SEN Chief Sports Reporter Sammy Edmund has provided an update on a number of key trade period pieces including Adam Saad, Ben Brown, Shaun Higgins, Jared Polec, Jeremy Cameron and more.
Read his thoughts below from SEN Breakfast:
Adam Saad (Essendon)
Sammy says: “Essendon is not making it easy for Adam Saad. There was a five-year offer that became a four-year offer.”
“The Saad camp wasn’t overly happy with that. This might have started as a bit of an old-fashioned haggle to be honest over terms and cash, but it has become a bit more serious given the way Essendon has finished the season.
“Adam Saad was ultimately concerned over the direction the club is heading in. He’s finished top four in the best and fairest again this month. That’s the third consecutive time that has happened.
“Carlton is coming really hard for him, North Melbourne has registered an interest there, maybe even Richmond as well.
“They want speed off half back these clubs. The Blues are leading the queue here.
“He’s still weighing it up, but a real chance of leaving.”
Andy McGrath (Essendon)
Sammy says: “That contract is just about done, the finer points of the deal to be locked in. He’s a priority and out of contract, but the Dons have got that done, they’ve just got to finalise all of that.”
Ben Brown (North Melbourne)
Sammy says: “This is an extraordinary situation. I can tell you with absolute certainty, this contract offer that was put to Ben Brown at the start of the year was three years with a trigger of a fourth. Forget $750,000, closer to $850,000 a season.”
“His manager Adam Ramanauskas was pushing for a fourth year in concrete, then COVID hit, North plummeted, Brown went with them and then a huge change in direction has ensued.
“It’s going to cost Ben Brown, he will end up somewhere, but it’s going to cost him a couple of hundred thousand per year now you’d think, perhaps close to $1 million over the course of his next contract. It is a massive change of direction.”
Shaun Higgins (North Melbourne)
Sammy says: “He has been told he is more than welcome to stay, but he won’t get another contract, regardless of how well he plays next year, that’s the last year of his current deal, if he can get a multi-year deal elsewhere they’ve told him ‘go for you life’ and that’s where the Cats have come to the party.”
Jared Polec (North Melbourne)
Sammy says: “Melbourne has asked the question of Jared Polec, I think Melbourne has also asked the question of Isaac Smith (Hawthorn). Hawthorn want to keep Smith.”
Jeremy Cameron (GWS)
Sammy says: “It has dragged on far too long and longer than both parties would have liked it to. This is one that was really close pre-COVID as well. I think everything points to him staying, it’s just the terms of the contract, it was a good contract put to him pre-COVID. Now there’s just some haggling about what Cameron’s party can maximise out of it. I think the player himself is pretty keen for this to be sorted out.”
Sammy says: Jackson Hately (GWS) Adelaide is coming hard for him, Jye Caldwell (GWS) St Kilda is interested and Xavier O’Halloran (GWS) is out of contract as well. I think if they can keep two out of those three kids, they lose Zac Williams, I think it would be par for the course.”