Plans to ‘play hardball’ revealed; bittersweet Lions reality looms: Mega AFL trade update on 15 players

The AFL trade developments are flying in as we approach the end of the home and away season.

And Herald Sun reporters Jon Ralph and Glenn McFarlane are all over the latest player movement news.

During this week’s episode of Midweek Tackle on Fox Footy, the veteran footy journos ripped updates on 15 players to track.

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ROWAN MARSHALL (ST KILDA)

Glenn McFarlane says: “I can tell you St Kilda plans to play hardball if Rowan Marshall decides: ‘I’m opting out. If TDK is coming out, I’m opting out and going to Geelong’ – or wherever.

“They (the Saints) want both rucks there, one playing a bit of forward and one playing a bit in the ruck.

“He really did nothing to dispel trade speculation when he spoke on Monday … We know the Cats – and there’s a couple of other clubs are really interested – are keen for a ruckman as well.

“Maybe the Saints could look at offering a sweetener, in a sense, for Rowan Marshall. We know he’s got that contract that goes on – he’s got two more (seasons) to run – he’s 29, getting older a bit now. An extra year sweetener might be the way to go.

“They (the Saints) will go right to the line … Their theory is they’ve got a very small forward line so they need some height … They think it (two rucks) can really work – and Paddy Ryder and Rowan Marshall formed a pretty cohesive group as a ruck-forward bracket.

“Can Tom De Koning do that with a bit of forward and ruck? That’s the fascinating thing, I think … But at the moment, they are adamant Rowan Marshall – regardless of what he wants to do – is going to stay.”

TOM DE KONING (CARLTON)

Jon Ralph says: “I watched TDK from close up on the boundary for Fox Footy. It looked like he’d checked out.

“He played a lot forward. In the first 18 or 19 rounds of the season … he was predominantly playing in the ruck. Now he’s effectively 50-50 with Marc Pittonet coming back in. He walked from contests – everyone else was sprinting away – and he just looked like a battered, bruised and deflated player who has already made his decision up.

“The Carlton view is ‘he hasn’t told us he’s leaving, so we can’t not play him’. I thought it was really strange that Marc Pittonet was so good against Max Gawn and then so good in the first half (against Hawthorn) and they subbed him out and said ‘he’s a great team player’. They need to find out if Marc Pittonet is the type of player who can hold down their first ruck next year.”

NED REEVES (HAWTHORN)

Jon Ralph says: “Ned Reeves is a player of interest, not only for Carlton but also Collingwood. At this stage the interest is preliminary.

“Two years back before Lloyd Meek came in, he had 21 games and 590 hit-outs – he looked like a real star on the rise.

“He’s got to find a new home – Lloyd Meek has just been tucked away on a four-year deal.

“Collingwood is still nervous about Darcy Cameron … They would say ‘we signed him up, he won a premiership, he’s earning good money’ – it’s not great money. At some stage there, they just need to commit and obviously sign him up past 2026 on a fat deal there.

“But right now, someone like Ned Reeves would be thinking to himself: ‘I need to get out.’ So whether that’s Collingwood as a back-up, whether that’s Carlton along with Marc Pittonet or they (the Hawks) move him on, I can understand why clubs are pushing really hard for him – because players like Ned Moyle at Gold Coast is on a new deal and he’s not leaving.”

CHANGKUOTH JIATH (HAWTHORN)

Jon Ralph says: “Changkuoth Jiath is a really interesting one. He’s finally got his body right, he’s mostly played AFL but a little bit as the sub, a little bit out of position at times. Eight senior games and a couple of VFL stints.

“He’s not thinking ‘trade’ right now, he’s not thinking of meeting clubs, he’s desperate to play finals football with Hawthorn after a barren run with injuries and form.

“I think if he was pushed out of this side in September – and we know the depth is extraordinary – two more years on his contract, I think he’d have a little look around.

“And I think there’d be a lot of clubs that’d think: ‘What’s the great position in football these days? That elite hard-running half-back.’ Hawthorn have got too many of them and there’s a lot of clubs out there – even like Carlton – who need a player like Jiath.

JEDD BUSSLINGER (WESTERN BULLDOGS)

Glenn McFarlane says: “I had a really good chat to him and he’s got a year to run on that contract, but he’s basically saying: ‘I’m going nowhere, I love this footy club.’

