The $10 million question haunting Josh Kelly after rejecting huge North Melbourne offer to stay at GWS
LAST year North Melbourne offered Josh Kelly a massive contract that would have guaranteed him $10 million. He knocked it back to re-sign at GWS and after two months of this season, he must be asking himself whether he made the right call.
Mark Robinson
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NINE weeks into the season and you might wonder whether Josh Kelly is mulling over whether he made the right decision late last year to stay at Greater Western Sydney.
Kelly rejected a guaranteed $10 million to join North Melbourne, and signed at the Giants for two years for an estimated $800,000 a year.
We’re not suggesting he’s unhappy at the Giants, despite being injured for five weeks and despite his team winning only twice and drawing once in its past six games and, in doing so, starting a free-fall down the ladder.
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We are suggesting, however, that right now could be a sliding door moment.
Nine months ago, Kelly and Richmond’s Dustin Martin rejected North’s mind-boggling offers, believed to be a combined value of close to $20 million.
The Kangas learnt they had missed out on the Giants midfielder first.
The Martin situation was certainly more palpable.
The week before Martin re-signed with the eventual premier, North defender Marley Williams is said to have driven him around the North Melbourne area, including around the ground at Arden St.
At the time, North believed it had convinced Martin to join, but then he agreed to terms at Richmond.
By not landing either of the two star playmakers, North was derided for its lack of success and was accused of not being a destination club.
It was quite the opposite feeling at North Melbourne, where officials knew they were the second choice of both players and it’s better to be second than not in the conversation at all.
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Undeterred, North continued to focus on the process that helped attract — outside of the obscene cash — Kelly and Martin in the first place:
Build a strong game plan, focus on the list build, improve performance and expand club infrastructure.
At Round 8, the Kangas are 4-4, having beaten Sydney and Hawthorn and lost to Richmond by 10 points.
If Kelly travels with the Giants today to Hobart’s Blundstone Arena, he’ll get a first-hand look at the team he rejected, which has made a mockery of many pre-season predictions.
Will he wonder?
If not today, then he certainly will about this time next year when North will double dip and offer him about $8 million over eight years to make the move.
Make no mistake, missing out on Martin and Kelly last year has not blunted North Melbourne’s aggressive recruiting strategy.
If it hasn’t already, it soon will prepare to go on another splurge at the end of this season.
It’s believed the Kangas are preparing to make offers for Collingwood’s Jordan de Goey and West Coast’s Andrew Gaff.
It might mean up to $700,000 a season for De Goey and $800,000-plus for Gaff.
Don’t fret, people. The club has the money for them and for Kelly the year after.
It also will recruit this year, via its Tasmanian academy, Tarryn Thomas, who is said to be in the top-three calculations in the draft.
If successful, it will be North’s biggest recruiting coup since 1973 and the short-lived 10-year rule.
The point is, North Melbourne believes it has become a major player for free agents and players coming out of contract.
De Goey and Gaff may stay at their clubs, but not before they consider Godfather offers from the Kangas.
The club knows it is, or should be, in finals contention.
The off-loading of veterans 18 months ago suggested the Kangas were rebuilding. They are not. They are reshaping.
They were the second-oldest team to take the field last round. They believe adding key players such as Gaff, de Goey and Kelly, and other role types, would likely put them in the premiership discussion.
If a player is a free agent or a coming out of contract, what is he looking for at a new club?
1) Culture: Is the club respected?
2) Off-field: Stable board? Financial state?
3) Working conditions: Facilities and future development of those facilities.
4) Geography: Is the club situated close to family and friends?
5) Total player payments: Can the club afford the player in its salary cap?
6) The coach: Has he got experience; does his style suit the player both personally and the way he wants the team to play?
7) The future: What does the playing group look like now and over next five years?
The Kangas tick most, if not all, of those boxes.
Number six is pivotal.
Confident observers said Brad Scott needed to get out of North Melbourne and North Melbourne needed to get Scott out at the end of last season.
It didn’t happen. Appointed coach at 33, Scott is now 42 and the club believed he was clearly the best option.
It is proving to be a wise decision.
There are happenings at North Melbourne on and off the field.
True, there are depth issues about the list, but when healthy it is more than competitive.
Off-field, the whole area of North Melbourne near the football ground is set to explode. Already, the club has plans to build another major facility to cater for its AFLW team and wants to take over even more land opposite the old social club entrance.
Also, a train station is being built across from the ground and 20,000 new residents are expected to descend over the next 10 to 20 years.
Clearly, North Melbourne will give Gaff, de Goey and Kelly something to think about.
YOUNG RUSE
Average age and games in Round 8
Age Matches
Hawthorn 26.3 118
North Melbourne 26.2 106
Adelaide 26.1 107
Port Adelaide 25.8 113
Geelong 25.8 95
Essendon 25.8 90
Richmond 25.5 96
West Coast 25.4 99
GWS Giants 25.3 88
Sydney 25.2 101
St Kilda 24.9 87
Carlton 24.8 81
Collingwood 24.8 87
Melbourne 24.6 87
Fremantle 24.5 85
Brisbane Lions 24.4 80
Gold Coast 24 71
Western Bulldogs 22.6 55
Source: Champion Data
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