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Article in the Herald Sun - Brisbane related parts.
Moneyball: Hugh McCluggage in demand, northern states clubs push back on mid-season trade
The race to secure 2024’s biggest free agent is heating up, with four clubs in Victoria leading the charge. Plus, the AFL’s mid-season trade plans could be scrapped if some clubs get their way.
At least four Victorian clubs are lining up for Brisbane midfielder Hugh McCluggage as the Lions prepare to match any free agency bid which comes for the gun midfielder.
Collingwood, St Kilda, Essendon and Geelong are all circling the South Warrnambool product who will attract offers in the vicinity of $1.3 million to return home to Victoria.
The Saints want to be aggressive to attract top-line talent through free agency, while Collingwood also has salary cap room after repositioning their total player payments bill in recent years.
Geelong wants to add to its midfield stocks and Essendon coach Brad Scott has been clear he wants the Bombers to continue to scour the free agency pool.
But the Lions could scupper rivals’ efforts by matching a free agency bid which forces clubs to offer up picks in a trade to satisfy Brisbane.
Chris Fagan’s men would want multiple first-round picks in exchange for McCluggage or they would block the move.
It could mean McCluggage signs for two more years and then reconsider his future as an unrestricted free agent after 10 years service.
MID-SEASON TRADE PLANS TAKE HIT
Northern states clubs have pushed back on the AFL’s plans to introduce a mid-season trade period for next year.
The league has been in talks with clubs about bringing in a window to trade players in the middle rounds of next season to help increase player movement.
But this masthead can reveal Brisbane and GWS Giants are among the clubs who have made it clear to league headquarters they strongly oppose the concept.
There are beliefs among the northern-states clubs a mid-season trade period would heavily favour Victorian clubs where the bulk of the AFL player pool stems.
The Lions have told AFL officials it would be much harder to attract mature-age players to Queensland in particular if they had to take their children out of school in the middle of the year.
The northern states clubs have predicted the bulk of the movement would flow into Victorian rivals rather than the other way around.
The Giants have also told the AFL the end-of-season two-week trade period in combination with the mid-season draft and supplemental selection period already meets clubs’ needs.
Players could also be stranded mid-season if their moves fall over, leaving them out in the cold with teammates or fans in the middle of the season.
Currently, clubs begin to meet potential recruiting targets in the mid-season bye period, but those talks may have to take place in the early rounds of the season if the mid-season trade period was introduced, ramping up demands on clubs.
The AFL is keen to introduce a mid-season trade period to allow clubs to top-up on specific player needs in the event of a string of injuries.
The AFL Players Association approved the plan as part of last year’s Collective Bargaining Agreement.
But clubs remain in the dark about the potential rules and regulations of a mid-season trade period, including any potential salary cap implications and restrictions around picks or ages of players.
There are also fears clubs at the bottom of the ladder could be targeted, making lesser sides weaker in the second half of the season.
The league has presented to clubs as part of the competitive balance review, which includes proposed changes to the end-of-season draft and trade periods.
The draft points system is set for an overhaul, but clubs are eager for any changes to be pushed back until next year.
Clubs have already planned around father-son and academy targets for this year and think changes this year could have a major impact on plans which have been in-train for 18 months.
Draft pick purchasing where clubs such as North Melbourne could absorb rivals’ salary cap pressure in return for early draft picks is also in the works.
LIONS YOUNG GUN SET TO BAULK AT MOVE
Brisbane free agent Jarrod Berry will stay at the Lions despite rival interest in the wingman and inside midfielder.
Amid speculation about whether he might want more time as a pure midfielder the Lions have offered him a new multi-year deal.
It is understood Berry has no intention of exploring rival offers and could sign that deal in coming weeks.
The competition for midfield spots will only get fiercer as Will Ashcroft returns from an ACL tear and the club drafts father-son Levi and academy prospect Sam Marshall.
But he is invested in the chase for a premiership and happy in Queensland.
Brisbane has squirrelled away cap space over recent years so has money to lock away its out-of-contract players.
The mid season trade period is one of the worst idea thought up by the AFL in recent memory.
My fear is the new AFL executive are trying to get runs on the board and will push through all of these dogshit changes.
If winning a flag isn’t already hard enough for non vfl sides wait until the mid season trade period comes in and Vic clubs can patch up injury holes (for instance) in their list midstream. Good luck to us trying to do the same.