Adelaide is plotting a move for Gold Coast’s Izak Rankine, according to reports.
Channel 7 Adelaide is reporting that the Crows “would move heaven and earth” to get Rankine in a deal that “would centre around Adelaide’s first-round pick”, which is currently pick 4.
It was also suggested that Port Adelaide would show considerable interest.
Rankine, who is out of contact this year, is yet to sign on with the Suns and has been constantly linked with a move back to South Australia.
Essendon was keen on the 22-year-old forward, but he reportedly turned down a significant offer from the Bombers recently.
The Suns are confident that Rankine will still sign a long-term deal, but until he actually does there will be speculation.
Kane Cornes says if he were the Crows, he would be giving up the club’s first pick in the 2022 draft in order to bring Rankine to West Lakes.
“Yes, I’m giving up the first pick, and more,” he said on SEN SA Breakfast.
“He was pick 3 (in 2018) so you’re going to give pick 4 for a known product versus someone in the draft that probably has a 50 to 60 per cent success rate at that stage of the draft. There’s a bit of unknown about it.
“Are you going to trust (recruiting manager) Hamish Ogilvie to go again with the number 4 pick after the errors they have made in the first round over recent years?
“Absolutely if Izak Rankine is there, there’s pick 4 and I’ll give you something else, let’s go and get him.”
Rankine has kicked a career-high 27 goals from 16 matches in 2022 and has taken his game to another level in his third AFL season.