With rival clubs again showing interest in GWS’ Josh Kelly, the potential eight-year deal hanging over his head is a focal point once more.
Channel 7’s Tom Browne reported on Wednesday that Kelly is back on the radar of North Melbourne, as well as three other clubs, who are believed to be pondering why he is not playing in the midfield for the Giants.
Kelly, 26, has the option to put pen to paper to remain with his current club for eight years at $1 million per year or look elsewhere.
With that in mind, Garry Lyon feels the sublimely talented Kelly has to reach Scott Pendlebury-like areas to truly vindicate that sort of money.
“He needs to be more, he needs to play better,” Lyon said on SEN Breakfast.
“If he’s a million dollar a year player, then you need to be top three in the best and fairest year in, year out.
“You need to be of a Pendlebury-type consistency and influencer of games.
“You need to be in the All-Australian squad every year, All-Australian team every second (year) if you’re on that (money).
“That’s the sort of player that contract buys or should buy.”
Kelly reportedly sees himself as more of an inside midfielder but has been playing in a high half-forward role for much of the season to date.
However, Lyon firmly believes that if the Giants are prepared to pay him such money, they have the right to play him where they see fit.
“The extension of that is, the Giants have committed to that contract at their price, therefore they’ll deploy where they think they're going to get most value from him,” he added.
“If they think he’s not an inside mid, they think they can get a million bucks worth of value as a high half-forward, well good luck to them.
“Toby Greene gives you that sort of value as a high half-forward, not sure Josh Kelly does.”
Tim Watson extended that conversation, indicating that perhaps Kelly is yearning to be more of a central figure in his side’s engine room and not on the periphery.
“He’s a fine player,” Watson said.
“No one’s criticising him for his ability, but you play someone where you believe their attributes best suit your team. That’s where they believe his attributes best suit their team.
“Having spoken to somebody at the Giants, that is the case.
“He believes that he should and could be played somewhere else.
“The background to all this is interesting because I think that maybe an element in all of this negotiation as to whether he stays or goes and takes another contract somewhere else might be determined by where he is played.”
In 2021, Kelly is averaging 23 disposals per game which is ranked 7th at the Giants, having been ranked in the top four in each of the previous four seasons.
He picked up a season-high 27 touches and took 10 marks playing a more advanced midfield role in last weekend’s big win over Adelaide.
The 11th-placed Giants, who have improved to a 3-4 record, host 15th-placed Essendon on Saturday afternoon.