Scary Sydney Swans rumour to blow all AFL rivals away

The Sydney Swans have been unmasked as the club that should have the rest of the league worried during the AFL Trade Period.

Happy faces in Sydney. Picture by Michael Klein.

The Sydney Swans are reported to be loaded up with a war chest that should terrify the entire league.

Rumours emerged on Thursday the Swans put an absurd 10-year contract offer on the table to Western Bulldogs star Aaron Naughton before he announced he was staying with the Victorian club.

Footy commentators, including Port Adelaide great Warren Tredrea, were blown away by the details of Naughton’s eight-year extension through to the end of 2032.

Those same commentators may be left unable to speak after hearing the details of the Swans’ rumoured offer to Naughton.

Watch every match of The ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup Live on Kayo Sports. Starts THU 6 OCT 7:30PM AEDT. Join Kayo now and start streaming instantly >

Rumours emerged earlier this week more than one club offered Naughton a 10-year deal with West Coast also linked to the key forward.

AFL journalist Tom Morris was on Thursday the first to unmask the Swans as the biggest threat to the Bulldogs, tabling a reported 10-year deal worth more than $11 million.

Morris said on SEN Collingwood and Geelong also showed some interest.

Aaron Naughton bombs it long. Photo by Michael Willson/AFL Photos via Getty Images.

“The Sydney Swans were interested. My information is that the Sydney Swans offered upwards of $11 million across 10 years,” he said.

“It was put to me that it was $12 million and I’ve had that denied, but I do believe it was more than $11 million over 10 years that the Swans were prepared to offer.

“It would have been (the biggest contract ever).”

The Swans have showed no fear recently in gambling on long-term deals with Nick Blakey earlier this year signing a seven-year contract extension that secures him to the Swans until at least 2031.

The Swans are also set to secure Brodie Grundy from the Demons this trade period after the ruckman requested to be traded to Sydney last week.

The 29-year-old has reportedly already met with Swans officials and could be one of the first players to officially move clubs when the trade period opens next week.

When Grundy moved to Melbourne 12 months ago, Collingwood agreed to continue to pay a portion of his contract – around $350,000 per year until his deal expires in 2027 – to give the club some salary cap relief.

Happy faces in Sydney. Picture by Michael Klein.

It seems the Swans will now have more cash to burn after missing Naughton’s signature.

The rich Naughton offer, showed why the Bulldogs were forced to act decisively.

Adam Cooney on SEN Sportsday: “The Dogs’ hands were tied, they had to (offer him a long-term deal). When there’s a 10-year deal on the table elsewhere and multiple clubs interested, what are the Western Bulldogs supposed to do in that situation?”

Melbourne champion Garry Lyon could also smell a rival club was a factor in the Bulldogs’ massive deal.

“I don’t know anything about the Western Bulldogs and how they run their operation, but I’m guessing that he had 10- years on the table from someone else … that’s the way I read it and my take on it,” Lyon told SEN Breakfast.

Kane Cornes has been a vocal critic of all club’s rolling the dice on long-term deals and has scorched the Bulldogs for their offer to Naughton.

“This is about how you get better as a footy club – and I’m just not sure how this makes you better,” Cornes told AFL Trade Radio.

Cornes pointed out that Naughton this year finished equal-12th on the Coleman Medal table, booting 44.33 from 23 games.

“Is he a top-10 forward in the league right now? These are the forwards I’ve got ahead of him currently: (Charlie) Curnow, (Jeremy) Cameron, (Nick) Larkey, (Taylor) Walker, (Tom) Hawkins, (Joe) Daniher, Oscar Allen, Mitch Lewis, I think Jamarra (Ugle-Hagan) has gone past him and Tom Lynch when he’s fit. Now that’s just right now, not considering age and upside and all of that,” Cornes said.

“And then he’s in the mix with the likes of Max and Ben King.

“Is Jesse Hogan a better player than Aaron Naughton. These are the types of things you’ve got to look at as a footy club. Can we get 45 goals from someone else on a two-year contract that’; s going to cost you half the price? That’s what Collingwood have been so successful at.

“It’s just a huge price to pay and I just think committing such a big portion of your salary cap to a player who, yes is a good player but hasn’t reached the heights that he would’ve liked to. And then there’s the durability factor. Every time I watch Aaron Naughton play, I feel like he’s one marking contest away from a serious injury … what’s that going to look like in five years time, let alone nine?

“We’ve seen these deals go sideways. He’s not Buddy Franklin, he’s not Dustin Martin – and I would only be giving those deals to the likes of the players.

“I just don’t see a way this works out for the Western Bulldogs.”