Out of contract Gold Coast forward Izak Rankine will knock back a big-money offer from Essendon and re-sign with the Suns, according to Sportsday co-host Sam McClure.
Rankine has become one of the most dangerous small forwards in the game this year, kicking 22 goals and averaging 14 disposals from his 13 games this season.
According to figures “up north”, the Bombers made a “huge and mammoth” offer to Rankine which he has declined, McClure reports.
“Izak Rankine is staying at Gold Coast which is great news for them,” he said on Sportsday.
“The Bombers were hugely interested in him and depending who you talk to… there'd be people up north saying Essendon offered a huge and mammoth five-year deal to Izak Rankine.
“Essendon will say they didn’t offer a deal and simply spoke to his management.
“$800,000 per season are the numbers that have been thrown around when you talk to clubs and industry figures, but Essendon are adamant that is not correct.
“It’s always difficult to know what is right and what is beaten up – particularly when a player has told a club he is not coming – so it’s all hard to know but all I can say is Izak Rankine is going to stay at the Gold Coast Suns which is really good news.”
Rankine is coming off arguably his best game at AFL level, booting four goals in Gold Coast’s narrow loss to Collingwood last weekend.