home to Ireland.
“Where are they (Essendon) at with Saad? He‘s their most creative half back and he hasn’t signed yet,” McGuane said.
“This is a telling tale of the instability within this footy club.
“Why has it taken this long to get his name to paper? Is he going somewhere? Does he want to remain a part of this group?”
McGuane said the 26-year-old – whose three-year deal signed after he left the Gold Coast expires soon – had to be one of the key priorities for the Bombers.
WHAT WILL CROUCH NET CROWS?
ADELAIDE may have to settle for an end-of-first-round compensation pick for the departure of star midfielder Brad Crouch.
The Crows have been keen for Crouch to explore his free agency options this year but a big-money deal doesn’t seem to be there.
Geelong has an interest in Crouch but is also weighing up former Melbourne co-captain and star free agent Jack Viney if he becomes available at season’s end.
Adelaide was hopeful a club would offer a bumper deal worth more than $650,000 a year for Crouch, clinching pick No. 2 as free agency compensation.
But a lesser deal worth $500,000 – $650,000 would only trigger an end-of-first round pick which would give the Crows pick No. 19.
The Crows will hold a monster hand of picks at this year’s draft with five picks in the top-30.
They are pick No. 1, GWS’s first-round pick (currently No. 11), No. 19 (Crouch compensation), No. 20 and the Bulldogs’ second-round choice (currently No. 29).
Essendon is on the hunt for a big-bodied midfielder and could also target Crouch, Richmond hard nut Jack Graham, Saint Luke Dunstan or Gold Coast’s Will Brodie.
How much salary cap space the Bombers have will depend on Joe Daniher’s decision and how the club manages a replacement key forward such as North’s Ben Brown or Gold Coast’s Peter Wright.
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WHAT IS PETER WRIGHT WORTH?
PETER Wright will explore his trade options at season’s end after failing to break into the Suns’ senior team all season.
But clubs are yet to show their hand in making a play for the ruck-forward.
The lack of demand for the 203cm Wright means the Suns can’t expect much in a trade for the 203cm goal kicker.
Wright, 24, was taken with pick No. 8 in the 2014 national draft and was earlier in his junior season touted as the possible No. 1 pick.
But he has been leapfrogged by Ben King in the Suns’ side this year and has plans to move clubs despite being contracted for one more season.
Any move will almost certainly include a pay cut after falling out of favour at the Suns.
Originally published as Moneyball trade special: Collingwood at impasse with forward Brody Mihocek over new deal