Moneyball: No three-year deal for Jake Stringer, Jacob van Rooyen signs until 2029
The draft range of Carlton father-son prospects Ben and Lucas Campeoreale is becoming clearer, with the Blues set to pay a high price for at least one of the gifted twins.
AFL
Don't miss out on the headlines from AFL. Followed categories will be added to My News.
List bosses believe Ben Camporeale will likely be a top-20 draft pick as he and brother Lucas prepare to be taken by Carlton as father-sons this year.
Ben Camporeale is a strong right-footed inside mid who has dominated rep games including the 2023 Futures Games, while left-footer Lucas could go later in the draft or as a rookie.
But the Blues will take both, thrilled that Lucas’ recent improvement has put him into the draft picture.
In three games for the Glenelg Under-18s he has averaged 129 ranking points, 28 disposals and 4.7 clearances, while Lucas has averaged 116 ranking points, 24 possessions and 3.3 clearances.
This masthead revealed this week that clubs will be forced to pay a higher price for father-son and academy picks under a draft revamp being considered by the AFL.
The Blues have not had a huge history of father-sons since Steve Silvagni, Lance Whitnall and Jarrod Waite.
Jack and Ben Silvagni followed in their dad’s footsteps, as did Jimmy Buckley’s son Dylan and Wayne Blackwell’s son Luke.
EAGLE IN DEMAND DESPITE LONG-TERM DEAL
Clubs on the Eastern Seaboard will again desperately try to lure West Coast premiership player Tom Barrass out of the club as they scour the competition for established key backs.
With most star backs on long-term deals and clubs already sniffing about a weak mid-season draft, they will again ask about Barrass’s future.
Many have already inquired this year and industry sources believe the Dogs are one club who would love another established key back like Barrass.
He shapes as one of the very few players with trade currency if West Coast’s new list boss Matthew Clark wants to enhance the club’s draft hand.
The 28-year-old would be worthy of a first-round pick but he and his fiance Nadia Rosa have two young children in Perth and would be unlikely to consider a trade request.
He signed a contract extension in 2021 which ties him to the Eagles until the end of 2027.
Sydney made a concerted bid for him last season.
But he has three seasons left on a deal of at least $750,000, is a premiership player and like Elliot Yeo is very happy at the Eagles.
STRINGER HOPEFUL OF THREE-YEAR DEAL
Jake Stringer would have to look elsewhere to secure the three-year deal he would ideally like to lock in his future at Essendon.
The Dons and Stringer had committed to waiting until later in the season to consider a new deal for the gifted 29-year-old, who has started the season in sparkling form.
Essendon is aware Stringer can return to pre-seasons out of shape and if given a long-term deal might slip in his new-found professionalism.
But Stringer will want security in his contract, having never quite maximised the financial rewards of his career given off-field issues.
Ideally he would secure a lucrative three-season deal that would set him up financially for life after football.
He moved on from the Dogs as a premiership player in a hail of controversy and then won a three-year deal at the Dons after strong form in 2021 but that deal had a range of incentives.
He will not have ticked off all those incentives given his inconsistent form in the past two seasons.
So the Dons will have to find a way to placating the out-of-contract star over his tenure while also rewarding him financially.
Stringer said in the pre-season he was keen to stay at Essendon but suitors would emerge if his contract talks drifted all the way until the end of the year.
VAN ROOYEN COMMITS LONG TERM
Melbourne has re-signed star key forward Jacob van Rooyen until the end of 2029 to thwart any chance of a poaching raid from his hometown clubs in Western Australia.
The young gun goal kicker was already contracted until the end of next year but has penned a new four-year extension to stay at the Demons.
It is a major coup for Simon Goodwin’s men as the Claremont product would have been strongly targeted by rivals as one of the best young key forwards in the game.
But Van Rooyen’s signature is a major show of faith in the club’s direction following a turbulent summer dealing with the fallout of Joel Smith’s drugs sample and Clayton Oliver’s personal issues.
The 21-year-old has not hesitated to pledge his future at the club 18 months early, showing the brilliant 193cm goal kicker has no concerns with the club’s culture and is confident in its premiership prospects.
He was a crucial extension for Melbourne as van Rooyen and Harrison Petty are the two key cornerstones of the forward line and the crucial targets for the blue-chip midfield unit.
Adelaide has already flagged strong interest in Petty and could come hard again for his signature after missing out on the versatile swingman last year.
But the van Rooyen deal is a huge boost for the Demons as they attempt to win a second flag in four years and remain in the premiership window beyond this season.
The departure of ruckman Brodie Grundy to Sydney in last year’s trade period cleared important room for the Demons to be able to satisfy his terms on the early extension.
Van Rooyen was an excellent draft pick by superstar recruiter Jason Taylor who nabbed the athletic tall with pick number 19 in the 2021 national draft.
The swingman also excelled in defence in his junior years but has settled in the forward 50m in red and blue, booting 36 goals 11 behinds from his first 26 AFL matches.
PETTY STAYING PUT
Melbourne plans to hold firm on keeping Harrison Petty in attack - and on his future at the club beyond this year - as it seeks to kick-start its misfiring attack.
Petty has kicked one goal in his four games for the Demons this season, having just two disposals and kicking in a behind in the loss to the Lions last week.
The Crows made a play for Petty in the last trade period, with speculation they offered Melbourne big trade sweeteners as well as offering the swingman a five-year-deal on around $800,000 per season.
After his frustrating performance against the Lions last week, some football experts said the Demons should let him return to his native South Australia at the end of this season, despite having a year to run on his deal.
But Moneyball understands the Demons see 24-year-old Petty as a key component of their future plans to stay in the premiership window and would be again reluctant to let him leave.
The Demons are still working through the salary cap implications of Angus Brayshaw’s contract payout following his premature retirement due to concussion as well as the huge cloud surrounding Joel Smith’s future.
Melbourne remains hopeful it will still have enough salary cap room to launch a bid for a key forward during this year’s trade or free agency period.
More Coverage
Originally published as Moneyball: No three-year deal for Jake Stringer, Jacob van Rooyen signs until 2029
Sad career news after SANFL star’s horror pub fall
Sam May’s club has revealed what the 24-year-old said to his teammates in an emotional address last week.
‘Remarkable’ young gun setting Lions alight
At just 20 years of age and coming back from an ACL injury, the Brisbane Lions young star set the finals alight last week and earnt high praise from his teammates.