Port Adelaide confident star forward Charlie Dixon will sign a new deal now AFL contract freeze has ended
The 2020 season might see one win the premiership and the other the wooden spoon. But what will their lists look like next season? Check out every Port Adelaide and Adelaide player who is out of contract, including the latest on Brad Crouch and Charlie Dixon.
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Brad Crouch remains intent on inking a long-term deal with the Crows but is in no rush to put pen to paper, as the contract freeze between clubs and players comes to an end.
The 26-year-old’s preference is to stay at West Lakes, where he is the reigning best and fairest, and teammates with his brother, Matt.
Gold Coast and St Kilda are understood to again be in the mix for Crouch, who may not be able to command a million-dollar-per-year deal amid the expected salary cap squeeze, but is still seeking long-term security.
Any player who signs a lengthy contract in coming months will be required to have clauses reflecting possible wage changes, as a result of next year’s slashed salary cap and the new collective bargaining agreement, to be struck in 2022.
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If Crouch departs, rebuilding Adelaide could receive pick two in return as compensation.
Although there remains uncertainty over list sizes and the revised salary cap, Crouch’s management, W Sports and Media, said they’d had and would continue to have discussions with Crows list boss Justin Reid in coming weeks.
“Brad’s priority is to sign a good, long-term deal with Adelaide but we’re not trying to do that tomorrow or the next day – we’re happy to wait,” Crouch’s manager Garry Winter told News Corp.
“Brad’s focus at the moment is just trying to play his best footy for the club.
“At the start of the year we had open lines of communication with the Crows and thinking we might wait until the bye week to start having a chat, so it was never something we were going to rush through.
“And we anticipate there will be a lot of interest from other clubs.”
SCROLL DOWN FOR THE LIST OF CROWS AND POWER PLAYERS WHO ARE OUT OF CONTRACT
Crouch joined Adelaide at the end of 2011 as a 17-year-old after the Crows struck a deal with GWS, 12 months out from his draft season.
Crouch is averaging 22.4 disposals and four tackles in this season’s shortened games for the 0-7 Crows.
His form is not as strong as last year but he looms as a more enticing prospect for other clubs because he they do not have to give up anything to get him.
Crouch told 9 News on Thursday he was keen to stick with the Crows.
“I love Adelaide as a place, I love the footy club and I really want to stay in Adelaide,” Crouch said.
The Crows signed Wayne Milera to a five-year deal in February – a month before COVID-19 shutdown the competition.
Adelaide will enter this year’s draft armed with a swag of high selections, including pick one as it stands, and its hand will be boosted if it lets Crouch walk.
While not out of contract, a priority at West Lakes will be to lock away No.6 draft pick Fischer McAsey on a new deal, as what usually happens in a highly rated players’ first season.
Rory Atkins’ camp are hopeful of a new contract at the Crows, while Brisbane Lions recruit Ben Keays form as a tagger will put him in good stead although he has no idea when any call is made.
“I think every week I’ve got to show something and improve, you can’t rest on your laurels in the AFL, it’s pretty cut throat … I’m taking the approach of improve every week and show supporters something new every week and being new to the midfield, has been an adjustment for me, so that’s my focus,” Keays said.
“I’m not sure how it will work with the list managers, they’ve probably got so many things lined up they have to tick off, so it might be a longer wait for some, but we’ll see what happens.”
Key defender Kyle Hartigan is back in the Crows side, but did gather interest from rival clubs last year, Tyson Stengle will be hoping his drink driving incident doesn’t hurt his chances of a new deal while Jordan Gallucci’s season-ending torn Achilles has put him up against it.
Meanwhile, Port Adelaide is extremely confident Coleman Medal leader Charlie Dixon will be at the Power for “some time to come”.
After significant work on rebuilding his body in the off-season Dixon is in some of the best form of his career with his 15 goals (equal first in the Coleman race) helping the Power to the top of the ladder.
He spearheads the list of Power players out of contract at the end of the season, but Power general manager of football Chris Davies said his re-signing wasn’t urgent for the club.
“Charlie has made Adelaide his home, he wants to play for our football club, we want him to be at our footy club,” he said.
“He’s playing great footy, probably the best of his career he’s looking so dominant.
“Right now, I’m sure that Charlie will be at Port Adelaide for some time to come.”
Even though Port Adelaide were based on the Gold Coast in a hub Power chiefs were unable to meet with Dixon’s Queensland-based agent Peter Blucher.
Davies said despite this the Power were still in a good place to lock away the talent even with the finances of footy post this year still unsure.
“We’ve maintained contact with managers but haven’t been entering into any conversations,” Davies said.
“There’s still a bit of water to go under the bridge I imagine a discussion around list numbers and the player payment pool for next year which will happen externally to us.”
Port have 16 players on top of Dixon who are out of contract after this season.
Sam Powell-Pepper’s resurgence as a pressure forward stands him in good stead to get a new deal, as does Trent McKenzie’s fine 2020.
Concussion and knee issues in 2019 meant talks of an extension for Brad Ebert were put on ice so he could get back on the footy field and he has played some of his best footy in years this season.
Veteran Justin Westhoff continues to have a place in the Power’s best 22, while a call will have to be made on former No. 1 pick Jack Watts who is yet to feature for Port this year after his horror leg back in 2019.
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While not out of contract a priority at West Lakes will be to lock away No. 6 draft pick Fischer McAsey on a new deal, as what usually happens in a highly rated players’ first season.
Rory Atkins’ camp are hopeful of a new contract at the Crows, while Brisbane Lions recruit Ben Keays form as a tagger will put him in good stead although he has no idea when any call is made.
“I think every week I’ve got to show something and improve, you can’t rest on your laurels in the AFL, it’s pretty cut throat … I’m taking the approach of improve every week and show supporters something new every week and being new to the midfield, has been an adjustment for me, so that’s my focus,” Keays said.
“I’m not sure how it will work with the list managers, they’ve probably got so many things lined up they have to tick off, so it might be a longer wait for some, but we’ll see what happens.”
Key defender Kyle Hartigan is back in the Crows side, but did gather interest from rival clubs last year, Tyson Stengle will be hoping his drink driving incident doesn’t hurt his chances of a new deal while Jordan Gallucci’s season-ending torn Achilles has put him up against it.
WHO IS OUT OF CONTRACT AT THE END OF THE SEASON
Adelaide
Brad Crouch (restricted free agent)
Rory Atkins
Jordan Gallucci
Kyle Hartigan
Elliott Himmelberg
Riley Knight
Ben Keays (rookie)
Ben Crocker (rookie)
David Mackay
Myles Poholke
Tyson Stengle
Kieran Strachan (rookie)
Patrick Wilson (rookie)
Port Adelaide
Charlie Dixon
Sam Powell-Pepper
Brad Ebert (restricted free agent)
Joe Atley
Wylie Buzza
Tobin Cox (rookie)
Willem Drew
Martin Frederick (rookie)
Riley Grundy (rookie)
Jarrod Lienert
Trent McKenzie
Jake Patmore
Jake Pasini
Cam Sutcliffe (rookie)
Jack Watts
Justin Westhoff
Boyd Woodcock (rookie)
Originally published as Port Adelaide confident star forward Charlie Dixon will sign a new deal now AFL contract freeze has ended