By Jake Niall
Carlton have not made an offer to Collingwood's Jordan De Goey and have ruled out pursuing the match-winner despite showing interest in him earlier this year.
Carlton sources have confirmed that the Blues have not tabled any offer to De Goey and are not in a position to chase him, even though they did meet with De Goey some time ago and had an interest in the explosive Collingwood star.
The Blues have already committed to signing Greater Western Sydney free agent Zac Williams on a five-year deal and will try to acquire Essendon's speedy defender Adam Saad in a trade, having persuaded Saad to join them, also on a five-year deal.
Remuneration is a sticking point in negotiations for Jordan De Goey. Credit: Getty Images
Assuming the Saad trade is completed with the Bombers, the Blues will be out-laying in the vicinity of $1.4 million (not including any discounts for COVID-19 pay cuts to AFL players) to Williams and Saad - depriving them of the salary cap space that would be needed for a player of De Goey's market worth. He would cost Carlton $900,000 a season or more, based on what is needed to prise a player out.
Carlton's other obstacle is the ability to consummate a trade with Collingwood, which would demand significant compensation and the Blues would find it extremely difficult to complete the Saad trade - to which they are committed - and also to find the draft picks and/or players that would satisfy the Magpies, who say De Goey wants to stay.
Sources said that De Goey met with the Blues months ago, when they would not necessarily have known that Saad would be leaving Essendon. Collingwood coach Nathan Buckley said on Saturday that he thought De Goey would have met with other clubs, or been courted by them, while saying that the forward/midfielder loved the Magpies and wanted to stay, but that remuneration was the sticking point in negotiations.
De Goey faces a charge of indecent assault from a situation that dates back to his first season in 2015 and was due to face court on October 30.
Williams will not cost the Blues anything in the draft due to the certainty that the Giants won't match Carlton's lucrative offer. Williams spurned a five-year deal at close to $700,000 from GWS to take a bigger offer from the Blues that industry sources suggest exceeds $800,000 per annum (exclusive of any across-the-board pay cuts to players).
But Saad could cost them a first-round pick or someone of similar value, given that Essendon will drive a hard bargain. The Blues have pick number seven in the national draft, but it is unclear as yet what the Bombers will seek in return.
Carlton is mindful, not only of the prospective cost of Williams and Saad, but of the fact that their superstar skipper Patrick Cripps is coming out of contract at the end of 2021, along with key forward Harry McKay and ruckman Tom de Koning, while 2019 Rising Star winner and 2018 number one draft pick Sam Walsh comes out of contract at the end of 2022.
De Goey does not have a manager, having parted with Ben Niall, the brother of this article's author, late last year.