Moneyball: Follow all the latest trade, contract, draft and coaching news across the AFL
Mason Cox has yet to be offered a contract by Collingwood and could be heading to a premiership contender. Latest trade and contract news.
Sport
Don't miss out on the headlines from Sport. Followed categories will be added to My News.
Brisbane is weighing up several back-up big man options including ex-Carlton tall Levi Casboult and Collingwood’s Mason Cox to bolster the Lions’ tall stocks.
The Lions are considering the pair as well as contracted Cat Darcy Fort to help replace spearhead Eric Hipwood, who faces a lengthy recovery from a knee reconstruction.
Casboult, 31, was delisted from Carlton but is open to a lifeline up north, while Collingwood is yet to offer Cox, 30, a contract extension as the Magpies look to the future.
The Blues are set to welcome Fremantle midfielder Adam Cerra from Fremantle in an exchange involving Carlton’s pick 6, while West Coast is keen to pick up Blue Sam Petrevski-Seton on the cheap.
Casboult played 13 games for eight goals this year, while Cox managed seven games for eight majors in 2021.
Both players could be used in key forward-ruck roles as part of a genuine crack at a premiership for the Lions next season following a semi-final exit this season.
MORE: 11 TRADE DEALS YOU CAN TAKE TO THE BANK
Geelong’s Fort, 28, is also in the frame, but is tied to the Cats for one more year and would need to be traded in exchange for a draft pick.
The Lions have won only one of their past six finals over the past three seasons and are looking at ways to improve the list despite a tight salary cap.
A priority is to beef up their ruck-key forward stocks but, after prizing Joe Daniher out of Essendon last season, Brisbane won’t be able to land another big fish recruit.
The Lions also have Oscar McInerney and Tom Fullarton, but lost Archie Smith to retirement.
The bulk of AFL clubs are dealing with tight salary caps, which has made securing star players difficult in this year’s exchange period.
Midfielder Lachie Neale is staying at Brisbane despite considering a move to Fremantle, so the Lions expect to be only minor players in the trade period.
What Cats want in Jordan Clark deal
Geelong wants a draft pick somewhere in between Fremantle’s first and second-round selections to release contracted speedster Jordan Clark back home to Western Australia.
Currently, Fremantle has picks 8 and 27 but the Cats are unlikely to accept pick 27 in return for a player originally recruited with pick 15 in 2018.
It means the Dockers, who look set to receive pick 6 from Carlton for Adam Cerra, will have to shuffle some of their choices to satisfy the Cats with either a late first-round or early second-round draft choice for Clark.
The 21-year-old playmaker has indicated he wants to accept an offer from the Dockers, but has also been told the Cats will keep the 32-gamer next season if a deal cannot be struck with Fremantle.
News Corp can reveal first-choice ruckman Rhys Stanley has signed a two-year contract extension and speedy goalkicker Gary Rohan has agreed to a one-year deal to play on.
But back-up ruckman Darcy Fort, who is contracted for next season, could be on the move as he weighs up some interest from Brisbane.
The Cats have the oldest list in the competition but are looking to keep the squad together to have another genuine crack at a premiership next season.
Geelong will undergo significant change in the coaches box and will also hope to get a better run with injuries.
Superstars Jeremy Cameron (missed 10 games), Mitch Duncan (12), Patrick Dangerfield (nine) and Tom Stewart (five) were all sidelined for big chunks this year.
New chief executive Steve Hocking, footy boss Simon Lloyd and senior coach Chris Scott will look to make at least three assistant coaching appointments while Stephen Wells and Andrew Mackie will head up the trade and list decisions in the post-season.
Talks are ongoing with the Dockers, with Geelong adamant that Clark’s trade value is worth somewhere in between picks 8 and 27.
The Dockers have scope to shuffle choices, with pick 6 also in the mix from the Blues.
Brisbane has picks 14 and 18, could potentially get involved in a swap with Fremantle, while Hawthorn (picks 5, 21 and 24) and Richmond (7, 15 and 26) also have scope to negotiate.
Geelong held gun midfielder Tim Kelly to his contract for his final season at the Cattery and will keep Clark to his deal in 2022 if required.
With significant change in order in the coaches box at the Cats, if Clark stays he would essentially be given a clean slate to secure a regular senior spot in blue and white for next season.
Assistant Corey Enright is headed to St Kilda, Matthew Knights has made a move to West Coast while Matthew Scarlett has stepped away to take a break from the game.
In particular, Clark’s speed is a key attribute for the ageing Cats but equally Fremantle is keen to add his running power to a midfield which has to replace the slick Cerra.
The Dockers are determined to jump into the eight next year after six years out of the finals and have tracked Clark closely for the past two years.
Hard-working forward Luke Dahlhaus and veteran playmaker Shaun Higgins are contracted for next season, while defender Lachie Henderson is weighing up his future.
