Moneyball AFL trade news: The latest on Adelaide’s pursuit of Demon Harrison Petty
The Crows will launch a full-on assault to lure Harrison Petty back to South Australia again this year. But have things changed from the Demon’s side? Here’s the latest.
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Can Jarryd Roughead bring in a big name to Hawthorn?
Is Harrison Petty going to Adelaide?
All that and more below.
HE’S IN NO HARRY
Adelaide will launch a full-on assault to lure Harrison Petty back to South Australia once more, but don’t be surprised if he stays at Melbourne to chase a second premiership.
It has been reported in Adelaide that the Crows expect him to be in their colours next season after offering him a five-year $4 million deal that was heavily front-ended.
Petty was keen to go home when he saw that he could be part of the Shane McAdam trade.
Adelaide will hope Petty’s status as an unrestricted free agent in 2025 means the Demons might trade him as a pre-agent this year rather than accept a mid-teens free agency compensation pick next year.
So expect them to throw a considerable trade package at the Demons to turn their heads, with Demons great Garry Lyon suggesting on Friday only a Riley Thilthorpe swap would be acceptable.
But even six months on much has changed for Petty, who has made clear he is totally committed to the Demons and intent on focusing on their flag campaign.
When the Demons aborted that trade it was a very different climate at Melbourne as Clayton Oliver’s health battles continued in a month where Joel Smith’s match-day positive was revealed by the Herald Sun.
The Demons got around Petty through captain Max Gawn and coach Simon Goodwin, who have both remained in constant touch with their swingman.
Expect Port Adelaide to have some interest in Petty’s future given Charlie Dixon is getting towards the end.
So while Petty is in no mood to consider a contract extension just yet, he is a long way from out the door at year’s end.
ROUGHY HEADS UP OPERATION ‘BIG FISH’
Hawthorn has charged four-time premiership hero Jarryd Roughead with the expressed priority of attracting “A-grade” AFL talent through trade and free agency avenues to bolster the club’s rebuilding list.
Since the Hawks secured Jaeger O’Meara in late 2016, the club has mostly been reluctant to provide long-term deals that rival clubs have offered up to bring in ready-made elite talent.
Instead, they have patiently built through the draft to add to their list profile, while also making some canny investments in role players from opposition teams.
But having secured Roughead as a high-profile player acquisition manager – he was appointed in late January – that is set to change as the Hawks prepare to open up a multimillion-dollar war chest across the next few years.
Roughead’s move from St Kilda has been seen as a coup, given his strong links across the AFL industry and his popularity as a high-profile and relatively recent star player with good connections.
Moneyball believes there is an incentive-based clause in Roughead’s deal if he can help the Hawks land the superstar recruits they covet.
Hawthorn signalled its intent by launching big bids for key defenders Esava Ratugolea and Ben McKay last year, and were shattered to miss out on the former Kangaroos free agent, despite making a bigger offer than Essendon. That has only made Sam Mitchell and his list management crew more determined to land a game-changing player.
The club offered early draft selections for midfielder Bailey Smith last year and will almost certainly renew that chase for the out-of-contract Western Bulldogs star.
Hawthorn is desperate to secure another key forward to work alongside Mitch Lewis, to play a similar role to what Roughead played with champion spearhead Buddy Franklin through the club’s highly-successful premiership years.
And with injuries to James Blanck and top-10 draft pick Denver Grainger-Barrass, the club’s need for a powerful key defender has never been more urgent.
High-profile midfielders out of contract this year include Brisbane free agent Hugh McCluggage, Richmond’s Liam Baker and Sydney best and fairest winner Errol Gulden.
Kangaroos forward Cam Zurhaar is one of those rare mid-forwards in the AFL who could slot into a side with a bevy of small crumbing forwards.
The Hawks’ midfield challenges across the first two games could also see them target a free agency ruckman, with All-Australian big man Tim English yet to commit to the Bulldogs.
HAWK HASN’T RULED OUT ‘25
Geelong champion Tom Hawkins hasn’t ruled out playing on for a 19th AFL season, saying he is enjoying the game as much as he ever has.
Hawkins took a long time to commit to a one-year deal with the Cats late last season, amid speculation clubs such as Collingwood looked at launching a bid for the 35-year-old.
But he stressed Geelong would always be home.
As he prepares for his 350th AFL match on Easter Monday, Hawkins told the Herald Sun he almost certainly won’t make a decision on playing on next year until the end of the 2024 season.
