AFL
5 months ago
The trade and contract latest on Barrass, Oliver, Langdon, Battle and more
By SEN
SEN’s Crunch Time was a hot bed for trade and contract talk on the weekend.
Tom Morris and Sam Edmund touched on a number of players who could be in trade conversations and others who are yet to re-sign with their current club.
Read the latest below:
Tom Barrass (West Coast)
Morris: “The Dogs have offered four years, they are prepared to offer five if it does get to that.
“The Hawks are also keen. His management met with the Hawks on Wednesday morning.
“Barrass’ wandering mind and eye is because he believes West Coast hasn’t held up its end of the bargain following a verbal agreement 18 months ago.
“He won the best and fairest in 2022, Sydney were showing interest, his sister had just moved to Sydney and he goes against the advice of his manager to meet with West Coast officials and said, ‘This is what the Sydney Swans are offering, this is what I think you should pay me’.
“Not as much as the Swans are offering but enough to restructure the deal based on what he signed for a year earlier than that. West Coast, to his delight say, ‘Yes, no worries, we can do that’. A verbal agreement, a handshake, and that only comes to fruition in the last few months.
“But it’s nowhere near what he expected, and as a result he’s having a look around. The Dogs and Hawks know this.
“His sister is moving from Sydney to Melbourne this week, and that’s significant for him.
“(That verbal agreement was) not from the people there now which complicates things a little bit.”
Edmund: “The Dogs are absolutely desperate to get someone in.
“You’ve only got to look at Ben McKay not that long ago too see what some key backs are getting paid at the moment.
“It will be fascinating to see where that goes.”
Clayton Oliver (Melbourne)
Edmund: “He is contracted until 2030.
“The smoke continues to waft around the competition.”
Morris: “It does. As best I can read the situation, and I’ve made a lot of calls on it the past couple of weeks, the best gauge is what rival clubs think.
“Because in all likelihood they’re the ones being told the truth. They believe Oliver is very much open to the idea of a move.
“While the Demons are simply saying no, that could easily be a negotiating tactic. The Demons said no that they were trading Jesse Hogan and he went to Freo.
“Clubs say no all the time.”
Edmund: “They could not be more categoric and concrete when they say, ‘He’s going nowhere’.”
Morris: “I’ve been told that as well.
“But rival clubs believe there’s still a possibility.”
Edmund: “How is it so? So Clayton’s talking…?”
Morris: “Clayton or his management or people close to him… I’m not sure.
“But either way, rival clubs believe it’s not dead in the water.
“At this point in the season there’s no way Melbourne could say, ‘Actually, yeah, we’re considering a trade’. There’s no way they could say that because that would just make them look silly.
“The biggest impediment here is the cash, clearly. People have said $7 million over seven years. Nah nah, full TPP, this is closer to $10 million over seven years. It’s an unbelievable deal.
“He’s got six years left. Which club has the space and who could fit this bill? I really think the Adelaide conversation is outdated. I don’t think the Crows are in this at all. They can’t afford him and they don’t necessarily want him for that price.
“I’m just looking at clubs like Geelong, Essendon and St Kilda. But I think Essendon and St Kilda wouldn’t take him because of the off-field stuff.
“It really limits the options if he did want to go.”
Edmund: “I’d be staggered if he wasn’t in red and blue next year and beyond.
“It’s as close to impossible as it can get for mine and the conversations I’ve had.”
Ed Langdon (Melbourne)
Morris: “He is out of contract. He signed a five-year deal when he joined from Fremantle.
“I don’t think he’s going to leave for another club, but we’ll have to wait and see when he re-signs or if he re-signs.”
Edmund: “If he re-signs?”
Morris: “You don’t know what he’s thinking, but they’ve opened discussions.”
Conor Nash (Hawthorn)
Jack Steele (St Kilda)
Bailey Smith (Western Bulldogs)
Edmund: “Is Bailey Smith definitely gone?”
Morris: “We think so.”
Liam Baker (Richmond)
Morris: “I think gone as well.”
Josh Battle (St Kilda)
Morris: “I think Josh Battle is more likely to leave, but I don’t know for sure.
“The Hawks are offering good cash. He’s on about $400,000 this year which is why he’s an unrestricted free agent.
“His pay is going to more than double wherever he goes, and even if he does stay.”
Tim English (Western Bulldogs)
Edmund: “Are West Coast still at the table for Tim English?”
Morris: “Yes, they are. I can’t read that, I think it’s 50-50.”
Shai Bolton (Richmond)
Edmund: “Contracted long-term at Richmond and Adem Yze is most upset that this has become a topic of conversation. Will he stay at Punt Road then?”
Morris: “I think he probably stays, but I don’t know for sure.”
Isaac Cumming & Harry Perryman (GWS)
Morris: “Not sure about Isaac Cumming the free agent.
“Harry Perryman has got a seven-year deal on the table from somewhere.
“I know Port and Hawthorn like Perryman. The Hawks have so much cash.”
Edmund: “There’s been interest in both right throughout.”
