GWS is demanding Richmond cough up two first-round draft picks for Tim Taranto as the Giants dig in on their departing stars.
The Giants are attempting to ease the squeeze on their salary cap as they reset under new coach Adam Kingsley, but SEN has learned this will be far from a fire sale.
The out of contract Taranto, 24, has agreed to join the Tigers on a seven-year deal – a lucrative contract the Giants believe warrants lucrative compensation.
Jacob Hopper is contracted for next year at GWS, but met with the Tigers on Monday and has also had talks with Geelong as he looks to move to a Victorian club.
The Giants insist they will ask for a top-10 pick at a minimum for Hopper, who has twice finished in the top three of the best and fairest and was in last year’s All-Australian squad of 40.
Bobby Hill is poised to join Collingwood in a trade GWS expects to net them a second-round pick, while Tanner Bruhn – pick 12 in the 2020 draft and with 30 games under his belt – is considering a future at Hawthorn or North Melbourne, with the Cats also monitoring.
But it’s the Taranto and Hopper trades that loom as the most contentious.
Taranto is Richmond’s priority as they look to plan for life after Trent Cotchin and greater support for Dion Prestia and Jack Graham.
The Tigers are armed with picks 12, 19 and 30 in this year’s national draft.
Hopper’s move south is potentially complicated by the fact there is no love lost between the Giants and Cats at the trade table in the wake of the at-times heated dealings over Jeremy Cameron in 2020.
The Cats have also had an interest in Collingwood ruckman Brodie Grundy and as things stand, have picks 18, 36 and 46 among their 2022 draft hand.