Moneyball: The latest AFL trade news from across the competition
Darcy Cameron is set for a big pay rise, but will it be at Collingwood? Tom De Koning’s decision could be the deciding factor as the two SA clubs go head-to-head for Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera.
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Darcy Cameron is set for a bumper pay rise regardless of where he plays next year, with the premiership ruckman still keen to remain at the Pies.
Cameron will play his 100th AFL game this weekend and is clearly underpaid given he will earn less than $600,000 even if he hits some games-based triggers.
Cameron was hopeful he had done enough with his second placing in the Copeland Trophy last year to win a new long-term extension that was more reflective of his value.
But with that deal not forthcoming despite early assurances from Collingwood, rivals continue to emerge for his services by the week.
He is keen to stay and try to win another premiership at the Pies so is hopeful Collingwood will come to the party on a new deal more reflective of his worth.
West Coast, Carlton and St Kilda have been mentioned as interested parties depending on the future of Tom De Koning.
Footy’s most highly paid ruckmen are all on $800,000 plus, including Max Gawn, Tom De Koning, Luke Jackson, Sean Darcy, Brodie Grundy and Tim English.
And with clubs believing Cameron is worth $900,000 a year, negotiations will take some time to warm up this season.
Cameron has some incredible numbers in his first four weeks of the season.
In the past decade only six other Pies have had more contested possessions in the first four weeks of the year.
He has had 53 contested possessions and averaged three intercept marks a year, No.1 of all ruckman across the league.
SLIDING DOORS ON PETTY
Melbourne and Adelaide have always been adamant that the Crows never offered two first-round picks for Harrison Petty at the end of 2023.
But regardless of the specifics, the Crows have dodged a bullet while also cashing in on the Shane McAdam-Alex Neal Bullen player exchange.
Adelaide was keen to secure Petty at the end of 2023 and while they will deny the details, it was reported they would hand him five years at an average of $800,000 but with a front-ended first season wage.
Petty was up for grabs until the Demons held firm and ended up trading their future second-rounder for medium forward McAdam.
The following year Petty re-signed at the Demons and Adelaide traded that second-rounder back to Melbourne for Neal Bullen.
McAdam has played only three games since the start of last year because of injuries while Neal Bullen is already into the leadership group at a club surging into flag contention.
Petty has defended nine one-on-ones in the first four weeks and lost five as well as winning two of them.
He did hold Ben Long goalless in three weeks and kept Shannon Neale goalless in their time together but Nick Larkey got him as the Roos kicked five goals on him.
WORPEL BACK AS FUTURE RAMPS UP
Hawthorn midfielder James Worpel is set to make a surprise return from injury for Sunday night’s Gather Round finale against Port Adelaide as the Hawks look to progress preliminary talks with his management over his future.
Melbourne and St Kilda have shown strong interest in the 26-year-old restricted free agent in what could be an early test of rival clubs preparing to raid Sam Mitchell’s Hawks.
The Herald Sun understands the Hawks are still keen on retaining Worpel beyond 2025, despite having ambitious trade plans for the end of the season, which could include the likes of West Coast captain Oscar Allen.
The 2019 best and fairest winner is in no rush to make a decision on his future, with his recent syndesmosis injury curtailing any fresh talks with the club on a potential new deal.
It comes as the Hawks edge closer to locking in a long-term deal – potentially for as long as four seasons – with bargain buy ruckman Lloyd Meek, who has become one of the AFL’s most competitive big men across the past 12 months.
Worpel hasn’t played since suffering a syndesmosis injury in the club’s Opening Round win over Sydney, but has worked diligently to the point where he is expected to return this week.
He looks ready to add to the Hawks’ midfield mix against an under-siege Port Adelaide on Sunday night, as last year’s semi-final combatants go head to head again.
Connor Macdonald (ankle) is also fighting to prove his fitness with a test on Friday likely to determine whether he plays on Sunday or is given an extra week to return.
CROWS COY ON NAS
Adelaide won’t be meeting Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera in his whistle-stop tour of town as St Kilda sets up camp ahead of their clash against GWS on Sunday.
But the Crows are as keen as ever and have a full draft hand of selections from this year’s draft as well as a future first-rounder.
Adelaide has the better draft hand ahead of Port Adelaide – which has already traded out its future first-rounder – if it is that Wanganeen-Milera returns to South Australia.
His price rises by the week and his management is in no hurry to re-sign him but he does like St Kilda and isn’t especially homesick so the Saints are still very confident in securing their man.
St Kilda locked away young small forward Lance Collard on a three-year deal last September and it now looks an inspired decision given his recent form.
He received a six-week ban for homophobic slurs last year in the VFL but has made every post a winner this summer, according to Ross Lyon.
“(He’s) a Young First Nations player out of WA, Geraldton boy who went down and boarded with his grandmother in Perth,” he said on Sunday.
“He is really quick, sub three (second 20m sprint). Just a natural goalkicker. Highly skilled, lightning quick and he ran down (Tom) Brown last week who is 2.87 for 20m and he’s got endurance.”
St Kilda believes both Darcy Wilson and Toby Travaglia will end up as inside midfielders as the club attempts to build its midfield.
