AFL trade news: Fremantle set to interview Maurice Rioli Jr, Pies searching for more money for Brody Mihocek
Collingwood will need to find more money to secure Brody Mihocek, who has been offered a three-season deal but with only a modest pay rise. That will be easier said than done, with the Pies facing a significant cap squeeze.
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Everything points to Maurice Rioli Jr playing at Richmond next year as a father-son but Fremantle is still keen to interview him to show why they should be a suitor.
Rioli, who played some eye-catching games in the NTFL early this year, is at Scotch College and has been following a training program to keep fit given there has been no APS footy or NAB League footy for the Oakleigh Chargers.
The draft candidate could be selected by the Tigers under the father-son rule, by Essendon as part of its next generation academy or the Dockers given his dad’s WAFL history.
The footy world would be shocked if he chose not to play at the Tigers given his dad’s history there and cousin Daniel Rioli is at Punt Rd.
His father is a three-time All-Australian, dual best-and-fairest winner and the first Indigenous player in the league to win a Norm Smith Medal, and fellow Tiwi Islands product Daniel has claimed two flags.
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But despite Rioli having spent plenty of time with the Tigers at Punt Rd he hasn’t officially chosen his preferred destination yet and the Dockers will be keen at least make an official pitch.
VINEY CONFIRMS BELIEF IN DEES’ LONG-TERM PLANS
Melbourne has made Jack Viney a Demon for life by signing the free agent to a five-year contract.
Viney, 26, is now the only Demon contracted for 2025 in a huge show of faith for the onballer.
There have been questions over whether Viney, Angus Brayshaw and Clayton Oliver can all play in the same midfield.
But Viney — who shares a close relationship to coach Simon Goodwin — is clearly part of the long-term plans.
Oliver falls out of contract next season while Brayshaw is contracted until 2022.
“By signing a long-term deal, Jack has shown belief in his teammates, his coaches and the club, which is exciting for everyone,” Demons football boss Josh Mahoney said.
“At just 26, we think his best footy is still in front of him. We look forward to him building on his great contribution to the game, as a Demon.”
Geelong discussed recruiting Viney but has always been keener on Adelaide free agent Brad Crouch.
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PIES LOWBALLING MIHOCEK
Collingwood will have to find more money to secure three-goal finals hero Brody Mihocek, who has been offered a three-season deal but with only a modest pay rise.
The club has significant cap issues so cannot offer him a deal that reflects his form.
He would ideally love to remain at Collingwood, which will lock away Josh Daicos as he continues his huge breakout season.
The Herald Sun revealed last month the club’s salary squeeze could force Mihocek out of the Pies.
Despite an improved offer there is still not common ground on his deal.
CLARK ON OUTER AT CATS
Young Cat Jordan Clark has fallen out-of-favour in his second season at the club despite Geelong’s need for speed.
The Western Australian dazzled in his first season at the Cattery, playing 18 games in a rebounding defensive role to finish equal fifth in the Rising Star award.
But Clark has played only three matches in a follow-up season amid suggestions he was being continually left out because he needed to tighten up his defensive skills.
The 19-year-old averaged 13 disposals in his three games this year including seven contested possessions in total.
But he can add some line breaking run and is rated for his ability to read the play and cleanness at ground level.
The Cats have an ageing backline and outside of Patrick Dangerfield and Gary Rohan are light on for high-end leg speed, especially in the back half.
Clark is contracted for next season after signing a two-year deal and will have big plans to re-establish his position in the senior side in 2021.
He could slot in for Irishman Zach Tuohy, 30, who is out of contract at season’s end.
Tuohy has played 16 games and averaged 17 disposals a game this year.
CLUBS FLYING BLIND ON LIST, CAP CUTS
The AFL is adamant the free agency and trade period will stay put despite uncertainty over list sizes and the salary cap.
Reports on Monday suggested the league might push the trade period back up to two weeks so clubs could get clarity over whether there is a cut to the salary cap.
It won’t happen, which means clubs will have to have some flexibility on their lists and might have to leave more depth players out of contract in case they have to prune more players on their lists.
