AFL free agency: Geelong could walk away from Jeremy Cameron deal after being forced into trade with GWS
Geelong is reluctant to part with its first-round draft picks after GWS forced a trade for restricted free agent Jeremy Cameron. And it could see the Cats walk away altogether.
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Geelong has not ruled out abandoning its bid for GWS free agent Jeremy Cameron given the club’s desperation not to hand over its young stars or trio of first-round picks in the bid to secure the free agent.
Greater Western Sydney on Monday morning made free agency history by matching a bid for Cameron, which allows him to re-sign with GWS or a trade to be brokered by the end of the official trade period.
That means the clubs now have until Thursday week for that trade, with the Giants adamant they are keen to secure two first-round picks and potentially a younger player.
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Geelong is aware it has the oldest list in footy and will bring in free agent Isaac Smith, North Melbourne veteran Shaun Higgins and Cameron, who turns 28 in April.
The Cats have picks 13, 15 and 20, and handing the Giants the first two selections would likely seal the deal.
The Cats would ideally have secured Cameron as a free agent and been able to bring in three elite young kids with those picks to have the best of both worlds from a list demographic perspective.
Now all options are on the table as Geelong weighs the benefits of Cameron’s acquisition with the significant cost.
The Cats could reason they were able to turn Tim Kelly (pick 24) into a trade that saw them secure a massive draft windfall – one they are only now spending.
Geelong received 14, 24 and 37 in the 2019 national draft and the Eagles’ first selection in the 2020 draft in return for Kelly, the Cats’ pick 57 in the 2019 draft and a third-round selection in 2020.
The Giants know the Cats do not have many young players on their list, with Brandan Parfitt, Jordan Clark, Sam de Koning, Esava Ratugolea and Sam Simpson among that group.
Now, Geelong will need to ensure it does not strip its group of kids and draft picks and jeopardise the club’s capacity to remain in the premiership window in the medium-term.
De Koning is the successor to recently retired Harry Taylor, Parfitt has just signed a two-year deal and Clark wants to stay at the Cattery.
Ruck-forward Ratugolea is also contracted and keen to stay at the club, with Rhys Stanley to win a one-year extension for 2021.
But, otherwise, the Cats’ ruck stocks are thin.
Geelong could, in theory, walk away from the trade and attempt to secure Cameron through the pre-season draft, but he would need to get past 16 other clubs.
HIGH STAKES: GIANTS MATCH CATS CAMERON MEGA DEAL
GWS has sensationally matched Geelong’s mega deal for free agent Jeremy Cameron.
The Giants informed Cameron’s management they would, first thing on Monday, formally match the five-year, $4.75 million contract the Cats offered their star forward.
It’s a high stakes move for the Giants who believe pick No. 12 is inadequate compensation for the 27-year-old.
Geelong will now be forced to trade picks or players or — if talks break down — send Cameron to the national draft, which looms as the nuclear option.
The monster Cats offer, averaging out at about $950,000 per season including incentives, has a trigger for a sixth if he plays a certain number of games in the fifth year of the contract.
The deal would make Cameron one of the top two highest-paid players at the Cattery alongside superstar Patrick Dangerfield.
FRENZY: RECAP ALL THE DAY 1 FREE AGENCY ACTION
Dangerfield was a free agent when he switched to Geelong from Adelaide, but the deal was struck under a far more amicable conditions, involving a swap of another player and draft picks.
This is a far more adversarial transaction, with GWS vowing to hold its ground.
Former Carlton list manager Stephen Silvagni said on Friday he expected the Giants to match the offer “unless it’s over a million dollars”.
Geelong declined to comment on the situation when approached by the Herald Sun on Saturday, saying it would respect the process.
GWS had offered Cameron about $750,000 a season over five years — far less than his most recent contract. That was blown out of the water by the Geelong offer.
“It’s an eye-watering offer and contradicts the theory Geelong never backs up the truck to land a player,” a senior football manager said on Friday.
The Giants are unhappy with the compensation pick which had already been shuffled back two selections because of Joe Daniher’s shift to Brisbane and Zac Williams’ signing at Carlton.
Cameron’s signing at Geelong would pair him alongside this year’s Coleman medallist, Tom Hawkins.
Geelong has already secured Hawthorn’s Isaac Smith and is also eyeing North Melbourne’s Shaun Higgins.
The Giants will soon turn their attention to signing gun midfielders Josh Kelly and Tim Taranto, who both fall out of contract at the end of 2021.
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