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Carlton made improvements in 2020 but needs to find more ways to take opposition attention away from midfield bull Patrick Cripps. A former club great says a high-profile free agent could be the solution.
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Carlton premiership star Mark Maclure says the Blues can transform their midfield next year as free agent Zac Williams prepares to officially nominate them as their club of choice.
Williams is set to join Carlton after the Blues trumped early favourite North Melbourne, telling GWS he would leave for a Victorian team.
He has settled on the Blues a year after Carlton lured 2020 revelation Jack Martin from Gold Coast in the pre-season draft.
Carlton’s star captain Patrick Cripps, set to contemplate his own contract extension over the summer, is in desperate need of support from strong-bodied clearance players and will likely require a shoulder reconstruction.
Maclure said Williams would help Cripps given his star cameos as a pure midfielder but was thrilled the Blues had finally unleashed Sam Walsh as centre-square onballer in the last three weeks of the year.
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Champion Data statistics show No. 1 pick Walsh attended 11 centre square involvements in the first 14 weeks then 33 in the final three weeks.
He responded with three slashing performances including Round 17’s 31-possession game against Brisbane including six clearances and an amazing 21 contested possessions.
Carlton could still attempt to secure players including Essendon’s Adam Saad as a defender but Williams could be a game-changer for their midfield.
“I think they have worked out that the draft doesn’t always work that well,” Maclure told the Herald Sun.
“It can take a long time to build from that platform and you can’t win a lot if you don’t have senior players. If he plays defence he gives them great rebound and he can help Cripps because he looks buggered. He is getting worn out and they need to play him more midfield-forward.
“Walsh played on a wing all year and then they put him into the midfield in the last three weeks and all of a sudden he’s flying. So they need to keep developing players like Walsh.“
Carlton’s Zac Fisher is happy to remain despite being disappointed to be pushed into a small forward role early in the year and could sign an extension past 2021 over summer.
The Herald Sun understands Heath Shaw is yet to be told of the club’s intentions for him but wants to play on at the Giants or another club.
Aware the Giants might not have any cap space to sign him up, he would be prepared to move back to Victoria to finish off his career.
He will turn 35 in late November but had another excellent season playing all 17 games, often playing on the opponent’s best small forward while winning 73 ranking points and kicking at an excellent 74 per cent efficiency.
His one-on-one match-ups show an elite season, keeping Christian Petracca to one goal and Tom Papley, Izak Rankine and Charlie Cameron goalless in their head-to-head encounters.
GWS will likely secure a first-round free agency compensation selection which will get them back into the draft after they traded their 2020 first-rounder to Adelaide.
The Giants said in a statement he had told the club he wanted to go to a Victorian club to be closer to his Albury-based sister.
Giants football boss Jason McCartney said the club was sad to lose Williams.
“It’s disappointing to receive this news as Zac has come a long way since coming through the GIANTS Academy pathway,” he said.
Williams’ departure from GWS could help them in their bid to retain second-year midfielders Jackson Hately and Jy Caldwell, who will consider their futures in coming weeks.
GWS believes it has made solid progress with Jeremy Cameron on his new contract in the past four weeks and hopes he will stay.
On Monday, Carlton delisted Darcy Lang, Hugh Goddard, Ben Silvagni and Finbar O’Dwyer.
The Blues had said they had moved on list boss Steve Silvagni in part because of his conflict in dealing with his sons, but Ben Silvagni was always a late speculative pick who needed to mature quickly to be retained on the list.
WHAT CROUCH ADDITION WOULD MEAN FOR STAR CAT
Patrick Dangerfield secured Geelong a double chance on Sunday with his season’s smallest possession tally, but his most significant impact.
His 14-possession, 170-ranking point game showed Dangerfield can be all about quality over quantity.
He pushed deep into attack after a quiet first half and took over the game with 139 ranking points, three goals and five score involvements as the most dangerous forward on the ground.