“Travaglia is a ripping kid. We have been figuring out where he plays,” Lyon said.
“We have had him (on the) wing and under-18s he was half back but we find he is instinctive and aggressive when he’s inside and he gets after the ball.
“His workrate is incredible, so once we could get him inside it’s a bit easier. The outside stuff where you have to hold width imbalances him because he just wants to hunt the ball.
“We drafted him to be an inside mid and half back and that’s where we will get to.”’
ATKINS TO STICK FAT
Geelong tackling machine Tom Atkins is progressing towards a new deal as he and the Cats work through the tenure of an extension.
The tough onballer raised eyebrows on Monday when he said a new contract was “not really up to me”.
“Obviously I love Geelong, I love the club, I would love to stay here but we will just see what happens,” he told media.
But there are no concerns at this stage of Atkins doing anything other than inking an extension.
A Cats VFL graduate, the loyal Atkins has little interest in playing elsewhere and has continued to be a vital defensive presence in Chris Scott’s midfield, leading the league in tackles this year with 48, at an average of 12 per game.
He has played 131 games for the Cats and played at least 20 matches in five of his six seasons since being added to the senior list.
The midfielder will turn 30 in September.
Atkins is likely to sign a new deal soon alongside Ollie Dempsey, with a four-year extension still in the works for the rising star winner.
Impressive youngsters like Ted Clohesy and Oisin Mullin are without deals beyond this year, as well as veterans Mark Blicavs, Cam Guthrie and Rhys Stanley.
ROO TO PROVE IT
Kangaroos recruit Jacob Konstanty has been made to prove it this year, with the trade recruit only signing a one-year deal upon his Arden St arrival.
Young players like Konstanty, 20, often sign multiple-year deals when they are sent to a new club but the former Swan just inked a 12-month contract when he landed in Victoria.
He has been picked every week so far by Alastair Clarkson, having not played a game for Sydney in two years there.
Konstanty has filled the pressure forward role at the Roos and notched a new high with 16 disposals in a bitter loss to his old club on Saturday night.
Alongside the anxious wait for Luke Davies-Uniacke to sign a new deal, the Roos have Aidan Corr, Darcy Tucker and Will Phillips out-of-contract.
VFL STRONG BREEDING GROUND
Collingwood VFL coach Andy Otten says the introduction of the mid-season draft has been a boon for second-chance heroes who return from the bush to get a crack at their AFL dream.
It comes as the league is urged to invest in some of the VFL’s stand-alone clubs to help turn them into talent factories like premiers Werribee as Tasmania searches for 50 new footballers for the 2028 season.
Remarkably 21 VFL footballers have been elevated onto AFL lists in the past 18 months including new Sydney sensation Riley Bice.
Werribee is able to invest in its academy program and elite coaching because of its poker machines but has boasted a trio of players coming onto AFL lists this summer in Jack Henderson, Aidan Johnson and Riley Bice.
Otten is thrilled to have 195cm key forward Riley Mason become a mid-season draft prospect after returning from bush footy to kick nine goals in two VFL games.
“I think it’s really exciting for the VFL when players come back into the system. Sometimes you lose them for good. The mid-season draft has really promoted the ability for these guys to get picked up. They get a second chance, not just for the national draft.
“Our old recruiter Adam Shepard let us know over summer there was a kid who kicked 72 goals for Seymour and we were doing a VFL list build and desperately needed a key forward. “He has been able to play to his strengths and he’s a big athletic tall key forward who has the ability to run and jump at the ball.”
Coburg Jamie Cassidy-McNamara agrees the VFL has come on in leaps and bounds as a development competition and says there is untapped potential if the league put funding into more stand-alone clubs.
Those 22 players elevated onto lists are Will White (Carlton), Jack Henderson (Melbourne), Ben Jepson (Gold Coast), Aidan Johnson (Melbourne), Sam Davidson (Bulldogs), Riley Bice (Sydney), Jack Hutchinson (West Coast), Max Hall (St Kilda), Cooper Lord (Carlton), Saad El-Hawli (Essendon), Campbell Gray (Richmond), Ned Long (Collingwood), Lachie Sullivan (Collingwood), Marty Hore (Melbourne), Mykelti Lefau (Richmond), Josh Eyre (Collingwood), Ethan Phillips (Hawthorn), Tyler Sellers (North Melbourne), Sam Clohesy (Gold Coast), Finnbar Maley (North Melbourne) and Shaun Mannagh (Geelong).
“In the last 18 months there have been 21 guys from state leagues elevated onto AFL lists from the roughly 60 or 70 who get drafted. In two years time the AFL needs to find 50 players for Tasmania,” Cassidy-McNamara said.
“So that is a huge percentage of state league players who will get a chance. It’s a genuine opportunity on the horizon and there hasn’t been any investment into the VFL from the AFL. Imagine if they really valued it and put time and resourcing into it.
“Werribee shows what can be done with resources. They have essentially built an AFL-lite program. Every year they lose their best three or four players to the AFL and lose three or four other older guys but they replace them with players from their academy program.
“Michael Barlow has gone into a development role at North Melbourne and their physios and high performance guys go into the AFL so it helps the whole landscape.”
Originally published as Moneyball: The latest AFL trade news from across the competition
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