AFL trade news 2023: The latest on Esava Ratugolea, Jack Silvagni, Chris Burgess, Dylan Shiel and more

Have shin-pads, will travel seems to be the message in recent years for a number of fringe rucks, and now another may be on the move. Here’s all the latest AFL trade intel.

Esava Ratugolea is still headed to one of Hawthorn or Port Adelaide but not on the seven-year $5 million deal that has been reported.

Ratugolea is yet to officially tell Geelong he wants out but the strong expectation is he will find his way to one of the Power or Hawthorn, with the Dons not expected to be a bidder for his services.

Despite reports this week the Hawks would offer seven seasons at up to $5 million, both the Power and Hawthorn are understood to have offered five-year deals.

Ratugolea is aware of his huge potential but also the fact that he was playing VFL as recently as round 19 so, even if a seven-year deal had been offered, it would put undue pressure on him.

He is sure to be well-paid at either club and could also cash in on the likely increase in the CBA which could see players given 30 per cent pay rises over four or five seasons.

So while any deal would likely be over $500,000 for next year, and could rise significantly in line with AFL pay rises, it would not start at $700,000 a season.

Esava Ratugolea looks headed to either Port Adelaide or Hawthorn. Picture: Will Russell/AFL Photos

Will SOS come for Jack?

Carlton free agent Jack Silvagni will likely have to rely on the Blues offering him a new deal given the lack of interest in the versatile multi-position player so far.

Clubs like Richmond and GWS that might have had a need for a key position player, who can go into the ruck have not expressed interest in the 25-year-old.

And Carlton’s decision to go with Tom De Koning as the sole ruckman (with some help from Harry McKay) against GWS instead of Marc Pittonet might play in Silvagni’s favour.

It shows that their best ruck set-up might actually be with a single ruckman then a third forward like Silvagni, who can ruck for 5-8 minutes a quarter.

With five weeks until free agency, a rival suitor might still emerge.

But the best option right now is to sign a short-term deal with Carlton and hope the chips fall his way at selection.

Crows keen on South Australian Sun

Adelaide has shown some interest in the VFL’s joint “Frosty” Miller Medallist Chris Burgess after a sensational season kicking 51 goals in 17 matches.

Burgess shared the award with teammate Brodie McLaughlin in a sign of the Suns’ VFL dominance as they prepare to take on Brisbane in a qualifying final on Saturday.

Burgess is contracted but, with Academy key-position forward Jed Walter to be drafted in November, his opportunities might have dried up after only three games in two years.

Levi Casboult will play on for another season, while Ben King will hope to have a better year.

Burgess, 27, can also play as a defender so the Crows have shown some preliminary interest, given their defensive issues.

Mabior Chol is clearly a player who could move to a third home but he will not come cheap.

Chol moved to the Suns from Richmond on a deal of nearly $450,000 because he was a free agent and he has two more seasons on his contract.

So, while he might be open to another move, his new club would need a defined role for him rather than securing him as a handy backup.

The Crows have shown some interest in fringe Sun Chris Burgess. Picture: Jason McCawley/AFL Photos

Max Gawn has gone into bat for Jake Melksham. Picture: Dylan Burns/AFL Photos via Getty Images)

Gawn wants new deal for Melksham

Melbourne captain Max Gawn has started the lobbying for his good mate Jake Melksham to secure another one-year deal after his heartbreaking ACL tear.

It is understood Melksham is desperate to play on and believes he could get back within nine months to play a meaningful chunk of the 2024 season.

Melksham missed the 2021 Grand Final with the Demons on form, despite being in the seniors as late as round 22 that year.

He was also one of the Essendon 34 who missed an entire season of footy because of a drug ban.

Gawn believes his good mate, who turned 32 on Tuesday, can come back but admits it is horrific timing so close to the finals series to tear an ACL.

“A guy who missed 2021, the career he’s had with the club he was formerly with and what went on there with the year off and then to be in career-best form going into an out-of-contract year. It’s literally the perfect storm, what’s happened and luckily enough he is a real mature guy. And the conversations I’ve had since, you can’t believe how well he’s talking about it. Already talking about the Melksham return. It’s a hard thing to cop for him because he’s already in the best nick of his career going into a finals series.”

Shiel won’t be squeezed out

Dylan Shiel is very much a required player at Essendon, despite suggestions he might be squeezed out of a midfield that saw impressive seasons from young top-10 picks Elijah Tsatas and Ben Hobbs.

Tsatas had to recover from a knee injury, while Hobbs played his best football when given plentiful centre square opportunities in a breakout second season of 18 games.

But Shiel, contracted to the end of 2024, has breakaway speed and line-breaking abilities that many of the other Essendon midfielders do not.

Champion Data ranked him in the top 20 midfielders in the first 10 rounds of the season before he battled a variety of injuries.

He does not need surgery for his foot issues and, like Harrison Jones and Zac Reid, will be ready for day one of the pre-season.

The only silver lining of surgeries to Reid (hamstring) and Jones (ankle), and missing so much footy, is that they should be ready for a massive pre-season.

Matt Flynn has rival suitors. Picture: Michael Klein

In like Flynn – but where?

GWS free agent Matt Flynn is drawing attention from clubs, including West Coast, and his appeal only grows because of his free agency status.

West Coast is still keen to get some ruck back-up for Bailey Williams after the retirement of Nic Naitanui.

Geelong, North Melbourne, Hawthorn and Port Adelaide are among the clubs looking for back-up rucks and, at GWS, Kieren Briggs has clearly become the No. 1 man.

Flynn was more than serviceable in nine games in the seniors to start the year before Briggs took over, with his last AFL game a 16-possession, seven-clearance, 13 hitout-to-advantage effort against Collingwood.

What a difference a year makes under Adam Kingsley, with the Giants having signed up almost every priority target this year, including Harry Himmelberg and Jake Riccardi.

They have arrested their dire salary cap position but also are building their culture under Kingsley, which always helps come contract time.

Narkle given more time to sparkle

Port Adelaide has offered mid-season draftee Quinton Narkle another one-year contract as he fights to secure a finals spot for Ken Hinkley’s side.

Narkle has played three games since being secured mid-year and is still on the verge of selection, having found his feet at his new home after a previous stint at Geelong.

The new father celebrated the birth of his daughter with partner Taylah Cubillo in August within days of good friend Sam Powell-Pepper and fiancée Brya Waghorn bringing home daughter Billie.

The Powell-Pepper influence is a strong one for Narkle, who has played 44 AFL games.

Show me the money

AFL player agents are expecting a 30 per cent pay rise for players over the next four or five seasons, with senior players hopeful of a pay hike of over 15 per cent by the end of next year.

The new collective bargaining agreement will take in this year’s contracts – players have been paid under the previous deal – so any pay rise will affect this year’s contracts.

Some agents believe a four-year deal could have pay rises of 12 per cent, four per cent, 12 per cent (the first year of the new TV rights deal in 2025) and three per cent, making up 30 per cent over four years.

Others believe it could be a flatter rise of between 6-7 per cent over the next four or five years.

But the total size of the jump is why locking in a percentage of that uptick in contracts is so important rather than just taking guaranteed wages that don’t reflect the CBA increase.

Originally published as AFL trade news 2023: The latest on Esava Ratugolea, Jack Silvagni, Chris Burgess, Dylan Shiel and more