Collingwood puts top draft pick on trade table amid frustration over AFL’s delay in setting salary cap
Collingwood wants answers from the league with its salary cap hangover possibly extending into a third season. And the club is not alone in their frustration.
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Collingwood’s trade period is not over with the Magpies set to spend the next four weeks hitting the phones – both to rival clubs and the AFL.
From Monday, clubs will be allowed to strike trades that do not involve players and the Magpies are expected to put their top draft pick, No.27, up for sale.
They are also desperate for the AFL to lock in the 2022 salary cap and, like most of the industry, are incredibly frustrated that has not already happened.
The league remains locked in talks with the AFL Players’ Association, but it is understood there will be little change to the Collective Bargaining Agreement after the AFL’s financial position strengthened this year.
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The CBA has total player payments capped at $13.5m next year.
A significant reduction would see the hangover from the Pies’ recent cap crisis extend to a third season despite sitting 17th and in rebuild mode.
The Magpies will spend the summer attempting to accelerate contract talks with Jordan De Goey, Darcy Moore and Brayden Maynard to short-circuit their free agency next year.
Moore and Maynard should enjoy playing under new defensive coach Justin Leppitsch while fellow ex-AFL coach Brendon Bolton is also onboard under new boss Craig McRae in what is a totally reset football program.
“At this stage we don’t really have a (salary cap) number for next year,” Pies football boss Graham Wright said.
“It makes it difficult when you don’t know what you can spend.”
The cap squeeze has spread to most clubs and was the main stifling factor in what was a dull trade period, particularly by top eight clubs who were handcuffed by their limited wiggle room in the cap.
The Magpies will draft either three or four players on November 24-25, headlined by father-son gun Nick Daicos.
They expect a bid to come for Daicos inside the first four picks, which are held by North Melbourne (No.1), GWS (No.2), Gold Coast (No.3) and Adelaide (No.4).
Their strategy to match that bid remains flexible and will be linked to how many players they delist over the next month.
It is expected that Brayden Sier and Josh Thomas will join Max Lynch (Hawthorn), Chris Mayne, Levi Greenwood and Anton Tohill as departures while Jay Rantall, John Noble and Isaac Chugg remain in limbo.
But Mason Cox, who will turn 31 before round 1, is certain to remain on an AFL list.
The Pies are set to table Cox a one-year deal that he can weigh up against any other offers that might come in.
The American’s percentage of game time would probably be more evenly split between ruck-forward at the Magpies after Lynch defected to become Hawthorn’s No.1 ruckman.
Brodie Grundy’s seven-year deal contributed to Lynch’s decision to walk away despite Collingwood fighting hard to retain the 211cm player it spent five years developing.
The Magpies hold picks 27, 36, 46, 48, 55, 58, 78 and 79 but AFL rules state they can’t pay for Daicos with draft picks that exceed their amount of open list spots.
For example, if the Magpies have five vacancies on their senior list then only their first five draft picks can be cashed in to match the bid before they go into deficit next year, which would affect their first-round pick.
The Magpies could attempt to move pick 27 up the order or shuffle it into next year’s draft depending on how many list spots they keep open.
While the Magpies wanted to re-sign Lynch and missed out on Greater Western Sydney’s Bobby Hill, they have declared it a successful October.
Hill wanted to get to Essendon but the Giants refused to trade their contracted young gun anywhere.
Wright said Collingwood’s three priorities were all cleared – secure Nathan Kreuger, 22, (Geelong), Patrick Lipinski, 23, (Western Bulldogs) and enough draft points for Daicos.
The Magpies have spent two years pursuing Kreuger and will return the junior goalkicker to the forward line next season.
Kreuger has developed under superstars Tom Hawkins and Jeremy Cameron, as well as ex-Magpie Shane O’Bree in the VFL, at the Cats but was used as a defender because he was also behind goalkicker Esava Ratugolea.
Lipinski averaged 35.3 disposals, 13.5 contested possessions, seven clearances and 1.3 goals in the VFL this year but fell out of favour at the Dogs. He is seen as an everywhere man at the Maggies.
Deadline deal that saved American Pie
The AFL’s much-talked-about ruck merry-go-round that involved four big men switching clubs in the last hour of the trade period looks to have resurrected Mason Cox’s career at Collingwood.
Four ruckmen – Peter Ladhams (to Sydney), Jon Ceglar (to Geelong), Darcy Fort (to Brisbane) and Max Lynch (to Hawthorn) — found new homes as the trade deadline loomed, while St Kilda’s bid for North Melbourne’s Tristan Xerri failed after the clubs couldn’t reach a deal.
It was Lynch’s departure from Collingwood that provided the opportunity for Cox, with his manager Liam Pickering saying recent discussions with Magpie footy boss Graham Wright indicated the club was prepared to give the 30-year-old a one-year deal, if Lynch left.
That Lynch deal was completed just before the 7.30pm deadline, with Cox now looking likely to stay in black and white.
“Now that Max Lynch has got to Hawthorn, I am pretty confident he (Cox) will get offered a deal at Collingwood,” Pickering told Trade Radio. “I have been speaking to ‘Wrighty’ about that … and I think there is an appetite to keep him.
“I am pretty confident he will get another opportunity at Collingwood.”
Cox was one of several Magpies left without a contract in the lead-up to the trade period as he was forced to wait on his future.
Pickering revealed there had been interest in Cox from Fremantle when Rory Lobb looked like returning to Greater Western Sydney.
But when the Lobb deal fell apart, the Dockers’ interest in the Magpie big man ended.
“We did have a discussion with Fremantle on the weekend, which was linked to Rory Lobb, but when that fell through, I guess the opportunity was gone,” he said.
