Collingwood is circling Sydney forward Logan McDonald, reports Herald Sun journalist Sam Landsberger.
While McDonald hails from WA, he grew up as a mad Collingwood fan and Landsberger says the Pies are keen to have a red-hot crack at the former No.4 draft pick this off-season.
The 22-year-old comes out of contract at the end of the 2024 season and with Sydney’s salary cap under some pressure with Errol Gulden, Ollie Florent and Will Hayward being re-signed, the Swans could have a fight on their hands to keep both McDonald and Chad Warner – who comes off contract next season.
Although the Pies are targeting the forward who has kicked 21 goals from 14 games so far this season, Sydney great Gerard Healy expects him to stay a Swan as he believes that the player and club are ‘pretty happy’ together.
He discussed McDonald’s future when prompted by Kane Cornes on SEN’s Sportsday.
Cornes: “There’s some news on Logan McDonald, which I’m reading in the Herald Sun – Collingwood is seriously interested in leveraging key forward Logan McDonald out of Sydney.
“So, we’ve all thought that since Logan McDonald is a West Australian and out of contract if he was going to go anywhere, it could be to Fremantle who have the picks.
“But with Dan McStay coming off an ACL and Mason Cox and Mihocek well into their 30s, the Pies have turned their attention to Logan McDonald.”
Healy: “It seems to me that deal’s done in Sydney.
“I haven’t got any 100 per cent knowledge, but just reading between the lines, I think that group are pretty happy together, and I reckon he’ll stay in Sydney.
“He’s got a bit of work to do, like most young blokes. But he’s, I think, pretty happy from all reports.
“We’ll see how that plays out in the next couple of weeks.”
Cornes: “Collingwood has said that they’re really not going to the draft and that they’re in it for the now and will be topping up.”
McDonald ranks equal-fifth in Sydney’s goalkicking ranks in 2024 behind Joel Amartey (31), Hayward (25), Warner (24) and Tom Papley (23).