North Melbourne launches $5 million offer in bid to grab Pie Jordan De Goey

JORDAN De Goey will have to make a huge sacrifice to stay at Collingwood as North Melbourne makes its play for the young Pie with a five-year, multi-million dollar offer. Poll: Will De Goey stay?

Clubs are making Jordan De Goey their priority. Pic: AAP

JORDAN De Goey will have to make a huge sacrifice to stay at Collingwood as North Melbourne offers the young Pie a five-year deal of $1 million a season.

De Goey’s management continues to negotiate with Collingwood on a new deal, with the Pies prepared to offer him a contract of that length.

But the Herald Sun understands the Roos would be willing to offer a massive deal to try to drag him away from the Pies.

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Given their commitments to other players the Pies would likely be unable and unwilling to match a contract of $1 million a season.

Kangaroos veteran Scott Thompson said on Wednesday he would love a player of De Goey’s talent at the Roos, but AFL legend Leigh Matthews said that figure was inflated given his worth.

“I don’t think I’d be paying Jordan De Goey $1 million dollars a year. He may not even be in the top 50 players in the game right now,” he said.

New Pies chief executive Mark Anderson admitted recently the Pies cap was close to full, with continuing commitments to Chris Mayne and Daniel Wells.

Jordan De Goey is having a breakout year. Pic: AAP

The Pies publicly floated whether 33-year-old Wells might retire given a long-term lisfranc injury that will seriously impact his training in the pre-season.

But Wells’ manager Liam Pickering said recently he would honour the final year of his contract, said to be just under $500,000.

It will impact the Pies ability to match a huge offer for 22-year-old De Goey, set to be handed an increased midfield role in Adam Treloar’s absence.

De Goey wants to stay at Collingwood and will secure a massive pay rise regardless of whether he remains or leaves.

St Kilda is also a player for De Goey but not only is their offer lower, he would be unlikely to move to a club not in the finals window.

North Melbourne reasons luring a player from a rival club means they must pay a premium that will easily be justified in coming years.

De Goey wants to stay at Collingwood and will secure a massive pay rise regardless of whether he remains or leaves.

Another option is for him to sign a two-year deal at Collingwood, then at 24 sign a five-year deal when his potential is fully realised.

Yet for a club like North Melbourne he is the perfect acquisition, the type of midfielder who could swap with Jack Ziebell in an onball-forward rotation.

The Roos have made no secret of their desire to secure a high-profile, with CEO Carl Dilena telling the Herald Sun this year the club’s first-round pick could be on the table.

It would seem only a massive offer would tempt De Goey out of Collingwood, but his manager Ben Niall recently admitted he had to look at all options.

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“If he gets a godfather offer then what do you do? We’re not looking to leave, we’re going to have the conversation with Collingwood and we’ll try and get a deal done,” he said.

“We’ve also got to be realistic that if there’s a big gap between offers, then we’ve got to have a look at it.”

De Goey is a wanted man. Pic: Michael Klein

North Melbourne is one of seven clubs interested in De Goey, having offered Dustin Martin $10.5 million over seven years and Josh Kelly $9 million over nine seasons.

Both those offers had board approval, with North Melbourne coach Brad Scott saying last week the club’s on-field form added to its tag as a destination club.

The size of that De Goey offer would also allow the Roos room to attempt to lure a free agent on a similarly substantial deal.

North Melbourne is not only armed with a massive war chest, it also has the intellectual property of new advisor Graeme Allan.

Allan has an intimate understanding of Collingwood’s salary cap given his role as the former Pies football boss.

They are attempting to re-sign up to 20 players who entered the year out of contract while also considering a bid for Gold Coast’s Tom Lynch.

Allan, who at one stage was likely to return to the Pies after a ban for his part in the Lachie Whitfield controversy, lured Wells and Mayne in late 2016.

He would also have knowledge of the Pies’ biggest deals, when they expire, whether they are back-ended and the club’s list management vulnerabilities.

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