An out-of-contract North Melbourne midfielder is expected to depart the club at year’s end.
Plus, the “disaster” situation the Kangaroos are trying to avoid with restricted free agent Cam Zurhaar, and an update on a Bulldog’s “contract impasse”.
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Zurhaar deal a disaster for Roos? | 00:50
‘PICK 3s DON’T TAG’: ROO TIPPED TO DEPART ARDEN STREET
Out-of-favour North Melbourne midfielder Will Phillips is expected to be at a rival club next season.
The off-contract 22-year-old has managed just three senior games this year thus far. He has just 35 AFL matches to his name since being drafted at No. 3 overall in the 2020 national draft.
“I don’t think Will Phillips will be at North Melbourne next year,” Herald Sun journalist Sam Landsberger told Fox Footy’s Midweek Tackle.
“Now, he’s in the extended squad this weekend, but he played as a tagger in the VFL last weekend.”
Herald Sun journalist Jon Ralph chimed in: “He’s a pick 3. Pick 3s don’t tag.”
Phillips has averaged 23.6 disposals across seven VFL outings this year.
“Surely a pick 3 is not tagging in the VFL,” Landsberger continued.
“He was brought in to raise the standards at North Melbourne. He’s clearly not in their best 22 at the moment, and if he’s tagging in the VFL, you just can’t see how there’s a future for him there, particularly when they’re going to have another high draft pick this year — and it’s a rich draft for midfielders.”
Petracca concedes his season is over | 00:22
Ralph also expects Phillips to depart the Roos, but he questioned the onballer’s ability to break into an AFL side.
“I understand that, and people tell me he’s going — ‘give me a home’,” he told Fox Footy.
“Because I look at him and I think to myself — by all accounts he’s an extraordinary bloke, great character, they picked him in a Covid year, which was always a challenge, it hasn’t been a great top-10 of that draft — but I think to myself ‘if he can’t get a game in the bottom side, where else would he get a game?’”
Phillips is a non-free agent, meaning a trade deal would need to be struck between the Roos and an acquiring club.
The greatest moment of Dusty’s career? | 00:57
ROOS URGED TO AVOID ZURHAAR ‘DISASTER’
Staying on the topic of the Kangaroos, Ralph believes they need to avoid a “disaster” situation with restricted free agent Cam Zurhaar.
Zurhaar, who has halted contract talks, has booted 14 goals in 11 games this season and is on track for a career-high game tally.
However, he could be tempted by rival overtures at the end of the season.
“Zurhaar, right now, I think (North Melbourne) is making strong noises that if he wants to leave that they would want to match a free agency bid,” Ralph told Midweek Tackle.
“Now, we know that never happens.”
Ralph said North Melbourne needed to threaten to match a contending rival bid for Zurhaar if it wanted prime draft compensation in return for his potential departure.
“If he leaves, it wouldn’t trigger first-round compensation,” he said. “You’d get maybe pick 20 for him, and then of course the father-son and the bidding system comes in with the Academy players — you might get (pick) 28.
“Even if you don’t match, you threaten to match and then you get a (rival) club that (goes) ‘OK, if they’re going to match it, we’ll give three years at $900,000 and we’ll do a bit of a funny deal, but we’ll trigger that first band compensation’.
“If they were to lose Cam Zurhaar for pick 28, that would be another disaster for them. At least make the threat, even if you don’t follow through on it.”
Is Nicks’ career on a ‘knifes edge’? | 03:18
BIG DOG’S ‘IMPASSE’ ON BIG-MONEY TALKS
Ralph also reported the stall on contract talks between the Western Bulldogs and 2023 All-Australian ruckman Tim English.
“He’s at a contract impasse,” he told Midweek Tackle. “I reckon the Dogs are prepared to get to five years, (but) he wants six or seven years at a million (dollars) plus.
“I don’t think (that will happen), right now. He’s the ninth-ranked ruckman in the AFL.
“It’s time for him to have a massive 10 weeks. You know why Aaron Naughton got a massive deal? Because he got offers of 10 years elsewhere.
“This bloke, if he wants the money, (he’s) got to perform. You’re only as good as your last month, and it’s been poor.”
English, eligible for restricted free agency, has averaged 16.9 disposals, 5.8 marks, 3.6 tackles and 2.5 inside-50s — all of which are down on his All-Australian averages of last season.