Moneyball: All the latest trade and contract news
In-demand Richmond young gun Shai Bolton has put off contract talks with the Tigers until the end of the season, Jon Ralph writes.
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Richmond free agent Kamdyn McIntosh is determined to remain at the Tigers but Shai Bolton’s contract talks remain at an impasse with the 22-year-old unwilling to consider an offer until the post-season.
McIntosh has been linked to a return home to Perth in recent contract negotiations but despite his free agency status would stay if he was handed a long-term deal on fair financial terms.
As one of footy’s hardest runners he has been a critical ingredient to Richmond’s success as a wingman who pushed into defence when Nick Vlastuin went down with concussion in the Grand Final.
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Bolton has consistently remained steadfast that he is unwilling to sign a contract mid-season, despite Richmond’s overtures.
His contract value continues to rise by the week, with AFL great Dermott Brereton labelling him the best under-23 player in the competition on Monday.
His manager Ralph Carr has told the Herald Sun he believes he will stay at the club, and it is known Carr is telling Bolton he should remain at Richmond.
Like Carr’s client Dustin Martin before him the marketable Bolton would benefit from off-field endorsements if he remained at a successful, high-profile club like Richmond.
But Bolton has consistently stated he will only talk about his contract after the season is finished.
It means the Tigers will need to put aside a significant chunk of their cap for his signing at the same time as they balance the books in offers for Callum Coleman-Jones and Mabior Chol.
WA-based clubs have already been told Bolton is likely to stay, but his contract price will again put pressure on the Tigers’ cap given their array of stars.
Shane Edwards and Jack Riewoldt will re-sign on one-year deals at Richmond in coming months, with Bachar Houli playing out his latest one-year contract.
WANTED MAN: HOW MUCH IS YOUNG TIGER WORTH?
AFL great Dermott Brereton says Shai Bolton is the best under-23 player in the land, adamant Richmond needs to offer him at least $600,000 a season to stay at Punt Road.
Brereton was in awe of Bolton’s finishing skills in the victory over Essendon as he kicked two spectacular goals darting around Bombers opponents.
Brereton told News Corp on Sunday a rival would offer Bolton up to $900,000, just as St Kilda were forced to pay that much to lure Brad Hill to St Kilda.
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Brereton said Melbourne’s Kysaiah Pickett was closing the gap on Bolton, but says given the speed of the modern game he couldn’t go past Bolton, who turns 23 in December.
“He is the best under-23 player in footy. And he has still got eight years of footy left. So you pay overs for him if you believe you can keep him at your club for up to a decade. That’s the way the marketplace is right now,” he said.
“No doubt loyalty comes into it but I would think if the Tigers are putting an offer in front of him he would be dubious if it has a five in front of up ($500,000), it has to be north of that. The Tigers will sell to him that he has a great chance to play in premierships and be in the best environment and that is worth a quarter of a million dollars. But while he’s thinking in his own mind he’s not for sale, there comes a point in everyone’s career when they say, “I have got a price.
“To get him to a club like Hawthorn or North Melbourne, who are the bottom teams at the moment with salary cap room, he is an $800,000 or $900,000-a-year player.”
Brereton said despite the welter of exciting young talls like the King twins and star mids like Sam Walsh and Bailey Smith emerging Bolton had massive upside given his exposed form in 57 games
“He is explosive, he takes the ball away from stoppage, he is already a proven goalkicker in the front end and he’s so explosive at centre bounce. Kosi Pickett is something else. We don’t know what he is like for extended periods in the middle but he’s certainly a rare talent in the forward line.”
STAGGERING NUMBER OF CLUBS CIRCLING BREAKOUT TIGER
Goalkicking legend Jason Dunstall says Richmond might need to rejig its forward line makeup in an attempt to keep breakout forward Callum Coleman-Jones.
But Dunstall says both Coleman-Jones and Mabior Chol must seriously consider rival offers to thrive elsewhere as football increasingly becomes a business.
Dunstall is third on the AFL’s goalkicking list with 1254 goals and played in an era when some Hawks played up to 100 reserves games before carving out successful senior careers.
He told News Corp players were now eager to maximise their careers even as they balanced playing in a successful system where they could win flags.
It is understood as many as 10 clubs have registered interest in uncontracted Coleman-Jones, who kicked four goals against Adelaide.
Chol’s manager Ralph Carr said last week there was strong interest in his client, with Richmond aware it will be hard to keep a player rivals are offering three-year deals.
Dunstall said salary cap room would ultimately force one of those players out and possibly both, with Jack Riewoldt about to sign on for 2021.
Tom Lynch has four more years on his contract after this season, with his contract around $930,000 a season but back-ended in the later years.
“It’s a very fine balance between making sure they are ready to play before they play and not holding back their development when they should be getting a game but can’t get one,” Dunstall said.
“Whether Richmond needs to rebalance their set-up, because ideally you have got Riewoldt finishing up in one or two or three years, so they desperately want Coleman-Jones as part of their succession plan. It’s whether they can hang onto him for long enough.
“They can’t keep both of them and as much as anything footy is a business. It’s a job. You need to take the best deal you can. And the other thing is as much as it’s a great environment and you have an opportunity to play in premierships, the fact is Richmond have won three of the last four. How many more do we expect this group to win? Staying doesn‘t guarantee you are going to win premierships.”
Richmond prospered against Adelaide as Riewoldt (five goals), Coleman-Jones (four goals) and Chol (two goals and quality ruck time) all found the scoreboard.
Callum-Jones said after his four-goal haul in only his second AFL game he knew he needed patience despite turning 22 in two weeks.
“Definitely, especially being at a good club like this, it’s never easy to get game with great players like Lynchy and Jack in front of you but I have always had the mindset that I am going to be a better player in the long run so I was happy to do my time and when the opportunity comes I would take it.”
Lynch will miss at least a month and potentially much longer after surgery on cartilage in a knee that had been bothering him for much of the season.
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