And Geelong’s list management group knows as well as Chris Scott that the man who can make that a semipermanent feature next season is Adelaide free agent Brad Crouch.
As former Adelaide captain Mark Bickley told the Herald Sun , no wonder Dangerfield is the one publicly and privately lobbying to secure a free agent the Cats midfielder calls a “star of the competition”.
Bickley told the Herald Sun Victorian-raised Crouch had been explicit about his desire to dodge a big city lifestyle if he does move clubs next year.
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He would ideally stay in Adelaide given his girlfriend Britt Kennedy’s links to the town, but the Crows will quickly move him on if they can secure first-round compensation.
Crouch has a massive upside and one clear red flag that Geelong would have to believe was not a game-changer in their pro-scouting analysis.
A year after he won the Adelaide best-and-fairest he has recorded career-highs in contested ball (12.9), ground-ball gets (8.4) and clearances (6.3, all figures normalised for game length) in a year plagued by injury.
Yet, as a contested beast he recorded the third-worst kicking efficiency of the top 100 ball-winners across the competition, in front of only Hugh Greenwood and Luke Parker.
He also doesn’t kick goals – 34 in 95 games and just two this season.
But if you are looking for a tough nut, inside bull to allow Dangerfield to play forward and farm out contested possessions to the club’s elite wingmen, Crouch is your man.
Bickley is on record as saying Adelaide should keep him given his midfield gifts, but admits he would perfectly complement Geelong should it want to play Dangerfield forward.
Dangerfield turns 31 in April next year and at the very least would prolong his career playing a 40-60 midfield-forward mix.
“We speak to Brad every week for our radio show (on FIVEaa) and basically he would love to stay in Adelaide. His girlfriend is from Adelaide and he has no interest in moving to a big city,” Bickley said on Monday.
“But if he was to leave he would go to a club with a chance of success and that is a big tick for Geelong.
“He has said he can’t see himself in Sydney or Melbourne, so straight away Geelong sounds a pretty good fit and there are a few guys there who know him pretty well (in Dangerfield and Josh Jenkins).
“And if Dangerfield is getting older and might finish up forward he is a really good fit for them.
“My theory flies in the face of a lot of people that he is 26 and if it’s not a ridiculous contract Adelaide should look to match it.
“As Leigh Matthews said, you don’t get better by giving away your best players, but Adelaide has been pretty clear from a fair way back that if they get pick two (as compensation) they will take that.”
Bickley says Crouch has the turn of pace to break away from stoppages and says Dangerfield has enjoyed the freedom to back his speed after Adelaide’s method of exiting stoppages by chains of handball.
Geelong might have won the 2020 premiership by the time it comes to a free agency bid for Crouch.
But with Dangerfield as a powerful ally, surely Crouch can see the advantages of making Geelong his home even if rivals would fatten his pay packet a little more.
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Adam Saad (Essendon)
Every chance to leave Essendon with rivals including Melbourne reported as suitors. Could potentially get five seasons at the Dons but his uncertainty about his role and Essendon’s future has to be a reflection on the club.
Joe Daniher (Essendon)
Will spend the coming weeks considering not only his future at Essendon but assessing the scope of rival offers from clubs including Geelong and Brisbane.
Anyone who truly believes they know what he will do is guessing. But Essendon is intent on matching a free agency offer.
Zac Williams (GWS)
Has become the second Giant to walk out on the club in a week as he heads to a Victorian destination with Carlton and North Melbourne at the head of the queue.
Jack Viney (Melbourne)
Has said he “absolutely” wants to remain at Melbourne next year when questioned on ABC Radio last weekend after the Herald Sun reported Geelong’s interest.
But industry sources say he will at least contemplate rival offers after the COVID contract freeze meant he remained out of contract until the post-season.
Jesse Hogan (Fremantle)
Thrilled to be back playing as a key forward after his own suggestion to play as a key back in scratch matches was a miserable failure. Again, some talk rivals might ask about him but he’s keen to remain a Docker and given he’s contracted his coach Justin Longmuir believes there is a future for him at the club.
