Victorian clubs desperate to lure elite free agents
LAST year North Melbourne missed out on Josh Kelly and Dustin Martin but the Kangaroos, like seven other Victorian clubs, have half a season to show prospective targets they are close enough to a flag, writes JON RALPH.
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HAD North Melbourne timed their run a little better, they might be the premiership favourites right now.
At various stages last year, both of Josh Kelly and Dustin Martin were headed to the Roos on massive long-term deals.
Kelly told the Herald Sun this year when the initial $10 million deal was offered he didn’t think he could refuse it, while many close to Martin in August felt he would leave.
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Yet for that pair of players in premiership contention at existing clubs, it was impossible to think the six-win 2017 Roos would next year be a contender.
Imagine this North Melbourne side with Kelly rolling through the midfield and Shaun Higgins and Dustin Martin as attacking half forwards.
It reinforces what a difficult job it is for players and their managers to choose the club that will fill their bank account and put them in the box seat for a flag.
Right now five Victorian clubs are desperately chasing midfield reinforcements and three are chasing key position free agent Tom Lynch.
As colleague Jay Clark wrote, Melbourne, Carlton, St Kilda, Essendon and North Melbourne are all chasing free agent Andrew Gaff.
If they miss on him, most have the salary cap room and inclination to keep pushing hard for a mid like Rory Sloane or someone of that quality.
Lynch’s management has made clear that if Lynch leaves Gold Coast then Richmond, Collingwood and Hawthorn are his only options.
So if you were Andrew Gaff and decided to leave, you and your agent have to become quasi list managers.
You need to factor in list demographic, culture, likelihood of future success, whether the offer sets you up financially for life, what the coach is like.
For the first time in a decade, Melbourne has emerged as a destination club.
How could a manager not recommend his player move there of the five clubs pushing for midfielders?
The prediction of those “bi-fold doors” opening up on a premiership window the late Dean Bailey talked about has been realised.
Yet if the Roos swung and missed last year, why wouldn’t the Roos be a close second?
They would likely pay significantly more than Melbourne, their facilities are now elite, they are regular finalists, their coach is elite.
And you only need to look at what they have done to maximise the careers of Jarrad Waite and Higgins to see that they get the best out of their players.
Essendon showed it can attract players last year but St Kilda and Carlton would need to offer an extraordinary deal to leapfrog the other trio of clubs to get their man.
Lynch can’t really lose with his three options, Collingwood’s explosion of fantastic medium-sized forwards an enticing drawcard to play around.
But if you were Lynch, the first question you would ask Alastair Clarkson is whether he was staying around post-2019.
Player manager Marty Pask has twice recently nailed the move for his clients, Brian Lake and Dion Prestia becoming instant premiership players.
He knew Lake would slot into the Hawthorn model, and while cash played its part for Prestia he saw the potential in Richmond’s star-studded midfield despite a disastrous 2016 season.
Chis Judd made up his mind to move to Collingwood a decade ago, but his manager Paul Connors knew he couldn’t get a deal done with the Pies.
So he chose Carlton over Essendon and Melbourne, pitching it as a decision to build from the ground up, but he was unrequited in his time there.
“I remember Juddy leaning towards Collingwood at one stage. I didn’t want him to go there because I couldn’t have got him there,” Connors told Open Mike last year.
His gut feel was right — Judd would likely have won multiple premierships with Collingwood given they won 2010 and he was up there with Gary Ablett as the game’s best mid at that time.
A decade on, eight Victorian clubs have half a season to make their pitches and show they are close enough to a flag to lure the cream of the free agency and trade crop.
CHASING A STAR MIDFIELDER — Andrew Gaff, Rory Sloane, Ollie Wines
MELBOURNE
Haven’t played finals since 2006. But you get to slot into an elite midfield where you aren’t the only star, good facilities, play at the MCG, have an expectation of repeated flag tilts.
NORTH MELBOURNE
Played finals five times in the last decade (two prelims), recruits have thrived there, heaps of cash, only query on how to replace plus-30 brigade.
ESSENDON
Played finals four times in 10 years for no finals wins, as an elite mid you could be the difference, great talls and smalls, great facilities, but have been a finals non-winner for a very long time.
ST KILDA
Played finals four times in the last decade but none of the past six years. Move to Moorabbin a plus, lots of exciting kids but how far are they from premiership window?
CARLTON
A much harder sell. Four finals finishes in last decade a distant memory. Still years from the premiership window. Good facilities, proud club. But building list the right way with exciting young mids.
CHASING A TALL — Tom Lynch
HAWTHORN
Played finals eight times for four premierships in the decade, elite coach and culture and seem to be on the upswing again with elite talls and improving midfield. But is Clarko staying?
RICHMOND
Four finals series in last decade. Would play with Jack Riewoldt and elite smalls. Coach in form of his life. Play at the MCG, elite mids kicking it to you. What’s not to like?
COLLINGWOOD
Played finals six times since 2008 but none of the past four. For the first time in a while, you are not the Pies saviour. Would play alongside Moore and great mid-sizers. Players love Bucks, on the upswing.
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Originally published as Victorian clubs desperate to lure elite free agents