AFL Trades: Rumour about GWS Giants star flatly denied

A firm denial has been issued in response to a juicy trade rumour linking one of the GWS Giants’ best players to a move out of Sydney.

Tim Taranto has been linked with a move away from GWS.

Tim Taranto’s manager has denied the GWS midfielder is heading to St Kilda after murmurings during the week linking the Giant with a move to the Saints.

Essendon champion Matthew Lloyd told Channel 9’s Footy Classified Taranto was St Kilda’s No. 1 target this trade period, but Matt Bain was keen to distance his client from such speculation.

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“There’s zero truth in it. It will not be happening,” Bain told The Age.

“He signed last year until the end of 2022 and he loves the club, he loves it up there. Tim Taranto is not leaving.”

Taranto was the Giants’ best-and-fairest winner last year but only played 11 games in 2020 because of a shoulder injury as the Sydney side bombed out to miss the finals.

Long-serving defender Aidan Corr won’t play for GWS next season and the club has also lost rebounding defender Zac Williams, who signed a monster deal with Carlton.

The future of foundation player Jeremy Cameron is also a mystery as the key forward remains out of contract.

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GWS doesn’t want to let Taranto go.

SEN’s Sam Edmund reports Jack Viney is likely to re-sign with Melbourne after both parties came closer together at the negotiating table, while Isaac Smith faces a huge call about whether to stay at Hawthorn or seek another home.

According to the Herald Sun, the 31-year-old has a two-year offer on the table from the Hawks, who are keen to keep the consistent midfielder despite him only playing 10 matches this year.

But several rivals, including Melbourne, are also chasing the three-time premiership winner and Smith is weighing up his future.

Meanwhile, Essendon is keen to poach Bachar Houli from Richmond, 10 years after the defender left the Bombers, but Tigers star Dion Prestia is hopeful his mate will stay at Punt Rd.

“I don’t think Bachar is going too far. Obviously, he has the Bachar Houli Academy which is linked to Punt Road and I can’t see him leaving,” Prestia told the Herald Sun. “I am not too worried about that.

“Bachar is a great Richmond person and one of the nicest people you would ever meet. He will be around here and finish up with Richmond.”