Cox managed only seven games for the Magpies this year – taking his overall tally to 76 – which was the lowest return since his 2016 debut. He worked closely with new Magpies coach Craig McRae when he first arrived in Australia from the US.
Lynch, 23, had been sounded out by the Hawks during the last trade period, but has now officially made the move to Waverley.
He has only played three AFL games, but has a big upside which is why the Magpies had been keen to keep him.
The deal will see Hawthorn send their future third round pick and Brisbane’s future third round selection to the Magpies in exchange for Lynch, Fremantle’s future third and Gold Coast’s future fourth round selections.
Hawthorn head of football Rob McCartney said: “We were really excited when Max made his intentions clear that he wanted to become a Hawk in this trade period.”
“We see some real promise and potential in his game.
“At his age, he fits the demographic of our list profile really strongly so we hope the timing of his development will align with the club’s trajectory towards once again challenging for success.
“He has obviously had the challenge of being behind Brodie Grundy as the Pies’ first-choice ruckman throughout the early stages of his career, so he is extremely determined to push his case now to become part of our best 22.”
That Lynch deal came after Ceglar was traded to Geelong along with a future fourth-round selection with the Hawks getting a future third round pick that had been a part of the deal with Brisbane for Fort.
Geelong national list and recruiting manager Stephen Wells said: “Jonathon (Ceglar) adds depth to our ruck stocks, and we are pleased to add him to our team.”
Best 22: Where Lipinski, Kreuger fit in McRae’s side
Patrick Lipinski knew his life got a whole lot tougher when Collingwood star Adam Treloar walked into the Whitten Oval.
The odds of the aspiring young Bulldogs midfielder securing a regular spot dramatically blew out as he digested the recruitment of Treloar, and Josh Dunkley staying put.
Twelve months later, Collingwood has finally got something out of the Treloar deal in the form of Lipinski, who has chosen a “fresh start” at the Holden Centre after his concerns about playing time in 2021 came to fruition.
The 23-year-old was limited to 11 games for the Dogs this season, taking his career tally to 56 games over five seasons.
“It all happened in the last few minutes (of last year’s trade period) with Treloar coming I knew it would probably be tough to get a spot in the midfield,” Lipinski said.
“Those two guys are just great players and it was amazing to get them, one to stay with Dunks and to get Treloar coming as well, it was awesome for the team so I was pretty happy.
“Obviously, from a personal standpoint I knew it would be harder to get a spot as an inside midfielder, it didn’t change my mindset on trying to work hard and get a spot in the team, wherever that was
“Then it was pretty clear that the midfield group at the Dogs is probably the best in the league, plenty of All-Australian-type players, it was very deep in there. I got to play midfield in the VFL and played pretty well but obviously wasn‘t getting a game.
“I really enjoy playing on the wing, but it wasn’t to be. I wasn’t getting a game, that is just how it went and it has led me to this opportunity, which is really exciting.”
Lipinski was offered a three-year contract extension with the Dogs, but rejected that to sign a similar deal with the Magpies.
Day 1.
— Collingwood FC (@CollingwoodFC) October 11, 2021
+ some of Lippa's best work. pic.twitter.com/dzZfccBC9Y
The sweeping changes at Collingwood attracted Lipinski, who spent an hour with new coach Craig McCrae on Monday after a trade for draft selection No. 43 was finalised on Monday.
“He (McCrae) was really chilled and a caring guy, he has got a great footy mind from what I picked up in that hour,” Lipinski said.
“I think it is a really exciting time to come to Collingwood, it is a fresh start for everyone, it‘s a new coaching staff and plenty of young players.
“There is the opportunity for me to play a bit more AFL, play midfield and forward which is what I really wanted to do.
“I just felt like it was the right time to take my career into my own hands and try something new.”
Lipinski said there was no bad blood from the Dogs and he will continue to live with Tim English and Aaron Naughton, even though he‘d changed teams.
And one of the first people to send a message once the deal went through?
Adam Treloar.
“He sent me a nice text message saying hopefully I‘m going to kill it and stuff,” Lipinski said.
“We’re pretty good mates, he’s creating his own pathway at the Dogs and he’s going really well there and I hope he has a long career there.”
Pies’ big draft win in Lipinski trade
Collingwood has secured its second priority target of the trade period by landing Western Bulldog Patrick Lipinski for pick 43.
The Dogs had been adamant they were only interested in taking one early pick from the Pies rather than a handful of back-end picks.
After a week of haggling the Bulldogs were happy to accept pick 43.
It’s the second piece of good news for the club, with positive news also coming on their imminent bid for father-son Nick Daicos.
North Melbourne’s amazing offers for their No. 1 overall pick have all been rebuffed, which means they are likely to take Jason Horne-Francis with the No. 1 overall selection instead of bidding on Daicos.
It means at best the Pies will have to match a bid with enough points for the No. 2 overall selection, which will save them about 350 draft points.
The Pies would only need to secure 2057 points, instead of 2400 for the No. 1 pick after a 20 per cent discount.
Horne-Francis is keen to be the No. 1 pick and the Roos will surely set to use their selection on him instead of forcing a rival to match a bid before taking the South Adelaide star.
Lipinski has been used by the Dogs as a versatile wingman but played a series of blinding games as an inside mid this year in the VFL who also kicked five goals in his four second-tier games.
He averaged 156 ranking points, 35 possessions, 13.5 contested possessions and seven clearances in those VFL games.
When Collingwood traded its future first-round pick to GWS last year the Giants believed at best the selection would fall at about pick 8-10 if the Pies had a poor season.
Instead they struggled all year and the pick ended up as the No. 2 overall selection, which the Giants will gleefully use on more young talent.
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