Could Geelong be on the verge of pulling off another stunning trade heist?
Another anti-ageing jab, if you like, to keep defying the AFL’s version of getting old – the equalisation process.
The premiership-favourite Cats have been linked to two players going into this year’s trade period – GWS midfielder Jacob Hopper and Collingwood ruckman Brodie Grundy.
But what if Geelong list manager Andrew Mackie is like that little girl on the Old El Paso taco commercial?
“Why don’t we have both?”
Hopper has a year to run on a contract at GWS, who are determined to clear cap space as part of a reset under new coach Adam Kingsley.
The Giants are more eager to keep the out-of-contract Tim Taranto and have had two and four-year offers on the table for him for some time.
Hopper wouldn’t take much convincing to don the hoops. Would he sign for $600,000 a year? The Cats part with their first-round pick to make it happen.
Grundy has met and had talks with rival clubs, with Collingwood wanting to get the bulk of the $5 million they owe the ruckman over the next five years off their books.
While Rhys Stanley has had his moments this year, the ruck position has long been the itch Geelong can’t scratch.
Grundy certainly solves that.
There’s a widely-held acceptance that Collingwood pays a portion of his salary to play elsewhere in 2023 and beyond. Those close to dealings maintain the Pies won’t be holding out for a king’s ransom at the trade table either.
Let’s say Grundy joins the Cats for $700,000 a season. They could even back-end that deal - with Grundy’s blessing - to coincide with the retirements of Joel Selwood, Luke Dahlhaus, Shaun Higgins, Tom Hawkins and Isaac Smith in the coming years.
Sources insist Geelong is invested in trading for both Hopper and Grundy in a year they could also win the premiership.
It would be another stunning piece of list management for a club that has missed finals only once in the past 16 seasons (2015) and made 11 preliminary finals in that time.