AFL Media’s Cal Twomey has provided a trade update on several names that are being targeted by rival clubs this off-season.
The players he covered were Sydney’s Chad Warner and Logan McDonald, Gold Coast’s Jack Lukosius and Richmond’s Liam Baker.
All four of those players are being chased by clubs from their home states and Twomey gave his thoughts on whether they could be in new colours come 2025.
Check out his update on SEN Breakfast below.
Chad Warner (Sydney) and links to both WA clubs via trade
“He’s contracted to the end of next year, but that hasn’t stopped the West Australian clubs from being interested,” Twomey said on SEN Breakfast.
“There’s been direct contact between both clubs and Warner, so they’re not sitting on their hands, and nor should they be.
“I don’t expect anything to happen this year in terms of contract extension or a move, but I think it’s sort of planting the seeds ahead of 2025.”
Logan McDonald (Sydney) and links to Fremantle and Collingwood via trade
“My gut feeling the whole period is that he ends up staying.
“Sydney doesn’t lose many. We look at Jordan Dawson as being one.
“But I think if it was to move, I’d still have Fremantle as being the leading contender if he was to move and go back to Western Australia.
“Collingwood’s obviously got interest and been linked, but I still feel like the most likely option is to stay four years through to free agency.
“I reckon that’d be a good chance of happening.”
Jack Lukosius (Gold Coast) and whether he could be on the move
“There’s two years to go on his contract and there’s no movement at the moment.
“I think now that he’s playing forward, there’s probably a different conversation around it.
“If he was still in the back half, I would have been interested to see where it played out more at the end of the year.
“But, Adelaide’s cashed up and they’ve been into a lot of players and having a crack, and he’s obviously got the South Australian links.
“The difference between him and a lot of the players that they have looked at is he’s got a two-year contract, so you’d actually have to give up something pretty decent for it to happen and Gold Coast isn’t pushing him out by any means.”
Liam Baker (Richmond) and what Fremantle and West Coast can do to get a trade done
“Freo has three first-round picks and that’s one of the reasons why they’re well and truly in the fight. They can get it done a lot easier than West Coast can.
“He’s obviously very interested in the move to potentially go back. He was very interested two years ago as well, to potentially go back and met with both clubs then.
“All (three) clubs, including the Tigers, have long-term deals on the table for him.
“For West Coast. It becomes a harder situation, isn’t it? Given they, at the moment, hold pick three.
“You wouldn’t want to be splitting pick three to get Liam Baker in as a sort of 26-27-year-old, given he’s one year away from free agency.
“Does the Tom Barrass situation actually open the door (for West Coast)? Potentially.
“If Bailey Smith leaves for a first-round pick at the Bulldogs, and then the Bulldogs have a first-round pick to offer up to West Coast for Tom Barrass … does that pick then turn into something they could use for Liam Baker?
“You have to think of all the scenarios. But in terms of who’s armed with what, Fremantle selections are a lot more in the right spot, I’d say, for what Baker’s worth.”