Collingwood is reportedly set to make a big play for young gun Swans forward Logan McDonald as his contract talks drag on.
The Magpies and Hawks were earlier this month linked to the West Australian-born McDonald, who’s also had interest from Fremantle, amid reports the difference between the Victorian clubs’ offers and Sydney’s could be up to $200,000 a year.
With Dan McStay coming off an ACL injury and the ageing Mason Cox (33) and Brody Mihocek (31) entering their twilight years, McDonald looms as the ideal key forward pick-up for the Pies in the main hole in their list.
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“Logan McDonald I think is a name they are circling. He’s from Western Australia, but it’s three hours south of Perth at Dunsborough,” Herald Sun journalist Sam Landsberger said on Fox Footy’s Midweek Tackle.
“He grew up a Collingwood supporter, I think he would be a dream fit for Collingwood and they’re gong to have a red hot crack at him.”
The 22-year old, who was drafted with the No. 4 pick in the 2020 National Draft, ranks fifth in Sydney’s goalkicking this year with 21 majors, but would likely become the Magpies’ No. 1 man in attack.
Collingwood could “take advantage’ of Sydney’s “bulging” salary cap, according to fellow Herald Sun reporter Jay Clark, which has seen the club re-sign the likes of Errol Gulden, Oliver Florent and Will Hayward, while Chad Warner is due for a hefty pay rise next year.
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“A prime key forward at 196cm, he to me is the missing link … at Collingwood he would become the big banana. I think he’d be perfect, it’d be a long-term deal, eight-year deals are in vogue at the moment,” Clark said.
“He would take advantage of the bulging salary cap at Sydney … the cap is clearly tight, this is where Collingwood moves in.”
Complicating a potential trade to Collingwood is that the Magpies don’t have a first-round pick this year from the Lachie Schultz trade.
However the AFL next off-season is expected to tick off clubs being able to trade draft picks two years in advance to give the Pies more flexibility and selections to use in a deal.
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“The secret ingredient here is the fact the AFL is about to enable clubs to trade two years of future draft picks,” Landsberger added.
“If that gets ticked off for this year’s off-season, which a lot of clubs think will happen, I reckon that gives them the artillery to get a trade done.
“Go to the Swans with (Collingwood’s) suite of 2025 and 2026 picks, I think that’s the key that could unlock a potential trade.”
Landsberger estimated McDonald would be worth a pick in the 10 to 15 range plus a second rounder.
Clark meanwhile noted the Dockers’ long held interest in McDonald may have cooled amid the emergence of Josh Treacy.
“Fremantle is still in the market, they’ve got the emergence of Josh Treacy, who’s having an incredible season,” he said.
“So whether Fremantle need McDonald anymore, I’m not sure. But it’s going to be interesting to see how this plays out, the longer it goes you would think the more chance Collingwood is.”
EAGLES LADING RACE FOR BAKER
West Coast is reportedly seen as the frontrunner for Tigers gun Liam Baker as he weighs up his future and the potential of returning home to Western Australia, according to Channel 7 reporter Mitch Cleary.
While the Dockers have more assets to offer in a trade including three 2024 first-round picks, West Coast, who Baker grew up barracking for, is considered the favourite after recently meeting with the 26-year old while he was in Perth visiting family.
Fremantle didn’t meet with the Richmond co-vice captain.
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“Right now he’s weighing up the Eagles, Dockers or to stay at Richmond,” Cleary said on Talking Footy.
“He went back home to WA to Pingaring with his family. On the way to fly back to Melbourne, he met with the Eagles, he didn’t meet with the Dockers on this occasion.
“The Tigers are well aware he’s got plenty of options and have given him plenty of time to think about it.”
Tigers coach Adem Yze this week said the club was taking a hands-off approach with Baker’s future in an attempt to ease pressure on the highly respected clubman.
“We just took that anxiety and pressure off him earlier in the season. Because I could sense that he was just thinking about it the whole time and he’s such a great person and a great team man that it would be weighing on him,” Yze said on SEN radio.
“Those questions are off the table. We just want him to come in and enjoy his footy and when he makes that decision hopefully it is to say with our footy club.”