Geelong eyeing free agent Jack Viney in bid to strengthen midfield
Jack Viney has been weighing up his future at the Demons after losing the captaincy, according to a former AFL great, and Geelong is set to make a shock play for his signature.
Geelong
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Geelong is eyeing Melbourne free agent and former co-captain Jack Viney as an A-Grade addition to the Cats’ engine room.
The Cats have flagged their strong interest in landing either Viney or Adelaide best-and-fairest winner Brad Crouch in this year’s free agency period.
It is shaping up as another massive post-season for the equal premiership favourite who will also take three first-round picks into the national draft in December.
As a free agent, the Cats would be able to land Viney or Crouch to help shoulder the onball load alongside Joel Selwood without giving anything up in a trade.
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Melbourne remains determined to keep Viney, 26, but is at risk of losing him for nothing as talks on a new contract threaten to drag on until after the season.
In any case, it would be an agonising departure for Viney who battled manfully to help lift the club from the doldrums when he was drafted in 2012 and, like his father Todd, helped captain the club for three seasons.
While the best-and-fairest winner was dumped as skipper earlier in the year, Viney’s leadership, toughness, tackling pressure and unconditional competitiveness would be a loss for Melbourne.
Former Essendon captain and premiership great Tim Watson said Viney was a “rare talent” who was hurt when he lost the captaincy earlier this year, prompting some thoughts about his future.
“I know for a fact he was really upset when the leadership was taken off him,” Watson said on SEN.
“I believed the discussions I had around that time (was) that he would have left the club had he been able to at that time (in the pre-season).
“I think if he had been able to go at that time, and I don’t say this lightly, I think he would have (departed).
“It was an emotional reaction at the time, OK. I know that for a fact.
“I just wonder whether or not that is still in the back of his mind and given the season they have had (is he thinking) ‘I don’t know whether these guys appreciate me as much as what they should’.”
Melbourne coach Simon Goodwin said his club was confident of retaining Viney.
“I think it (interest) comes with the territory of being a free agent,” Goodwin said om Friday.
“Jack Viney is a quality human being and a quality player, and if you’re another club of course you’d be interested.
“But Jack’s a passionate Melbourne man.
“We love Jack and he loves his footy club, and we’re confident he’ll be at our footy club moving forward.”
Importantly, Viney is seen as one of the most consistent performers at a club which has fought wild swings in form for the past 18 months.
The Demons’ midfield balance has also been a considerable talking point with the club unable to get the best out of their talented and hard-nosed midfield mix since the 2018 preliminary final loss to West Coast.
Viney was initially disappointed to lose the co-captaincy role in February, but is said to have moved on quickly from the big call to elevate superstar ruckman Max Gawn as skipper.
While Melbourne could yet lock away the star ballwinner with a decent long-term deal next month, the door is ajar for Geelong to swoop as the Cats attempt to win its first premiership since 2011.
Former Melbourne captain Garry Lyon said he would be “shattered” if Viney left the club, but applauded Geelong’s shrewd recruiting nous.
“That is why Geelong is and will remain one of the best teams in the competition,” Lyon said on SEN.
“That’s why they remain up near the top and haven’t had to bottom out because they’ve got a magnificent list management and recruiting team.
“They identify talent, identify need and where the holes are in their list and they go out and they chase, and it is exactly what clubs should be going out and doing.
“Who knows how much longer he (Selwood) has got. Whether it is Jack or whether it is Brad Crouch they’re thinking about the replacement, they (Cats) are not going to get to a situation where they go, ‘Joel is retired, now who are we going to replace him with?’
“They think two, three, four steps ahead and good on them. I think it is absolutely fantastic.”
At Geelong, Viney would step straight into a key onball role and help support inspirational Geelong captain Selwood as the triple-premiership midfielder enters the twilight of his champion career.
Viney would command a deal worth more than $650,000 a year at a new club such as Geelong, likely triggering a first-round compensation pick for Melbourne.
Melbourne has already parted with its first-round pick in this year’s draft in a deal with North Melbourne to land livewire Kysaiah Pickett.
Viney’s contract is one of many big list calls for the Demons who need to topple Greater Western Sydney on Saturday night to keep their finals hopes alive.
The Demons have endured their worst week under coach Simon Goodwin, going down to Sydney Swans and Fremantle in successive matches in Cairns.
But they will remain in the race for a spot in the eight if the Dees can topple the Giants and Essendon over the last two games of the regular season.
If Viney departed, it could give the Demons the cache and salary cap room to go after a classy midfielder to help improve the forward connection or another marking forward.
The father-son gem showed his courage playing through the pain and restriction of a serious foot injury in 2017 and 2018.
He returned too soon from the foot injury after a three-week lay-off in the back half of 2017 and was unable to play until Round 9 the following season.
But he has overcome the foot issue and finished third in the club’s best and fairest last season, playing 21 games.
Hawthorn is another club which could make a play, while Essendon is targeting a big-bodied midfielder but is believed to have other targets in mind.
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Originally published as Geelong eyeing free agent Jack Viney in bid to strengthen midfield