Brad Crouch (Adelaide)
His manager will this week field offers from his suitors — which include Carlton, Geelong and St Kilda — and he will leave the Crows if they can secure first-round compensation for him. If not, they will match a bid and likely trade him. It’s hard to see any scenario in which he stays at Adelaide.
Eddie Betts (Carlton)
Will sign a one-season deal to play on. Another goalless performance against Brisbane makes it seven goalless matches in the past nine contests. The Blues weren’t keen to announce his deal until after Kade Simpson’s farewell but he’s a Blue again for 2021.
Jy Caldwell (GWS)
Has a long list of Victorian suitors that includes St Kilda and will now return to Sydney to consider his future after a nine-game season in which the inside midfield often pushed to half-forward.
Jackson Hately (GWS)
A second-year mid who played only six games and has a strong suitor in Adelaide, who could nab the local product in the pre-season draft for nothing if the clubs can’t come to a suitable trade.
Orazio Fantasia (Essendon)
Port Adelaide is no longer interested and Adelaide might only be keen at a price, after just five modest games in 2020 playing forward and back. Not sure Essendon would be desperate to keep him. Rivals who want speed in their game might be interested.
Harley Bennell (Melbourne)
Had been confident he would win a new deal, with his coach Simon Goodwin effusive about his capacity to improve with another pre-season. Now involved in a COVID breach investigation.
A certainty to remain at Collingwood as he works his contract without a manager, having parted ways with former manager Ben Niall. Wants to stay and will stay. The only question is what salary cap pressure does it put on the Pies to force others out? Darcy Moore is also staying, with his manager Liam Pickering well advanced in contract talks.
Jaidyn Stephenson (Collingwood)
Contracted but despite reports he is “gettable” there have been no suitors and the Pies are keen to keep him. He just hasn’t been able to hit his straps since a bout of glandular fever limited his summer
Ben Brown (North Melbourne)
Despite reports of a “mutual decision” to explore a trade, Brown wants to stay. But clearly North Melbourne will look at ways to maximise its rebuild by trading him for an early pick. Clubs like Essendon and Brisbane have been linked to him, but concrete offers from rivals so far have been denied.
Levi Casboult (Carlton)
He has agreed to terms on a contract at Carlton and while the Blues have a bevy of key talls, with Charlie Curnow returning next year, he seems content at the club. Has no intention of moving on despite many commentators believing he would perfectly complement the Lions’ talls.
Aidan Corr (GWS)
Will arrive at North Melbourne on a lengthy deal after exiting the Giants season a week early with an ankle injury. A 195cm defender who can play tall or small, he has kept some of the best forwards goalless this season.
Dermott Brereton suggested on Fox Footy’s Friday night telecast he could see a club like GWS taking a risk on outside runner Polec at his what would be his fourth club. Brereton believes his outside pace would be exactly what the Giants need, although the Roos would have to pay a portion of his salary. The Herald Sun reported last month the Roos were happy to do just that to get him off their books for a draft selection.
Nakia Cockatoo (Geelong)
Set to join Brisbane on a multi-year deal given the Cats would likely only be able to offer a single-season deal after being extremely patient with the explosive forward. Not only good mates with ex-teammate Lincoln McCarthy but Brisbane champion Lachie Neale, with whom he shares a manager.
Charlie Constable/Lachie Fogarty (Geelong)
Constable will ask for a trade to a club that can give him more midfield time. Fogarty is in the same boat, after he was again dropped this week after playing the past two games. He might need to find a home that can allow him more chances, especially if the Cats bring in more midfielders like Brad Crouch or Jack Viney.
Tom McDonald (Melbourne)
Has not featured at AFL level since Round 13 so the Demons would be crazy not to ponder his position considering his big salary and the Lever-May combination down back which means he isn’t needed in his old position as a key defender. But after a fall from grace in two seasons as a forward a rival would not be able to count on him as a regular goalscorer.
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