Sydney’s Heath Grundy to wait before deciding whether to play on in 2019, Nick Smith to trigger new deal
SYDNEY Swans defensive stalwarts Heath Grundy and Nick Smith are out of contract at the end of the season and while the former is set to wait before deciding his future, Smith is set to trigger a new deal for 2019.
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ROOKIE success story Nick Smith will play on at Sydney next year as fullback Heath Grundy waits until mid-year to consider his future.
The pair of rookie defenders have been mainstays of Sydney’s era of success, with both premiership stars falling out of contract later this year.
Smith will tick off a clause in his contract to secure another year after signing his most recent deal in 2016, having played every game since Round 12, 2015.
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He turns 30 in June, having played 195 games since being taken at pick 15 in the 2007 rookie draft.
Grundy, 31, battled through an interrupted pre-season but has played every game so far this year.
Against Adelaide on Friday night he passed Brett Kirk as the Swan to play the most games as a rookie in the club’s history (242).
He would seem to be in good enough form to play again but his manager Phil Mullen said a discussion would take place mid-year.
“We will talk mid-year. ‘Reg’ and I have had a conversation and we have had a conversation with Tom Harley and we are in no rush as far as that is concerned,” he said.
“We will see how the year unfolds.
“As time goes by some players can change their minds, but it’s a bit early to make any calls at this point.”
Exciting defender Aliir Aliir seemed the natural successor to Grundy, but he and mid-sized defender Nic Newman were dropped this week.
Aliir is out of contract this year after an injury-plagued 2017 but said earlier this season he wanted to stay at the club.
“The contract will take care of itself later,” Aliir said.
“I love the club, they’ve given me the opportunity to play in the AFL and live the dream I’ve had since I started playing footy.
“When that time comes to make a decision it will happen. At the moment I’m just focusing on playing footy.”
The Swans will have some more salary cap room to target needs this year with the retirement of Kurt Tippett.
They came to a financial agreement with him earlier this year over his retirement, with Tippett to stay on the Sydney list for two more years.
Some of that money will be paid in next year’s cap but it will still ease the salary squeeze after few big-name buys since Lance Franklin.
Originally published as Sydney’s Heath Grundy to wait before deciding whether to play on in 2019, Nick Smith to trigger new deal