Moneyball: Latest AFL trade and contract news on Shai Bolton, Sam Draper and more
Fremantle could offer an incredible draft package for Shai Bolton and Liam Baker – if the star Tiger is open to a move. Get all the latest trade and contract news.
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Shai Bolton has emphatically shut down rival interest, with his management making clear to Richmond list boss Blair Hartley he is going nowhere.
Fremantle did reach out to Bolton, as the Dockers also tried to poach Liam Baker, to declare they would offer an exceptional draft package for the pair.
Bolton has four more seasons on a deal that can see him earn as much as $1.3 million a year, and bounced back to form against the Dockers after several quiet weeks.
When the news of the Dockers’ interest broke, rival clubs also made clear they would join the race if he had any interest in jumping ship.
But 25-year-old Bolton signed on at the end of 2022 until 2028 aware that the club’s golden era might not last forever.
He will eventually end up back in Perth late in his career or post-career, but will back in coach Adem Yze.
Teammate Marlion Pickett is set to face court for a committal hearing in coming months, which could set a court date for his burglary accusations.
He is out injured with a calf concern but is due back in coming weeks.
Pickett will plead not guilty to those offences and with a court date likely to come a year or more into the future, is keen to play on next year.
Richmond has taken the view he is due proper process and has the presumption of innocence, so has allowed him to play on.
While the 32-year-old has been out injured in recent weeks, he has played 12 games this year and shown his versatility so will hope to push his claims in coming weeks.
The Tigers are sweating on decisions from Dustin Martin, Liam Baker and potentially Dan Rioli (who has interest from Gold Coast), with Adem Yze telling Fox Footy on Monday he wouldn’t mind if players told him mid-season they wanted out.
He is keen for certainty in the next 2-3 weeks for planning purposes.
“I don’t mind the NRL model where they come out and say they are leaving. It’s different and it might be a different view than we are used to,” he told AFL 360.
“I look at the players and the anxiety they have about making the decision during the season and carrying that, it’s too hard for them. Those discussions will unfold in the next 2-3 weeks and as it gets closer we will need to know. We have players considering their futures and they need to do that, and fair enough. But we can’t leave it until the end of the season. It’s in the next 2-3 weeks.”
DRAPER RESPONDS TO CROWS WHISPERS
Essendon ruck Sam Draper has pledged his long-term future to the club as he vowed to continue letting his quirky personality shine – but without offending rival clubs.
Draper’s explosive ruck form against Collingwood came as he revealed he was finally over the groin and knee issues that have plagued him since the start of last season.
The 25-year-old said he wouldn’t wish his groin issues on “on anyone” given how badly they affected his capacity to cover the ground before off-season surgery.
When a meniscus injury flared leading into Anzac Day the club made clear to him it wanted him to immediately resolve the issue with surgery instead of playing hurt.
Now, with Draper sound of body and warming to the task after three AFL games, he says he cannot wait to finish the season strongly.
It starts against a Demons side without injured Max Gawn this weekend.
“With a meniscus a lot of people have them and you can probably play through them and manage it to a certain point, and I have had it for a few years and it flared up a bit much after the Crows game into Anzac Day. If it was late in the season we would have gritted it and played through, but I am so glad I did it. It is the best I have felt since the start of last year,” he told this masthead.
“My groins are feeling amazing, so hopefully I can have a good end to the year. I wouldn’t wish it on anyone. I feel really good now. Back to my normal self. Powerful and strong. It’s a good feeling.”
As Essendon attempts ruck by committee – Draper, Todd Goldstein, Nick Bryan and Peter Wright have all played there this year – Draper’s own future has been a subject of conjecture.
He didn’t miss the recent reports about Adelaide coming hard at him when his contract expires next year, but said the Essendon faithful had nothing to worry about.
“Yeah, I did see people say that. I love this club. They took a chance on me when no one else did. I was just some soccer player from Adelaide, they took a chance on me in the rookie draft, they put their faith in me at the time. I didn’t play my first game until about four years into my career. I love this club, I love the boys. The Essendon crowd were amazing, they don’t like Collingwood.”
So you are staying for the ride?
“Definitely.”
With a personality that big, Draper has not been far from the headlines this year despite only nine AFL games.
After he was not penalised for a late holding the ball call as he jumped on the Sherrin in the dying seconds against Adelaide – later assessed as an umpiring mistake – he joked about it with teammates on his way off the field.
Then he was dragged into a media spat after his podcast comments about Dogs players jumping ship at year’s end reared their head.
For Draper, they were lessons hard-earned.
“Yeah, it was pretty poor,” he said of his Adelaide Oval reaction to that free kick.
“It was a couple of weeks where if I had my time again I wouldn’t have done those things but the people who know me know who I am and it’s not a true representation of who I am.
“I took a bit of a bullet for the rest of the AFL players in the landscape for what you can and can’t say. Everyone else has learnt from me, learnt from my example.
“So I definitely learnt from that, it was pretty tough at the time when all the media were piling on. I understand it was the wrong thing to do, but you learn from it, move on, and I won’t be commenting on other teams any more.
“The club is big on celebrating me for who I am. My personality is a bit different. But doing it the right way without talking about other people.”
Draper’s Dons knocked off Collingwood with the roaming ruckman best-afield in the eyes of many.
It was his first victory against Collingwood and a statement win as Sam Durham dominated and Dylan Shiel returned to form.
Draper lauded Shiel’s character not to drop his bundle during his VFL stay and Durham’s hard work off the field to tap into his explosive play.
