AFL trade news: What Sean Darcy contract talks mean for ruck merry-go-round

Essendon had to fend off a big offer for Sam Draper early in his career and is facing the same scenario with his understudy as he dominates in the VFL. Find out more here.

Sean Darcy’s hamstring tear against Melbourne allowed Luke Jackson to take over against his old side while sparking a frenzy of speculation about the Dockers trading their No.1 ruckman.

As it happened, it also delayed a discussion that would have stopped that talk in its tracks.

Darcy had been set for talks with the Dockers and his management about a long-term extension on the contract that makes him a free agent at the end of 2024.

Those talks across Fremantle’s round 12 bye have been pushed back a couple of weeks as he gets some rest and relaxation before a big second half of the season.

As clubs across the competition try to work through how to establish an elite ruck department, the Dockers will lock away Darcy for the long-term.

For all the pre-season talk of Jackson stifling Darcy’s influence, the opposite has occurred.

As the Dockers attempted to give Lloyd Meek game time last year, Darcy averaged 64 ruck contests a game playing 87 per cent ruck and 13 per cent forward.

This season in rounds 1-10, alongside Jackson, he averaged 73 ruck contests and a 90-10 ruck forward split.

Jackson might thrive as the No.1 ruckman at times, but he was well aware when he came to Fremantle as a 21-year-old that playing alongside Darcy was the perfect way to extend his career.

Sean Darcy rucking against the Cats. Picture: Daniel Carson/AFL Photos via Getty Images

And it would give Fremantle the best chance of success as he mixed rucking with a hybrid midfield role and the forward responsibility that has seen him kick six goals in the Dockers’ four-win streak (and 13.10 for the season).

So the Darcy-to-Geelong narrative won’t happen for the former Cobden man mountain as rivals look elsewhere.

Tom De Koning would have to sacrifice ruck opportunities and money to stay at Carlton, which seems increasingly unlikely.

The talks scheduled for the bye will likely drift until the end of the season as Geelong, St Kilda and Sydney chase the 23-year-old.

If he stayed it would be as the Blues’ No.2 ruckman and No.3 forward, even as his one-out ruck performance against Melbourne showed he was capable of holding down the ruck.

Last Friday’s clash against Max Gawn and Brodie Grundy was his highest-rated game for the year with 13 hitouts to advantage and two intercept marks.

If he did stay at Carlton it would be out of loyalty to the club that drafted him, and his strong mateship with his teammates.

Like Carlton, Geelong might pay him only $600,000 a season.

But the Cats can promise him the No.1 ruck position, plus a complimentary role in attack when 34-year-old Tom Hawkins eventually retires.

St Kilda can’t offer him the No.1 ruck job ahead of Rowan Marshall, but it can offer him the No.2 forward role behind Max King, with Tim Membrey 29 and currently playing VFL after a poor season with a long-running knee issue.

Essendon might throw its hat into the ring but ruckman Sam Draper is in front of him, Andrew Phillips is the in-form back-up and the Bombers might battle to hold onto third-in-line Nick Bryan.

Bryan is only contracted to the end of the season, is eager for opportunity after only one AFL game this year and is putting up massive VFL numbers to disprove theories he is only a tap ruckman without a well-rounded game.

In five VFL games this year he has averaged 134 SuperCoach points, 19 disposals, 32 hitouts, 12 hitouts to advantage, five clearances and six score involvements.

If Essendon doesn’t give him more chances – and it is trying – then a rival team will.

Young Bombers big man Nick Bryan. Picture: Michael Klein

Meanwhile, GWS has been desperately trying to find a successor for Shane Mumford and hoped Braydon Preuss might be their man.

Yet out of the Preuss-Matt Flynn-Kieren Briggs battle, Briggs has emerged as footy’s in-form ruckman in the past three weeks.

Only just winning selection in round 10 after strong VFL form, he has been footy’s biggest surprise packet.

He was the second-highest rated player on the ground against St Kilda, the highest rated against Geelong (eight clearances, seven HTAs) and the second-highest against Richmond (two goals, six clearances).

It is early days but if he can maintain the rage at just 23 years of age, Adam Kingsley’s search for Mummy 2.0 is over.

At Port Adelaide Scott Lycett is uncontracted but back in favour, at Richmond Ivan Soldo is injured but well behind Toby Nankervis, while Nic Naitanui’s season is over with uncertainty about whether he plays on.

So Fremantle’s Darcy will be taken off the board for rival clubs, and yet it will only increase the currency of the likes of De Koning, Bryan and Lycett in a game where teams prefer to poach ruckmen rather than develop them.