Sam Jacobs completes medical at former club Carlton
You want sauce with that? Carlton has met with former ruckman Sam Jacobs about a potential return to the Blues — nearly a decade after he left for Adelaide.
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Carlton has paved the way for a surprise ruck reunion with Sam Jacobs.
The Blues have held talks with the veteran Crows big man, nearly a decade after trading him home to Adelaide for picks 33 and 67.
Jacobs last week had a medical at Carlton after a season in which he had knee surgery to repair meniscus damage.
The 202cm ruckman managed only five games as understudy Reilly O’Brien emerged in Adelaide to take the No.1 ruck role, but Jacobs featured in the Crows’ last three matches.
At 31, Jacobs is understood to have been offered an incentive-based, one-year deal to stay at the Crows.
Rival clubs, including Greater Western Sydney, are offering longer-term contracts. Jacobs has also met with the Giants, where Dawson Simpson is retiring and Shane Mumford is weighing up his options.
While Jacobs is not considered a top priority at Carlton, the Blues would like to bolster their ruck department given Matthew Kreuzer has managed only 15 games this year and 12 games last year.
The Blues have offered back-up Andrew Phillips a one-year deal.
Jacobs had shown remarkable durability over the bulk of his career.
Before this year’s knee operation, he had played 201 games since his Blues debut in 2009 and 19 games or more at Adelaide in each season from 2011 to 2018.
The No.1 pick in the 2006 rookie draft, Jacobs has three times (2012, 2014, 2017) made the All-Australian squad of 40.
KANGAROOS FACE FIGHT FOR GOLDSTEIN
North Melbourne is facing a fight to retain ruckman Todd Goldstein from making a surprise switch to Geelong in the exchange period.
The Roos have recently upped their offer to Goldstein to stave off interest from St Kilda, but Geelong has come hard late for the veteran big man.
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Goldstein’s manager Tom Petroro met with North officials this week as part of ongoing discussions about the 31-year-old, who enjoyed another excellent season in 2019.
The best-and-fairest winner is now shaping as a free agent fix for Geelong’s ruck problems after losing faith in Rhys Stanley late this season.
Stanley was dropped for the qualifying final loss to Collingwood, while back-up Zac Smith has played only six games in two years.
As a free agent, Geelong can secure Goldstein without having to give up any players or draft picks at the trade table.
He is an unrestricted free agent, meaning the Roos will be unable to match any offer from Geelong.
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And Chris Scott’s men are expected to have significant salary cap room in the likely event midfielder Tim Kelly pursues a move back home to Western Australia.
The Cats are trying to keep Kelly on a deal worth in the vicinity of $700,000 a year, but if he departs, that money could be used to land Goldstein and St Kilda midfielder Jack Steven.
The futures of fellow Geelong veterans Harry Taylor, Scott Selwood and Lachie Henderson also hang in the balance.
North Melbourne wants to keep Goldstein but may have to offer the 234-gamer a guaranteed three-year deal to fight off the Cats’ interest.
- Jay Clark
Originally published as Sam Jacobs completes medical at former club Carlton
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