Geelong champion Paul Chapman urges Collingwood stars to sacrifice cash for premiership

Collingwood faces a tough call on players to clear up cap space for their stars but triple premiership champ Paul Chapman says they will need to sacrifice for a flag. Who’s out of contract this year?

Triple premiership Cat Paul Chapman has urged Collingwood players to sacrifice for a flag as the Pies face a series of challenging list management decisions.

The Pies could face a tough call on a series of beloved players to clear cap space to secure their three most dynamic players.

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Ruckman Brodie Grundy seems certain to stay at the Pies amid haggling over his price on a seven-year deal, even if that signature is some time away.

But the Pies will still need to find the cash for Darcy Moore and Jordan De Goey at the end of 2020, both of them franchise players who could be offered over $1 million a year to join rivals.

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Grundy is only a free agent at the end of 2020 but will command a huge sum to sign this year even if he ignores South Australian offers of around $1.2 million a season.

Pies players out of contract at year’s end include Ben Reid, Travis Varcoe, Ben Crocker, Tim Broomhead, Daniel Wells, Lynden Dunn and Tyson Goldsack.

Jamie Elliott, Levi Greenwood and Brayden Sier are also out of contract, with a series of difficult decisions ahead.

Chapman revealed he was offered $700,000 a season by Sydney at the heart of Geelong’s success but instead stayed for much less at the Cats.

“We knew we had a lot of good players and we built something special. For us it was about the success. We really wanted to show how good we were so guys had to take pay cuts,” he told the Herald Sun.

“Obviously it’s not nice at the time but in the end you ask yourself what do you want most?

“And it’s be successful with guys you built such a good culture with.

“The guys you want to win premierships with. Looking back for me now I wouldn’t have done anything different. We played in four (Grand Finals) to win three so that’s worth more than money. I wouldn’t change anything.”

Wells and Goldsack are likely to retire, Reid will likely join them but is in the senior team right now, Varcoe is playing VFL and Dunn is covering from an ACL rupture but keen to play again this year.

Wells salary is significant — around $450,000 — but few of the other players with contracts expiring are on lucrative deals.

The South Australian clubs are likely to offer Brodie Grundy around $1.2 million a season. Picture: AAP

Crocker and Sier are seen as exciting young prospects but neither have played AFL this year and could be of interest to rival sides.

The Pies have already had to ask a series of players to take 2019 pay cuts, pushing back as much as $40,000 in salary until later in their contracts to accommodate Dayne Beams.

Chapman said Collingwood players should be well paid but should realise how much they could achieve if they sacrificed together.

“All I would say to the Collingwood players if I was talking to them is that if you happen to be successful, you won’t think twice about the money you sacrifice,” Chapman said.

“You get tempted by it and I have to work my bum off now and that money might have set me up.

“But I wouldn’t have been as fulfilled. It’s what a champion team does, they think about their mates and what is best for the club.”

Travis Varcoe is out of contract this year. Picture: Michael Klein

The Pies have already agreed to terms with Jack Crisp and Will Hoskin-Elliott this year, with Brayden Maynard to sign an extension past 2020 and Tim Phillips and Taylor Adams looking at long-term extensions.

List managers believe clubs will have room for two players worth $1 million a season in the next five years, but not more.

At Richmond Jack Riewoldt and Alex Rance signed contract extensions that saw them receive security but take pay cuts to squeeze in star free agent Tom Lynch.

Captain Scott Pendlebury is also out of contract next year and while his form remains brilliant he turns 32 and might be prepared to take a pay cut to help retain the list.

CONTRACT SQUEEZE

Magpies out of contract 2019

Ben Crocker

Ben Reid

Brayden Sier

Jamie Elliott

Levi Greenwood

Sam Murray

Taylor Adams

Tim Broomhead

Travis Varcoe

Tyson Goldsack

Daniel Wells

Lynden Dunn

Jack Crisp

Out of contract 2020

Brodie Grundy

Darcy Moore

Jordan de Goey

Brodie Mihocek

Chris Mayne

Matt Scharenberg

Brayden Maynard

Originally published as Geelong champion Paul Chapman urges Collingwood stars to sacrifice cash for premiership