Out-of-contract Bulldog Bailey Smith is considered an “85 per cent chance” of picking Geelong over Hawthorn as the gun midfielder weighs up his future.
Smith recently returned from Europe as he prepares to make a call on where he’ll be playing next year after his 2024 was wiped due to an ACL injury.
The Cats are well placed to lure Smith, with the Herald Sun reporting the club is on track to build a new $60 million state of the art million training facility next to GMHBA Stadium including an indoor kicking field and events space, having already had $14 million in donations to help with it.
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It comes after recent frustrations over Geelong receiving $4 million for a new scoreboard from the state government in a May budget.
Geelong, Hawthorn and Collingwood have all been in the race for Smith, who’s had a two-year extension on the table from the Dogs from earlier this year.
And Ralph believes all signs point to the 23-year old joining the Cattery for 2025 given how much the club can offer including both it and Smith being sponsored by Cotton on.
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“It just makes me think again Geelong is such a destination club,” Herald Sun journalist Jon Ralph said of Geelong’s training facility upgrade plans on Fox Footy’s Midweek Tackle
“In the next eight or 10 weeks, Bailey Smith will be doing tours (of rival clubs) … and you’d think a tour of Geelong. It’s just such an amazing precinct they have down there and they’ll show him those plans.
“Show him if you want to live in Barwon Heads like Joel Selwood or Pacington Street, you can do all those things.
“It just makes me think even more Bailey Smith fits so snugly hand in fist at the Geelong Football Club.
“He is 85 per cent there and of course Hawthorn still a 15 per cent chance. Collingwood 0 per cent.”
The former Pick 7 would need to be acquired via trade, with the Cats currently holding picks 14 and 34.
The Cats recently finished the latest upgrade of GHMHBA Stadium including increasing the ground capacity to 40,000, with the state government contributing $260 million to that redevelopment.
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It comes after Geelong star Jeremy Cameron, 31, this week told the Herald Sun he’s keen to play well beyond the end of his contract, which expires at the end of 2025.
Meanwhile star forward partner Tom Hawkins, who’s expected to retire at season’s end as he battles to get back from a foot injury, reportedly won’t put his hand up for selection in the back-end of the campaign unless he’s 100 per cent fit.
“This won’t get ugly, it’s all about trust and honesty,” Ralph said of Hawkins’ bid to return in 2024.
“If he’s not ready, he’s not going to put his hand up … just desperate for a finals campaign or a farewell game.
“That’s the person we know Tom Hawkins to be.”
RIVALS EYEING GARCIA
Western Bulldogs utility Riley Garcia has reportedly emerged as a trade target for rival clubs.
The 23-year old has overcome a raft of injuries early in his career to get his best run at AFL level in 2024, having averaged 17.4 disposals from eight games before being dropped after the Dogs’ 43-point loss to Brisbane in Round 13.
And Herald Sun journalist Sam Landsberger reports that, should Garcia remain out of Luke Beveridge’s side, other teams will pursue him.
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“I think there’s a watch on Riley Garcia, he’s far too good to be playing VFL — he’s had 41, 31, 35, and 31 (disposals respectively) in the VFL this year,” Herald Sun journalist Sam Landsberger told Fox Footy’s Midweek Tackle.
“Really surprised he got dropped a few weeks ago … had a wretched run of injury throughout his career, missed 32 games in his first four years but has not missed a beat this year.
“I think both club and player said at the start of the year: ‘Let’s see if how his body holds up and if he’s playing AFL football.’
“If he stays out of the team, I just think other clubs will come for him and they’d be silly not to.”