RECAP SATURDAY’S GRAND FINAL TRADE Q&A BELOW
Dunkley backflip, will Dogs hold veterans?
Josh Dunkley will sign a new contract extension over the summer in an extraordinary about-face for a player who requested a trade 10 months ago.
In a sign of the club’s successful ability to bring Dunkley back into the fold after his desire to get to Essendon, the Herald Sun can reveal talks are already underway for an extension past 2022.
The Dogs will re-sign ruckman Stef Martin and have an offer in front of free agent Mitch Wallis as they chase more ruck reinforcements.
But it is Dunkley’s integration back into the fold which has paved the way for extensive talks between his manager Liam Pickering and Dogs list boss Sam Power.
Bulldogs chief executive Ameet Bains told the Herald Sun on Saturday the Dogs were thrilled with his attitude since they held firm on trade talks.
Those talks will see the 24-year-old sign a multi-year deal before Round 1.
“Sam and Pickers have already had a couple of discussions and both want to get it done,” Bains said.
“We will finish the finals series and then take up the discussion again. It’s just terrific. We fought really hard to keep him at the end of last year and while we didn’t convince him of that in the trade period we knew if a trade didn’t go through given the sort of person he was and his character he would move on. His friendship with Adam Treloar really fast-tracked that and he’s been unbelievable.”
The Dogs will lose midfielder Patrick Lipinski but have a pipeline of talent that will include 204cm father-son Sam Darcy, son of Dogs board member Luke Darcy.
No.1 overall pick Jamarra Ugle-Hagan will also benefit from another strong pre-season after signing a two-year contract extension to 2024 in August.
Emerging Blues poised to benefit from Voss
Carlton fans are already considering the impact new coach Michael Voss might have on their emerging players with Paddy Dow one who surely will benefit from mentoring from one of footy’s greatest midfielders.
Dow played his best footy from Rounds 12-20 with contested possession counts of 10, 9, 7, 13, 9, 9 10 and 6 during that time before a quieter finish to the season.
Speculation Richmond might be interested in Dow was quickly shut down this week, with the No.3 overall pick contracted for next year and fully committed to the Blues.
But with George Hewett, and likely Adam Cerra, playing in the Blues midfield alongside Patty Cripps, Sam Walsh, Matt Kennedy, Will Setterfield and Lachie Fogarty, there will be massive competition for spots.
Michael Voss hopes to speak to Sam Petrevski-Seton about his imminent departure next week, but the Blues can’t hope for much in return from West Coast.
MORE TRADE NEWS: STARS SIGN NEW DEALS, PIES GURU POACHED
It wasn’t even certain the Blues would have offered Petrevski-Seton a deal, so a third-round pick might suffice.
Voss was quizzed about style of play and talked about wanting to drive contes which was “extremely robust” as well as being strong defensively to put the team in a great position to score.
So everyone will be on notice - there will be no one-arm tackles or downhill skiers in a Voss-coached side.
Will departing coach change Clark’s mind?
Jordan Clark is expected to make an official trade request when he meets with Geelong next week.
But given he is contracted until the end of 2022 Geelong will have to agree to trade him to Fremantle in coming weeks.
Geelong has not been in a hurry to meet on Clark’s future.
This comes despite the club facing decisions on a number of players who fill similar roles to the Cats speedster.
Defensive coach Matthew Scarlett departed on Thursday, with the Hall of Fame star seen as extremely reluctant to play Clark in his back six despite his talent.
Clark’s attitude in the hub this year has been excellent as captain Joel Selwood mentors the 20-year-old No.15 pick.
Geelong has played hard ball with contracted players before including Tim Kelly but given Clark’s limited opportunities this season they would likely relent if handed a fair trade by Fremantle.
Giant hangs up the boots – again
Shane Mumford’s career is officially over.
The Herald Sun can confirm Mumford has decided to retire after several weeks of uncertainty about whether he might go on for one final season.
The Giants had been fairly certain that with Braydon Preuss, Kieren Briggs and Matt Flynn as their ruckmen for next season, Mumford would take up a two-year development role at the club.
Given Mumford had un-retired himself last year, there was that small possibility he would play on as the club assessed its needs.
But a decision has finally been made, with the Giants already thrilled by his ruck coaching last summer before another lion-hearted campaign this year.
Phil Davis will stay on and Jake Ricciardi will also re-sign with little rival interest.
More Coverage
Originally published as Moneyball: Follow all the latest trade, contract, draft and coaching news across the AFL
‘It was a joke’: Footy great caught in golf row
There has been a bizarre development in the “identifying as female” golf club row, with a famous name caught up in the stunt.
Conti brings up 50 in style as Tigers maul Blues
Richmond marked superstar Mon Conti’s milestone game in style, holding Carlton goalless at Ikon Park in an emphatic 33-run win over the Blues.