“What has worked for me in the past is staying in the moment and enjoying it, and planning for what is going to be beyond football, like I have done for the past couple of years,” Hawkins said.
“My approach has always been, I will just wait and see (about playing on). I always get that there will be interest in a 35-year-old, but I feel like there is more (for me) to be able to do.”
He said the delay in locking-in a new deal heading into 2024 was “a little bit blown out of proportion” as Geelong has been his home for almost half of his life.
“Geelong is where we are based and we are really settled here as a family,” Hawkins said.
REID ALL ABOUT IT
West Coast No.1 draft pick Harley Reid will be in no rush to extend his contract in the west as he looks to consolidate an eye-catching start to his AFL career.
Reid, 18, has lived up comparisons to a young Dustin Martin over his first two games, showcasing his tremendous power and agility. He is contracted until the end of 2026, and is unlikely to move on an extension over the next 12 months as he finds his feet at AFL level.
Talent experts believe Reid could be worth as much as $800,000 a year on his next deal from 2027, and West Coast’s most important list asset.
It would be a comparable extension to Collingwood’s Nick Daicos who signed until the end of 2029 on about $1 million a year.
Former Richmond recruiting manager Matthew Clarke was appointed West Coast’s new list manager and will make Reid’s contract a top priority in a bid to lock him away early.
But the Tongala product is still building his fitness and will likely hold off on contract talks until at least the second season of his current agreement.
Top-20 draft picks sign three-year contracts after a change to the collective bargaining agreement.
DURHAM SIGNS ON UNTIL ‘28
Essendon’s emerging star Sam Durham is the latest Don to back in the club’s improving culture with his signature after he locked himself into the club until the end of 2028.
Durham has been another Essendon recruiting success story after they took the Richmond VFL player in the mid-season draft and turned him into an AFL regular.
Durham has added four more seasons to his current deal as the latest Don to sign a long-term deal.
Mason Redman and Darcy Parish both ignored significant rival interest to sacrifice free agency last season while Kyle Langford and Jordan Ridley signed on over summer.
Redman is signed to 2028, Parish is signed to at least 2028 with speculation he has a sixth year on his deal, Langford is signed to 2027 and Ridley is signed to 2029.
The Herald Sun reported last week the Dons had front-ended many of those deals and as a club which did not have CBA increase clauses in many deals will have salary cap room to move.
Ben McKay is being paid up to $1.5 million this season on a front-ended deal so the club can clear cap space for when it is in the premiership window and chasing rival established talent.
Durham, 22, has turned into a serious player who can play midfield, wing and half forward.
“It’s pretty surreal to sign with this great club. Coming from getting picked up on the rookie list to signing a two-year deal and now a four-year deal, it’s massive, not only for me but also for my family,” he said.
“It was very special to call mum up and give her the good news. I do this not only to play footy but to make my family and mum proud. She drove me across the countryside for a good part of 18 years, so it’s awesome to get this new deal, especially for Mum.”
NOBLE BOUNCING BACK
Collingwood defender John Noble will have suitors at season’s end as clubs including Gold Coast chase running half backs in a modern game built on silky ball movement.
Noble is contracted to the end of 2026, but after signing that deal in July last year he was dropped for the entire finals series and has played only 44 minutes in the first three games.
He is a strong contender to return against Brisbane given his slashing VFL form.
His teammates lauded the impressive manner in which he bounced back from that setback and never showed any jealousy over their achievement.
But like Sydney’s Logan McDonald and Geelong’s Max Holmes, both holding off talks after being dropped for a Grand Final in their careers, it remains to be seen how that impacts his long-term future.
The Suns are desperate for a Lachie Whitfield style defender to drive their ball movement but with very few out of contract they might have to consider whether they can secure a Noble type to help their running game.
RE-SIGNING POWELL ON A HIGH
North Melbourne has locked away midfielder Tom Powell until the end of 2026 as he makes a bright start to the 2024 season.
Powell extended his deal for two more seasons in a week where he played his best game for the Roos, polling five coaches votes for a two-goal 28-possession display.
Powell told the Herald Sun on the weekend he couldn’t be happier at the club.
“I am really happy with where I am at – at the moment – I love the footy club, I love the boys, I love the place,” he said.
“I think I am one of those guys who takes it day by day but I do like the direction of the club. I can’t exactly say where we will be in three to four years but I think it will definitely be somewhere higher up the ladder.”
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