“His ability to turn on the spot and burst through traffic, it’s something most players can only dream of. And he’s just the best kid as well.”
If Essendon can keep up that form they can define their own history as well as break the 20-year finals winning hoodoo.
“Yeah, we are obviously looking at finals,” Draper said.
“Everyone is here for a reason and we have put ourselves into a good spot and we have got an amazing opportunity in these last seven games, so we are looking forward to it.
“Scott (Brad Scott) has been letting us know we are not shying away from it. We have got an amazing opportunity and we have put ourselves in a good spot on the ladder and it’s where you want to be. It’s up to us to take the opportunity.”
KREUGER WAITS FOR PIE DEAL
Collingwood’s Nathan Kreuger would like to remain at the Pies but is yet to be offered a new deal as he becomes an intriguing prospect with his dual ruck-forward capability.
Former Geelong forward Kreuger has finally shrugged off an injury history that includes multiple shoulder reconstructions, calf and hamstring issues which saw him out of AFL football for 407 days before his round 13 return.
He is no superstar but clubs across the AFL are entranced by forwards who can also play some ruck time.
There are plenty of ruckmen in football who attempt to pinch-hit forward with little effect, but he has kicked seven goals in four games while getting more ruck time in the past two weeks.
With Mason Cox, 33, signed to the end of 2025 but injured and Brody Mihocek, 31, out for the home-and-away season with a torn pec, Kreuger becomes even more important for the Pies.
HOWE SET FOR ONE MORE
Collingwood swingman Jeremy Howe intends to play on for a 15th AFL season in 2024 if he remains free from serious injury at the back end of this year.
The Herald Sun revealed last month that Howe had a 16-game trigger in his contract which would guarantee him a pathway through to 2025.
The 34-year-old is only three games shy of reaching that mark, with his value to the team as strong as ever, given he has moved from defence to attack to assist the injury-hit Magpies’ forward line.
Howe, who has edged to within four games of the 250-game milestone, says his passion for the game is as strong as ever.
“For me, I will play for as long as I am physically able to contribute to the team,” Howe told the Herald Sun after last week’s12-point loss to Essendon.
“I am more than happy to keep going.
“But if something happens to me like what happened at the start of 2023 (a sickening compound fracture of his arm), then Iam straight out.
“Physically, my body feels good. I love the game and still feel like I am contributing.”
But he put one more caveat on playing on again next season, saying he wanted to be certain that in continuing on next year that he wasn’t holding back any young talent.
“I’ve always said that I would never get in the way of anyone,” he said. “I won’t be doing that. But if I am still fit and still contributing, I will go on again next season.”
TREACY SET TO CASH IN
Fremantle’s emerging star Josh Treacy will cash in on his new-found form with a contract that has ample incentives that will see him rewarded this season and in coming years.
Treacy signed a contract in July last year through to 2026, but his management was well aware of his capacity to break out this season.
The Fremantle star, dubbed the big Cohuna after making his way to the AFL from the Victorian dairy farming area, has kicked a remarkably accurate 35.10 for the season.
He is sixth in the Coleman Medal race behind million dollar men including Charlie Curnow, Ben King and Harry McKay, and ahead of Jeremy Cameron.
Fremantle’s ruckmen Luke Jackson and Sean Darcy are both on as much as $900,000 a season, with Treacy likely on half that this year.
AFL clubs insert a raft of bonuses for players that include goal tallies, games tallies and best-and-fairest results.
The Dockers always believed in him despite speculation they might secure WA goalkicker Logan McDonlad, with Treacy to form a decade-long partnership with Jye Amiss.
Those contract bonuses can be worth well over $50,000 a year and can also add on to base payments in following seasons.
It will allow the 21-year-old to be well paid in coming seasons, with the Dockers sure to come to him well before 2026 to sign a long-term contract extension.
While the Dockers might have had to give up multiple first-round picks if McDonald was keen to return to Perth, Treacy’s recruitment as the No.7 pick in the 2021 rookie draft could set up a premiership run for Fremantle.
YOUNG RUCKMAN RE-SIGNS WITH DEMONS
Melbourne has signed young ruckman Will Verrall to a one-year contract extension as part of the club’s plans to find a long-term replacement for Max Gawn.
Verrall, whose junior development was hampered by nasty back stress fractures, has flourished this season in the club’s VFL team.
While Tom Fullarton is in the box seat to replace Max Gawn against Essendon on Saturday night, the club remains incredibly excited by Verrall’s upside.
The 199cm Verrall, 20, was taken with pick 14 in the rookie draft and has agreed to a one-year extension to keep at the club for 2025.
The new deal is expected to be announced shortly.
With Gawn, 32, edging towards the end of his brilliant AFL career, the Demons have Tom Fullarton, who was recruited from Brisbane Lions last year and Verrall in support.
Fullarton played 19 games in three years at Brisbane, 25, but some believe the athletic Verrall has even more upside as a ruckman who can push forward.
The club’s decision not to play Brodie Grundy in finals last year before trading him delivered a blow to the club’s hopes of securing another prime back-up ruckman.
With Gawn set as the No. 1 ruckman, there was a belief it would be hard for another big man to job share in the ruck with the premiership big man.
Gawn is hopeful of missing only two games against Essendon and Fremantle with a bone chip in the bottom of his fibula.
But the injury has been in sharp focus Melbourne’s long-term ruck plans.
Against Fremantle the Demons will take on former Demon Luke Jackson who is on track to becoming one of the best ruckmen in the game.
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