Stringer nearing move to join third club; salary ‘sticking point’ for mid — Trade Whispers

A Jake Stringer move is said to be imminent.

Meanwhile, salary is reportedly the sticking point in a Dogs-Saints deal.

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STRINGER ‘WANTS TO GET TO GIANTS’

Essendon forward Jake Stringer reportedly wants to be traded to the GWS Giants.

The contracted 30-year-old is ‘on board’ to continue his AFL career at a third club, reports AFL Media’s Cal Twomey on Wednesday.

The Giants are yet to ‘work through the pieces’ of what a move could look like from their end, but Stringer’s intentions are clear.

It comes after Nine’s Tom Morris reported the 2016 premiership player was waiting for the Giants’ final tick of approval before formally asking for a move.

“GWS is still doing its due diligence on Jake Stringer, who is yet to officially request a trade to the Giants,” Morris wrote on X on Tuesday.

“If GWS gives the (final tick), which sources believe is likely, Stringer will ask for a trade and the Giants (and) Dons will get to work.”

Herald Sun journalist Jay Clark added Stringer would be paid in the realm of $450,000 per season plus bonuses by GWS.

The 12-year veteran — who booted 42 goals this year — would be expected to pen a two-year deal if a move to the Giants was agreed to by all parties.

The latter of GWS’ two third-rounders, Pick 56, is expected to be tabled to the Bombers in a trade.

Essendon list boss Matt Rosa acknowledged at the trade period commencement that there’d been “some interest” in Stringer.

“We’ll see where that lands,” Rosa said on Monday.

“We’ll keep in constant contact with Jake’s management. We understand there’s the aspect of (contract) tenure that’s been discussed, but we’ll continue to work through that (situation).”

MACRAE ‘STICKING POINT’ REVEALED

Salary is reportedly the ‘sticking point’ the Dogs and Saints need to overcome to reach agreement on a Jack Macrae trade.

The 12-year Bulldogs midfielder “has declared he wants to play for the Saints”, but the clubs are yet to come together on salary terms, per Seven’s Theo Doropoulos.

As things currently stand, St Kilda holds Picks 7, 8, 27 and 47 at November’s national draft.

“Now, the Dogs will want to start a conversation around that early second-round pick (No. 27), but it’s likely the Saints will only engage on Pick 27 if some of Macrae’s salary stays with the Dogs,” Doropoulos told Seven on Tuesday.

“If St Kilda does pick up the entire tab for the 30-year-old, then the expectation is they’ll only be willing to offer the Dogs Pick 47, which you’d think is unlikely to seal the deal.”

Macrae is contracted at the Kennel until the end of 2027.

Prior to playing 19 senior matches this season, Macrae had played at least 22 games in the past three seasons with the Dogs.

This year, he was relegated to substitute duties in four of his 19 games under coach Luke Beveridge.