Trade talk: Giants address Greene, Hogan and Stringer speculation

GWS will likely be busy in the upcoming trade period with a number of senior players linked to rival clubs.

Captain Toby Greene’s future remains in question with a potential shift to Geelong gathering momentum.

A move to the Cats has been rated by Josh Jenkins as a “99.9 per cent chance” of occurring.

Jason McCartney, the club’s GM of footy, insists the Giants are eager to keep their skipper in orange and charcoal as they await an answer from the 282-gamer.

McCartney answered a number of questions from SEN Fireball’s Kane Cornes and David King including the futures of Jesse Hogan and Jake Stringer who he expects to leave.

Former Demon and Docker Hogan has interest from Collingwood and Gold Coast, while ex-Dog and Don Stringer could also find a fourth club with the Magpies among several sides being linked.

Cornes: When do you expect to get an answer from Greene?

“I’d imagine over the next couple of weeks. Like I've said on numerous occasions that he's been incredibly invested in what we've been doing now, but also over the last probably three weeks when it was probably looking more likely than unlikely that we would play finals,” McCartney said.

“Just around what we're doing with the off-season program and getting involved in some of the discussions with me around some of the things around lists and different things. So the investment is there but we're still awaiting an answer on that one.”

King: Are you happy to lose Hogan, Stringer and Greene from the same forward line?

“We'd love to be keeping Toby, that's for sure.

“It’s well documented that Jesse and Jake won't be with us next year, but we're very hopeful and obviously a level of confidence without knowing about Toby. But we want that to be the case.

“Aaron Cadman’s done a really good job for a long period of time and Max Gruzewski we really focused on. He was an out-of-contract player and we just didn't want to be losing a young player like that, because you've got to look at what we're doing now but also keep an eye on that future beyond the next one or two years.

“Because if you lose players like that who are out of contract, and then you've got holes in your list everywhere when some of those senior guys do finish in whether it be if they played for another year or two.”

Cornes: Did you present Hogan with an offer? Is it just a matter of that he wasn't happy with the offer you presented?

“Yeah, we were working very closely on things with his management and Matty Bain there. We were keen to get something done early in the year, but we didn't quite get close enough.

“As it sort of sat there and things progressed throughout the year, just getting a better look at what we're doing, where we're at, Max's situation, other things you take into consideration.

“Unfortunately, Jesse didn't play a lot of footy this year. And then you get to a decision where, well, we won't go there, we just can't.

“We need to prioritise some other things. So as your season unfolds, like you go into a season, the beginning, you've got plans of what you might be doing at the end of the year, but you're always getting information week by week. So yeah, that's the decision we got to probably later in the year when we hadn't got anything done.

“Hopefully Jesse can give an opportunity at another club.”

Cornes: What about Brett Montgomery, senior assistant coach - Is he leaving?

“Yeah, Brett is. He's done a fantastic job over the last four years, but like a number of our coaches, he's been living away from his family.

“So, incredible effort to do that with us, but we've been in a number of discussions over a fair period of time throughout this year. Nothing's landed yet, but we'll be looking to add to our coaching group over this off-season period as well.”

King: Is there any interest in a ruckman? Are you going to spend a high draft pick or some big cash and respect the rucks up there? Is it this year?

“It's an interesting one. We've been really happy with Kieren Briggs coming through the Academy and then we've obviously got Nick Madden coming through. We've got Logan Smith from the Academy.

“It's one that we've really only gone down in the past, outside way back before I was here with Shane Mumford coming in. We had a go with Big Preussy (Braydon Preuss) a while ago and that didn't quite work out.

“So we're eyes wide open to it, but it's one of those positions too where we think we've got capability within our group, but it's just a matter of they're a bit younger. So whether there's a bridging mechanism with a player that's required for us to keep challenging while these other guys develop at the right rate,.

“But I think Nick Madden will probably head into next season with a bit of work to do obviously, but he'll get first crack at getting a good season that number one ruck roll unless we do bring someone in.”

King: What are we calling the phase you're entering now?

“I haven't got the answer to the phase, but it's definitely not a rebuild, even a reset.

“That's why I haven't got the word, because there is enough talent within our group to work with. There's no doubt about that. It was shown this year with multiple top-line players out, that we were still capable of beating the best sides in the competition.

“That was the frustration this season, it just never really got going. I think our best winning streak was two games in a row. But when you beat Hawthorn, you beat Melbourne, you beat Fremantle, you beat Geelong, you beat some of the best. And then we slipped up really badly against some of the clubs that were down near the bottom end.

“Obviously where we finished is 12th and it's not good enough.”