Some clubs have already included clauses in player contracts for next year which would see their wages adjusted depending on the size of the expected cut to the 2021 salary cap.
The decision on salaries is not imminent, but could still be done by the start of free agency in 25 days on the Friday after the Grand Final.
CATS EYE KEY OFF-FIELD TARGET
Geelong is eyeing former Adelaide and North Melbourne medico Steve Saunders as part of its off-field revamp for next season.
The Cats are set to lose head physio Hamish Macauley and have flagged their strong interest in landing Saunders after two years with the Crows.
Saunders, who is head of science and medicine at Adelaide, won’t be at the club next season and has received several approaches from rival clubs.
The Cats are keen to land Saunders and have close links to him through coach Chris Scott, whose twin brother Brad worked closely with Saunders when they were at the Kangaroos together.
Geelong already has one of the best medical records in the competition this season despite losing fringe midfielder Jack Steven to a hamstring setback at the weekend.
In particular superstars Tom Hawkins and Paddy Dangerfield have not missed a game this season, while captain Joel Selwood is expected to play against Collingwood in Saturday night’s cutthroat semi-final after surgery to mend a ruptured finger tendon last weekend.
But all clubs are restructuring their off-field departments in a bid to come under the new $6.2 million soft cap for next season.
The Cats are also expected to lose academy manager James Rahilly as part of the changes. The Crows are circling Rahilly.
North Melbourne on Monday confirmed it had poached Sydney Swans’ assistant John Blakey to replace departed assistant Jade Rawlings for next season.
While Blakey is widely seen as a potential senior coach, the Roos have also reached out to Sydney Swans’ premiership coach Paul Roos about a mentoring role for 2021.
DOCKERS CHAMP IN LIMBO
David Mundy remains in contract limbo, but would a rival club in the premiership window consider him if the Dockers can’t get a deal done?
Mundy was in brilliant form this year playing midfield, forward and half-forward as he and Nat Fyfe allowed the emerging kids to shine.
The Dockers haven’t been in a position to offer him a deal yet as they this week re-signed a bunch of kids including Caleb Serong, Tobe Watson, Hayden Young and Michael Frederick.
The likely outcome is the Dockers still handing him a one-year deal, but it isn’t on the table yet.
Given he was in the club’s top handful of players would a rival at least ask the question if he fell out of the Dockers team?
BLUES DEFENDER EARNS NEW DEAL
Carlton defender Tom Williamson has been rewarded for his 2020 injury fightback with a new deal locking him into the Blues until the end of the 2022 season.
Having played only two games in the past two seasons, Williamson was able to put together 15 games this year and cement a spot in the Blues’ back six.
Zac Fisher has also signed a contract extension. He was already contracted to the end of 2021 but has added two years to that deal.
Williamson, 21, played 15 games in his debut 2017 season, but endured some injury hardship through the 2018 and 2019 season.
“Tom has been tested mentally and physically in his first four seasons at AFL level and to come out the other side and produce the season he did, after just about two years out of the game, was very impressive,” Carlton head of list management Nick Austin said.
“He worked incredibly hard to earn his spot and no doubt he would have enjoyed a lot of growth this year playing alongside our experienced players down back.
“Tom is also a competitor who never takes a backwards step. That is what we, and no doubt our members, love about him. With still only 32 games under his belt, we’re excited to see Tom continue to get better in the next few seasons and take his game to the next level.”
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SAINTS’ TRADE RAID NOT OVER YET
St Kilda will be aggressive in the trade and free agency windows again this off-season, as it tries to emulate Hawthorn’s template through its successful recent era.
The Saints brought a swag of ready-made players into the club at the end of last year, which has helped elevate the club into its first finals series in nine years.
St Kilda chief operating officer Simon Lethlean said the club would do all in its power to strengthen the group going forward, with the club still having considerable room in the salary cap to be active.
“We need to keep getting better, we are not there yet … we will be attacking all options available through free agency, trade and the draft,” Lethlean said on SEN.
“You remember the Hawks when they kept winning flags. They kept adding good players every year. You have just got to keep doing it.”
Originally published as AFL trade news: Fremantle set to interview Maurice Rioli Jr, Pies searching for more money for Brody Mihocek
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