Gold Coast will seek established player and cash from Geelong for Gary Ablett trade

IF Gary Ablett is to return to Geelong, the Cats will need to give something up. JAY CLARK reveals what the Gold Coast Suns will want in return for the champ.

GOLD Coast will demand an established senior player and a significant cash payment in return for departing superstar Gary Ablett.

The champion midfielder formally requested a trade to Geelong on Tuesday and told the Suns he would retire with one year remaining on his contract unless a deal is struck in next month’s trade period.

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Negotiations between the two clubs are believed to have already begun with the Suns determined to secure a ready-made replacement player and $200,000 to $300,000 as part of the Ablett exchange.

The cash component would help pay back some of the money the Suns have paid in advance to the 33-year-old as part of his most recent $1 million a year deal.

Sources close to Ablett are adamant there was no chance the dazzling ballwinner would return to Gold Coast next year and in any case has plans to live in Victoria to be closer to family in 2018.

Manager Liam Pickering said the Suns respected Ablett’s contribution over seven seasons at Gold Coast.

“From that perspective all parties hopefully will be able to get a deal done,” Pickering said. “At this stage the focus is purely on getting to Geelong.”

Gary Ablett might soon call Patrick Dangerfield a teammate. Picture: Colleen Petch

Ablett’s request will bring into sharp focus the future of a group of mid-tier Cats including uncontracted midfielder Darcy Lang, wingman Jake Kolodjashnij, backman Jackson Thurlow, speedster Jordan Murdoch, Queenslander Wylie Buzza and nippy forwards Corey Gregson and Lincoln McCarthy.

Without a deal for next season, Lang is potentially the most vulnerable to a move and showed considerable promise racking up 26 possessions in the Cats semi-final win over Sydney Swans.

But Lang may have to be convinced to head north in similar fashion to ex-Blue key forward Josh Kennedy, who was also initially reluctant to go to West Coast as part of the Chris Judd deal.

Several other clubs are also circling Lang, who has options of staying in Victoria.

The Herald Sun understands the Cats are not currently prepared to give up senior stars such as Mitch Duncan and Cameron Guthrie or talented line breaker Nakia Cockatoo for Ablett.

Defender-midfielder Kolodjashnij baulked at the prospects of heading north to join his brother, Kade, last year and has recently recommitted to Geelong until the end of 2019.

Darcy Lang might be most vulnerable to a trade. Picture: AAP

Livewires Daniel Menzel and Steve Motlop are both free agents, meaning their potential moves to rival clubs will likely be dealt with separately and would earn Geelong second or third round picks as compensation.

The Cats are keen to secure Ablett, who remains one of the most damaging midfielders in the AFL and a potentially key ingredient in the club’s plans to keep open their premiership window.

Arguably the greatest player of the modern era, Ablett left Geelong amid a fallout with Mark Thompson in 2010 and has won two Brownlow Medals, eight All-Australian guernseys and six best and fairests.

Exiled Western Bulldog Jake Stringer also has a preference to move to Geelong next month, which would help turbo-charge the Cats’ forward set-up after a heavy loss to Adelaide in last weekend’s preliminary final.

The Cats could send pick No.20 to the kennel for Stringer, making it difficult to land Greater Western Sydney jet Devon Smith as well.

Collingwood captain Scot Pendlebury last week said Ablett’s homecoming could help Patrick Dangerfield kick 100 goals next season as part of a more permanent move into the forward line.