Victorian club interested in wantaway Dog as All-Australian flags desire to stay

Western Bulldogs midfielder Jack Macrae officially put in a trade request on Tuesday.

The 30-year-old still has three years remaining on his contract but has told the club he wants to play elsewhere in 2025.

The three-time All-Australian played 19 games last season including four as a sub and even spent time in the VFL.

Channel Nine’s Tom Morris says that St Kilda are interested in Macrae’s services, but isn’t sure whether the midfielder himself is keen on a move to Moorabbin.

While he’s yet to nominate a club of choice, Morris is certain he wouldn’t have requested a trade without knowing he’ll be able to find a new home this off-season.

“We can't be sure for certain, but I know the Saints are interested in him,” Morris told SEN Sportsday.

“Whether he'd want to go to the Saints, I don’t know, but the trade request I don’t think was a huge surprise.

“On Monday he had an exit interview with the Dogs and didn’t mention a trade, but late on Tuesday he went in and said he wants out with three years on a deal.

“If I know one thing about Paul Connors, his manager, there’s no way he's letting him say, ‘I want to be traded’, without having a home.

“It'll be intriguing to see where it gets to.”

Another Bulldog that’s been linked to a move away is Caleb Daniel, but SEN’s Sam Edmund believes that the 2020 All-Australian wants to remain at the Whitten Oval and see out the remaining two years on his deal.

“This is to be confirmed by the club, and it is still to be confirmed by the player,” Edmund told SEN Breakfast.

“But I'm told Caleb Daniel would prefer to stay at the Bulldogs, he has two years to run on his deal.

“He was even more on the outer this year than Jack Macrae on the surface, he played 16 games this year and was sub in seven of those and was subbed off in another.

“But we’ll wait and see how that one plays out.”

The other Dog to officially request a trade following the club’s end of the 2024 season is midfielder Bailey Smith.