Jake Stringer could walk for nothing next year if Dogs don’t take Don’s deal
ESSENDON is hoping the Western Bulldogs blink first on Jake Stringer, having handed them their final offer on the tempestuous 23-year-old forward. WHAT DEALS WILL HAPPEN?
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ESSENDON will call the bluff of Jake Stringer’s Western Bulldogs, adamant its deal of picks 25 and 30 for the mercurial star is its final offer.
Stringer’s management has made it clear over the weekend the 23-year-old will under no circumstances return to the Dogs.
The Stringer camp believes the Dogs have backflipped after list manager Jason McCartney said on Saturday he was welcome back.
In the meeting which paved the way for Stringer to explore his options the coach and officials made it clear his position was untenable.
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His management believe the forward, who flies out for America on Monday, would be put in an unhealthy environment for his mental health to return.
It would put him back into the group of friends who the Dogs believed were troublesome, with Stringer still at odds with wife Abby and her friends among the Dogs players.
Stringer and his family both believe he could not face coach Luke Beveridge and play under him next year, having been pushed so quickly out the door.
Essendon’s offer of 25 and 30 is worth 1385 points under the values assigned to draft picks, almost identical to the value of this year’s pick 10 (1395 points).
The Dogs could have received pick 11 last week if they handed back pick 26, but as they stalled pick 11 went to GWS in the Devon Smith deal.
Stringer will not sit out of footy next year but could go into the 2018 pre-season draft after playing one more year, leaving the Dogs with no compensation.
His father will speak publicly at a PwC Australia trade-related breakfast today, expected to weigh in on his son’s situation.
The Stringer family is understood to believe only a fresh start will reinvigorate his career.
Essendon will clinch a deal for Adam Saad in coming days, almost certainly for a 2018 second-round pick.
And Port Adelaide’s offer for departing Melbourne forward Jack Watts will likely be pick 31, the Power’s best draft pick after trading away this year’s first-rounder last year.
Geelong now has picks 19, 22 and 35 and 53, giving it ample selections to satisfy Gold Coast on Gary Ablett.
The Ablett family and Geelong are mourning the loss of Ablett’s sister Natasha but will today recommence negotiations.
Even if the Cats hand over a second-rounder — more than they initially hoped — they have a strong draft hand with two early selections.
The AFL’s decision to award Geelong pick 19 for departing free agent Motlop — the same as Lance Franklin — saw outrage in the industry.
It again saw clubs calling on the league to release its formula for handing over compensation for free agents.
As player manager Scott Lucas said yesterday, the league is scared clubs will collude on a player’s contract, setting a price point that means one allows the other to take him.
But Richmond and Hawthorn effectively did that with Tyrone Vickery’s contract last year, clubs believing the league needs transparency.
Port Adelaide must be paying Motlop somewhere near $650,000 a season over four years, the same deal that saw Brisbane receive end-of-first-round compensation for Tom Rockliff.
A player must be paid a salary that puts him in the top five per cent of players over 25 year of age for his club to get a mid first-round compensation pick.
But clubs are still in the dark about what qualifies for end of first-round and mid second-round compensation.
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■ JAKE STRINGER
Essendon has offered picks 25 and 30 and would like a late pick back for Jake Stringer, but the Dogs say they want more.
This deal could get messy given the emotions involved, but there is no way he can go back to a Dogs’ outfit which said he was uncoachable.
■ JACK WATTS
Watts on Friday chosen Port Adelaide, which has picks 31 and 34 and will likely offer the first of those for Watts.
Given Geelong says it’s out of the race and won’t offer 19 or 22 for him, that might be enough for a player who finished 21st in the Dees BnF.
■ CHARLIE CAMERON
Brisbane has offered one of its late top-20 picks — now 18 and 20 — for Adelaide’s Cameron, with the clubs at least talking.
The Crows might ask for pick 12 from the Lions but somewhere before Thursday 2pm Cameron should become a Lion.
■ BRYCE GIBBS
Adelaide list boss Justin Reid says he and Carlton’s Steve Silvagni are talking about Gibbs, who has told friends he still wants to go home.
If Adelaide had picks 10, 16 and 18 and did nothing despite losing Jake Lever and Cameron, it would be just as bad as failing to get Gibbs over the line last year.
■ MATTHEW KENNEDY
As colleague Sam Landsberger revealed on Thursday, Brisbane are still sniffing around Carlton-bound GWS midfielder Kennedy.
Carlton’s third-rounder (40) won’t get it done and they don’t have a second-rounder but no one seriously doubts they will eventually get the hard inside midfielder.
■ ADAM SAAD
Gold Coast will likely take Essendon’s 2018 second-rounder for the defender, given they already have picks 2, 21, 24, 26, 37 and potentially an incoming pick for Gary Ablett in November’s draft.
■ GARY ABLETT
He will be at Geelong next year. Geelong could offer up one of its picks (it has 19, 21 and 35) or get involved in a pick shuffle with Gold Coast that improves their draft hand.
Neither club seems able to settle on a player to seal the deal.
■ LUKE HODGE
At some stage the Lions and Hawks need to strike a modest deal to get Hodge to the Hawks.
Just a left-field thought, but could the Lions also get a Paul Puopolo type and help the Hawks shuffle a later pick onto the second round?
■ JOSH SCHACHE
Either there is no interest in the 200cm Lions forward or clubs are just playing it cool to drive his price down.
At some stage the Lions will have to take him back or accept a second-rounder for him.
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