“He’s working very closely with Liam Jones – the bloke he’s keeping out of the team at the moment. He’s really enjoying his time, he lives with Buku Khamis and is really enjoying the Bulldogs.

“The fact he’s played 49 games in the VFL and only three in the AFL, he thinks that’s going to hold him in good stead going forward. He absolutely wants to stay at the Bulldogs.”

JUDD McVEE (MELBOURNE)

Jon Ralph says: “His contract will push back to the last round of the season now. The Demons are making it hard for him to sign just in regards to their form and morale and uncertainty over the coach.

“He’s had that contract in front of him for a full year. It’s not that he’s out the door, but it’s a challenge for them to try and secure him. There’s so many clubs that are interested in him.”

CLAYTON OLIVER (MELBOURNE)

Jon Ralph says: “Clayton Oliver just has no interest out there. I think he’d have to take something like a $500,000 pay cut (to move).

“It’s not that there’s a little bit of interest – there’s no interest in Clayton Oliver.

“I can’t see any of those clubs there that are saving bickies for the likes of Zak Butters next year would say: ‘Let’s try and invest $800,000 a year into him (Oliver) as well.’”

JAKE LEVER (MELBOURNE)

Jon Ralph says: “Everyone’s interested in Jake, he’s certainly had no contact with any other club.

“He’s invested. It may well be he’s the next captain of this football club if Max Gawn decides ‘I just can’t do it anymore’.

“Big decision for Melbourne to make on Jake. Right now they’re saying ‘nothing doing’, but there a lot of clubs out there sniffing around him.

“I think the Western Bulldogs would be one crazy not to say: ‘We’ve got a first-round pick there, we’re desperate for key-position strength, what about a first-rounder for Jake Lever?’ And you’d have to consider it.

BRANDON STARCEVICH (BRISBANE LIONS)

Jon Ralph says: “It’s a really weird spot because he’s a very well paid restricted free agent, which means he’s probably on $700,000-plus at the Lions. They know how good a stopper he is.

“If he leaves the Lions, they’ve got two free agents coming in: Almost certainly Oscar Allen and almost certainly now Sam Draper. So under the net rules, they’d lose him (Starcevich) for nothing, which would be a huge blow.

“West Coast would love him, but they’re about to lose Oscar Allen and get Pick 2 overall as free agency compensation. So if they got him in, all of a sudden that (Pick 2) dribbles back to Pick 20.

“I think the very likely outcome still is that he’s got a two-year deal on the table at Brisbane, if he wants that to be a long-termer, his manager would get that done.

“He’s got interest in Melbourne, he’s got interest out west. But not many leave the Brisbane Lions when they’re in such a great premiership window.”

DYLAN SHIEL (ESSENDON)

Glenn McFarlane says: “I think most Bomebrs supporters would’ve thought this might be the end, (but) he’s interested in going into a 15th season with the Bombers, as long as the Bombers want him.

“And there might be a little bit of other (club) interest in a veteran. He played very well on the weekend, he’s 32, he says his body is in as good a shape as it’s been for quite some time.

“He’s played the split – 10 AFL games, 10 VFL – and he couldn’t get in there for a period … he’s very much open to playing (on).”

OLLIE FLORENT (SYDNEY SWANS)

Jon Ralph says: “He’s played seven of the last eight games in the VFL – the only senior game was 40 minutes off the bench as a sub then back to the VFL. He’s contracted until 2029, a fiercely loyal Sydney man.

“His papers aren’t stamped, but basically shown they’re pushing ahead without him at this stage.

“He’s got pace, great kick. If it’s not a Carlton, there’d be someone out there that would say: ‘Ollie Florent would very much be in our best 22.’”

TOM LYNCH (RICHMOND)

Jon Ralph says: “The Tom Lynch deal (at Richmond) is effectively done. They’re just working through the (details) of that one.

“It’ll be interesting to see at some stage next year if the likes of (Tom) Sims, (Jonty) Faull and (Harry) Armstrong all play ahead of him. If that was to be the case, he’s very selfless and he’d be aware of it.

“He wouldn’t be thrilled about it, but he’d realise that’s his purpose to try and fast track these exciting kids who’ve taken massive steps this season.”