AFL 2023: Chris Scott says he is not comfortable with letting Esava Ratugolea go despite trade request

Geelong big man Esava Ratugolea has requested a trade once again, and coach Chris Scott won’t be letting him go easy.

Chris Scott has weighed in on Esava Ratugolea’s trade request. Picture: Morgan Hancock/Getty Images

Geelong coach Chris Scott has declared that he is “not comfortable” with letting go of wantaway key defender Esava Ratugolea.

The athletic tall requested a trade to Port Adelaide last week, coming a year after his initial push to join Power was blocked in 2022 as Ratugolea was held to his contract.

Geelong is reportedly eager to receive Power’s future first round selection as part of the deal.

Ratugolea has a breakout season down back for the Cats in 2023, averaging 5.8 intercept possessions and 2.8 intercept marks but was left out of the side later in the year, playing two games in the VFL.

Scott hopes that the 25-year-old’s future remains at the Cats, saying that the club has invested a “hell of a lot” in him since he was taken at pick 43 in the 2016 draft.

Esava Ratugolea has requested a trade to Port Adelaide. Picture: Will Russell/AFL Photos via Getty Images

“It’s a really tough one for me, I feel like our club has invested a hell of a lot in Esava – and personally I’m really invested in the guy,” Scott said on AFL360.

“I’m still hopeful that his future is at Geelong and he has played a lot of games for us when he probably wasn’t ready.

“And that’s sort of part of the investment but it’s not just that in terms of the games he’s played, but it’s just in terms of us taking a long term approach in the hope that he would be a much, much better player in the second half of his career than the first.

“To let him go is not something I’m comfortable with – especially in the current environment where key position defenders just seem to be one, hard to get and two, very, very expensive.

“In that context I’m hopeful he will be wearing the hoops.”

There is also the possibility that Ratugolea could walk to the pre-season draft if the two clubs are unable to strike a deal, as Carlton’s Jack Martin did in 2019.

But Scott believes that is unlikely to happen due to Ratugolea’s value in the eyes of opposition clubs and the key defensive shortage across in the competition.

“I doubt it will come to that point because there will be such a market for him – if you exclude Port from it – no one is going to say we could give a pretty good deal or hope that he gets through to pick 2, 3, 4 – or even pick 15 in the national draft.

Again, Ben McKay has sort of – even (Tom) Barrass over at West Coast – have kind of set the market for these kind of players that, you know, you don’t steal them.

Originally published as AFL 2023: Chris Scott says he is not comfortable with letting Esava Ratugolea go despite trade request