Moneyball: Jade Gresham to commit to St Kilda as Caleb Daniel and Willie Rioli close in on deals

Scott Pendlebury says Jordan de Goey’s decision to reject a huge offer from the Kangaroos left a big impression on his Collingwood teammates. Plus, the latest on new deals for Jade Gresham and Caleb Daniel.

Jade Gresham will be happy to re-sign with St Kilda in the near future. Picture: Getty

St Kilda’s fast start to the season and new coaching structure is a huge boost to the club’s player retention strategy as well as coach Alan Richardson’s job prospects.

Saints midfielder Jade Gresham was keen to assess how those changes were executed over summer but after two rounds they couldn’t be going more swimmingly.

It means he will be happy to commit to the club long-term in the near future, even if the club will have to show him the money after a stunning start to the season.

Club great Nick Riewoldt already believes Gresham, who has kicked 79 goals in his 64 games, is the club’s most important player.

RIPPLE EFFECT: TRADES KEEP TANKING FALLOUT ALIVE

ROBBO: WHY IS IT SO HARD FOR AFL TO SAY ‘T’ WORD

SUPERCOACH: DON’T LET WINES DETER YOU FROM ROCKY, BOAK

He won’t come cheap, but the club’s $800,000-a-season commitment to Dan Hannebery isn’t a measuring stick because it is accepted that clubs will pay big cash to bring in players from rival clubs.

At just 21 he has huge upside but the range of incentives and bonuses in contracts these days means he can expect a huge pay rise that reflects his form in coming years.

St Kilda doesn’t need to see more of his exposed form, aware of his value and keen to get something done in the near future.

He might not be quite as explosive as Jordan De Goey, but he boasts similarly impressive numbers, with the Pies mid/forward kicking 91.73 from his 73 games after being drafted a season earlier.

Jade Gresham will be happy to re-sign with St Kilda in the near future. Picture: Getty

DANIEL A LOYAL DOG

Caleb Daniel is making every post a winner as he works towards a contract extension that could take him up to free agency.

Daniel’s ball retention and versatility — he can play half back, midfield and half forward — mean the helmeted Bulldog is one of the first picked by Luke Beveridge.

Now after another fifth-placing in the best-and-fairest contract talks are ongoing.

A three-year deal would take him to eight years of service, with Daniel keen to stay at a club that has burst out of the blocks with a 2-0 start to the year.

MONEYBALL: DEMONS SET FOR BUSY TRADE PERIOD AGAIN

MONEYBALL: SHOULD EAGLES HAVE PULLED TRIGGER ON KELLY DEAL?

Caleb Daniel is in great form to start the 2019 season.

RIOLI DEAL A PRIORITY

West Coast is trying to lock away premiership forward Willie Rioli on a new two-year deal.

Rioli, who is out injured with a foot problem, is already signed up until the end of next year.

But the Eagles know how important the 23-year-old is to their forward line and have already begun talks on another early extension.

It will be a deserved payday for the hardworking goal kicker who played a crucial role in their flag assault last year, slotting 28 majors and laying 63 tackles across 24 games.

He was taken with pick No.52 in 2016 and lost 16 kgs to get in shape.

West Coast is keen to secure Willie Rioli on a new deal. Picture: Getty

SACRIFICE FOR GREATER GOOD

Scott Pendlebury said Jordan de Goey’s selfless decision to reject a $1 million a year offer from the Kangaroos left a big impression on his Collingwood teammates.

As many as 12 Collingwood players restructured their deals last year to help fit in Dayne Beams as well as de Goey and Darcy Moore’s extensions.

A five-year contract for gun midfielder Taylor Adams is also imminent.

Pendlebury said the salary sacrifices provided a glimpse into the culture the club was building.

“He was offered huge money and he stayed with us and that probably allowed what happened (with the re-signings) to happen,” Pendlebury said.

“The club wants to keep this group together, that are in a really good age bracket.

“Hopefully they see value in keeping around a few of the experienced bulls around for a little bit longer as well.”

Jordan de Goey’s loyalty to Collingwood has set the tone at the club. Picture: Michael Klein

Carlton will be certainly happy about Adelaide’s slow start to the season.

The Blues and Crows swapped first-round draft picks as part of last year’s bombshell deal which allowed Carlton to land midfielder Liam Stocker in the draft.

But the Crows have secured only one win from their first three games.

Expect their ladder position to improve over the next month as the Crows take on North Melbourne, Gold Coast, St Kilda and Fremantle.

CROWS BACK ERIN TO MAKE RETURN

Adelaide says it will do everything in its power to lure back Erin Phillips next year despite the ACL rupture that put such an exclamation point on their second AFLW premiership.

Phillips hasn’t made up her mind about a return at 34 but CEO Andrew Fagan says they believe she will return.

“She is our captain and if there is one person among the 53,000 there on Sunday who you would back to play in next year’s season it would be her,” he said.

Erin Phillips is helped from Adelaide Oval on the medicab after tearing her ACL.

“She is a true professional, a competitive beast and someone who will do everything in her power to get back. We will back her in.”

He says that amazing crowd shows the possibilities of AFLW — he can foresee 18 professional sides in 5-10 years, playing in front of significant crowds and a hefty TV rights deal.

CRUCIAL SEASON FOR JONES

Nathan Jones will be desperate to get back into some of the elite form that saw him as one of Melbourne’s highest paid players over the four-year contract just expiring.

He only turned 31 in January so should have plenty of football left in him but after two hamstring strains over summer, has been uncharacteristically fumbly over the first fortnight.

He will be aware he will take a pay cut, but will back himself to build into the season and show he is very much a required player for the club.