The Herald Sun’s Jon Ralph has peered into his crystal ball to predict where some of the game’s hottest property will be playing their football in 2018.
Richmond star Dustin Martin is currently being wooed by North Melbourne with an seven-year offer believed to be upwards of $1.5m per season, however Ralph believes Tiger fans shouldn’t lose any sleep.
“Dustin Martin stays on $1.2m a year at Richmond,” he predicted on SEN's Hungry For Sport.
“When he put off his contract in October he said, ‘I want success, I want to see if Richmond is successful.’
“I think they’ve held up their end of the bargain.”
Greater Western Sydney’s young gun Josh Kelly has also been linked with the Kangaroos on a nine-year deal, as well as with St Kilda, Carlton and more recently, Essendon.
Despite this, Ralph feels that all signs though point to him remaining at the Giants.
“Josh Kelly takes $1.6 million over two years – $800,000 a year – because he wants success,” he said.
“Paul Connors, his manager said, he’s obsessed with his clients winning premierships. Then in two years he comes back to a Victorian club and signs a nine-million-dollar deal over six years and he doesn’t lose out financially – he gets the best of both worlds – a premiership, most likely, and the cash.”
Ralph believes that dual Brownlow Medallist Gary Ablett, who is desperate for a return to Geelong, will get his wish and rejoin the Cats, but it may signal the departure of a goalkicking forward.
“He (Ablett) goes. Nothing surer,” Ralph said.
“I wonder about the whole Daniel Menzel scenario; he hasn’t been contracted yet… I wonder whether that’s linked in somehow.”
Adelaide currently is in a fight to re-sign a pair of outstanding young talls in Jake Lever and Mitch McGovern.
Lever has been linked with a move back to Victoria while McGovern is weighing up a return to Western Australia.
Ralph said that he expects both to depart at season’s end, but it will allow the top of the ladder Crows the salary cap room to lure a prized target back across the border.
“He (Lever) comes home citing family concerns and lands at Melbourne. They become the 2018 premiership favorite,” he predicted.
“I think (McGovern) gets to Fremantle on a five-year deal worth about 750,000,” Ralph said.
“As a result, some dominoes fall. The Crows have the money to get Bryce Gibbs, so he goes there and with that pick Carlton gets Jacob Hopper from GWS.”