Veteran AFL journalist Damian Barrett believes Collingwood has an interest in young Carlton midfielder Lochie O’Brien.
Barrett suggests the Pies will look the way of the young wingman if Jaidyn Stephenson departs for North Melbourne.
Stephenson has met with the Roos, with SEN Chief Reporter Sammy Edmund saying North Melbourne is keen to make something happen.
O’Brien spent the entire 2020 season in the reserves for Carlton, struggling to break into the senior 22 with Sam Walsh and Jack Newnes filling the wing roles.
The 21-year-old struggled at the second level too, with smaller games featuring less players reducing the need for wingmen.
His one game came in Round 17 against Adelaide, where the former top 10 draftee picked up seven disposals.
“The status of Lochie O’Brien is unknown. North Melbourne is very keen to explore possibilities with Jaidyn Stephenson and Collingwood,” Barrett told AFL Trade Radio.
“We raise that in the context of this Carlton conversation because if that is to be the case, Collingwood, we believe, would then be very interested in what Lochie O’Brien would then be doing.
“The way we’re having it told to us, he’s a potential focus of Collingwood, should Stephenson find his way to North Melbourne. They’ll look quite closely at the potential availability of (O’Brien).”
Former Carlton list manager Stephen Silvagni, who drafted O’Brien with pick 10 back in 2017, gave his immediate reaction to hearing the news.
“(Carlton) might have an abundance of outside mids and wings at the moment. Whether they’re trying to free up some cap, whether the players they’ve brought in put a bit of a squeeze on them for next year, I’m unsure of the situation,” Silvagni said.
“The only thing I’d say about Lochie is I think he played 35 games in his first two years and played one game (this year).
“I haven’t been there for 12 months so I don’t know what’s happened in those 12 months … the coaching staff might think ‘I don’t need this player’. He’s an outside running player.
“There’s some areas in his game he needs to get better at, but he brings some real assets in his game that can help teams play well and make the ground bigger with his run.
“It’s going to be a big call for the club. Yes you could get some money out, but this is a third-year player and I write this year off if players haven’t played so really it’s two years.”
O’Brien is currently contracted with the Blues for the 2021 season.