Collingwood star Jordan De Goey is “an $800,000 proposition”, says Melbourne great Garry Lyon.
Out of contract at season’s end, De Goey is the biggest name free agent on the market after teammate Brodie Grundy re-signed with the Magpies on a bumper seven-year deal.
“To me, he would be an $800,000 proposition. I would incentivise him on top of the $800,000," Lyon told SEN Breakfast.
“If you signed him for five years at $800,000 and then in his second year he was doing the Dusty (playing like Dustin Martin), then give him the capacity to earn the million and the franchise money.”
Former Essendon captain Tim Watson says it would be a risk paying De Goey upwards of a million dollars a season.
“We know this, in footy you are always going to get more money – and significantly more money – if you move to another club,” Watson said.
“We’ve already seen his body of work; we understand the misdemeanours that he has achieved along the way – it’s a risk with a guy like Jordan De Goey.
“Is it a risk worth taking?
“At his best he does things that probably only a handful of other players in the competition can do – he is a match-winning-type player. We’ve seen that part of him.
"He maybe one of those guys who just is precociously talented but is never going to really conform to what you need to conform to in modern day football.
"You know you’ve got this bloke who has his mates that are outside of football, which is great, but they can drag you in one direction, which may not necessarily be the best direction for you as an individual to achieve your ultimate in this game."
De Goey, 25, is currently without a manager after splitting with Ben Niall.
Listen to the Jordan De Goey discussion on SEN Breakfast in the playe below