Moneyball: All the latest in trades, free agency and player contracts
As Ben McKay continues to be linked with a free agency move to Carlton, North Melbourne’s plan to fast track its rebuild after his possible departure can be revealed.
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Geelong has locked away promising big man Shannon Neale to a new multi-year deal in the latest contract boost for the Cats.
Neale, 20, has been out injured with an ankle problem but showed exciting signs over summer and late last year as a 203cm goal kicker.
Moneyball can reveal Geelong list boss Andrew Mackie, who signed up young star Sam De Koning and Tyson Stengle early in the year, has tied-up Neale until at least the end of 2025.
And talks are underway on a new contract for creative forward Gryan Miers after a strong start to the season helping set up a swath of goal kicking opportunities for twin towers Tom Hawkins and Jeremy Cameron.
Miers, 23, is out of contract this year but is expected to agree to terms after recent productive discussions.
Miers has been a super pick-up for the Cats playing 89 games in blue and white since he was drafted with pick 57 in 2017.
He has regularly hit the scoreboard, slotting 72 goals for his career which included the premiership win over Sydney Swans last year.
The Cats rate Neale who is part of the long-term plans to play ruck key forward.
DONS JOURNEYMAN HITTING FORM AT RIGHT TIME
Andrew Phillips has given himself a chance of securing a contract extension at Essendon after a sensational start to the season.
The back-up big man has become an important cog in the Bombers’ structure helping lead the ruck when Sam Draper goes forward.
At his third club, the 31-year-old has enjoyed one of the best two-week patches of his career against Melbourne and GWS Giants to showcase his value as a reliable veteran tall.
Clubs are scouring the state leagues to find back-up big men like Phillips to play a support role.
Phillips needed to play well this year to help secure a new deal but his excellent early form will already have Essendon officials thinking about a one-year extension.
Phillips has had stints at GWS and Carlton, and had a day out against Melbourne in Round 5 racking up 21 hit-outs, six marks and two goals.
CAN CLARKO SET UP REBUILD IN 2023 DRAFT?
Alastair Clarkson would be keen to replicate the trio of early picks that saw him secure Jarryd Roughead, Lance Franklin and Jordan Lewis if Ben McKay makes the decision to unite with brother Harry at Carlton.
Port Adelaide was the early free agency favourite to secure North Melbourne defender McKay’s services if he decided to leave for greener pastures given he hits restricted free agency this year.
The Roos defender has certainly made all the right noises about staying at Arden Street but has played only 54 games in a career that will hit eight seasons this year.
It is one reason why Port Adelaide’s cross-town rival Adelaide will not be a taker despite being keen on key defenders.
So as McKay’s talks drag on, the Plan B for North Melbourne allows them to bring together three elite kids to join the Harry Sheezel-George Wardlaw pairing of the 2022 national draft.
On current ladder order the Roos would have their own pick four, a free agency compensation pick and take Port Adelaide’s first-round pick at No. 13 (which they retained as part of the Jason Horne-Francis trade).
Then Alastair Clarkson could bring together five elite kids — including three in an upcoming superdraft — to play together for 12 years.
Clarkson set up the four-club run by taking Roughead (pick 2), Franklin (pick 5) and Lewis (pick 7) in the 2004 national draft.
There are less pure elite mids in this year’s draft but the Roos are so well stocked in that department they could fill out their side with draftees who play other positions.
No one will quite say the Roos would be happy to let McKay go, but if he found his way to Carlton at the right price the silver lining is significant.
BIG BLUE MAY HAVE TO FIND NEW HOME
Mitch McGovern does have suitors across the competition if the Blues do find a replacement like Ben McKay.
McGovern has put together cameos again this season and has a strong admirer in coach Michael Voss.
But if the Blues have to find cap space for a new deal for Tom de Koning and a free agent like McKay, McGovern might be squeezed out.
McGovern remains an immensely frustrating player given injury and form issues, but there are up to six clubs seeking intercept defenders across the league.
It means the 28-year-old will still find a home, even if it is on a deal nowhere near his expiring five-year $800,000 a season deal.
SOS AND ROSS TRADE PLANS
Ross Lyon is making ambitious plans to bring in key position players at both ends and a ready-made midfielder as the Saints plot methods to build a trade war-chest.
Lyon made clear recently the club’s salary cap was imbalanced given the Saints pay the same salary obligations as Geelong yet have markedly different results.
The Saints now have up to 17 players out of contract, and many of those deals will drift until late in the season to give the club flexibility with its salary cap.
Jack Higgins will be a priority signing and the club is keen to re-sign restricted free Jade Gresham.
But the club’s list of out-of-contract players includes Zak Jones, Nick Coffield, Jimmy Webster, Leo Connolly, Tom Highmore, Tom Campbell, Dan McKenzie, Hunter Clark, Ryan Byrnes, Oscar Adams and Anthony Caminiti.
Some including Caminiti and Clark have had breakout seasons and will have deals worked through methodically but if the club can clear cap space it will allow talent and acquisition boss Graeme Allan and list boss Steve Silvagni the freedom to launch if they find the right target.
St Kilda has shown under Lyon that it can improve players and has the state-of-the-art Moorabbin facility so would be more appealing to target players than in recent seasons.
PIES BOSS BACKS MID-SEASON TRADE PERIOD TO AID DEPTH CONCERNS
- Jon Ralph
Footy’s biggest powerbroker Craig Kelly has endorsed the AFL’s bid to introduce a mid-season trade period next year but said the focus should be on giving under-utilised depth players opportunities at rival clubs.
The AFLPA is on board for ongoing talks but there are industry fears it would be a way for some underperforming clubs to shed experience mid-year and focus on obtaining better draft picks at the tail-end of the season.
Kelly ran the AFL’s biggest player management firm TLA last year and then came on board its biggest club Collingwood as its new chief executive.
He told News Corp the example of Essendon’s Nick Bryan, a clear third in the ruck pecking order at the Dons and a TLA client, would be a perfect hypothetical candidate to move to a club like the Pies lacking ruck depth given injuries.
Kelly said players would need to be given the choice of approving trades but believes it would allow players lacking senior opportunities to maximise their careers.
“I think the industry is in the position where we can have a sensible conversation,” Kelly said.
“I know our footy department with “Fly” (Craig McRae) and Wrighty (Graham Wright) have discussed it and the opportunity for movement of players. If it gives guys a chance to stay in footy for longer, it has to be a good thing.
“Everyone jumps up and down about free agency and restricted free agency. The reality is the life span of our players is now longer. If we are going to look at new teams coming in and we have to have easy ways for players who want to stay in the game to get given that opportunity.
“If that starts at an earlier age because they are not getting opportunities it’s a sensible conversation to look at how we do it.”
There are myriad different issues to work through as the AFL and clubs consider a mid-season trade period.
They include whether the mid-season trade period caters for under-utilised young players 23-and-under cut-off or established veterans, how clubs absorb the salary of highly-paid stars and whether it would be a loan or trade system.
Kelly said in the hypothetical example of the Bryan-to-Pies trade, Essendon might want to retain rights to their player at year’s end.
“If there was a sensible conversation and a club said we are light on for talls, do you want that kid to have a chance, that would be a practical thing. Say Nicky Bryan came to play for Collingwood, then after we have done that do we get first dibs on him?” he said.
“Do Essendon still have him under contract? The final transaction might happen at the end of the year but you would get game time or opportunity into a player who might not be getting that opportunity.
“And if I am on the AFLPA side or manager side and I can get games into Nick Bryan all that does is make him more valuable.”
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