GWS list manager Jason McCartney has provided an update on the four players seemingly set to depart the club.
Jacob Hopper and Tim Taranto have requested trades to Richmond, Bobby Hill to Collingwood and Tanner Bruhn appears set to head to Geelong.
McCartney also added he and the Giants strongly feel the standard AFL draftee contract should be longer than two years, to help clubs retain players and delay the huge salary increases that occur in that third season.
Taranto and Hopper
“It’s an interesting one to have two players of quality request to go to the same club,” McCartney told AFL Trade Radio.
“Tim’s a bit different to Jacob because Jacob is in contract. Richmond bowed out that first week of finals and they’ve identified a need in their midfield and obviously there’s two quality players there.
“Chatting with Blair Hartley and the Richmond guys and they understand the quality of these players and they understand it’s going to take a little bit of work with one still in contract. We’ll keep working through that.”
Tanner Bruhn
“Obviously it’s disappointing. Tanner is a wonderful young man and invested really heavily in our football club. He’s played 30 games in two years and there’s probably not many from that compromised COVID draft that have played that many games.”
“It is disappointing. It’s a reality. It looks like it is leaning that way with Geelong and we’ll sit down with Andrew Mackie and thrash out what we can get done there.
“Two years, that is really disappointing. No doubt there has been conversations had for a while and the AFLPA is involved, but our conversations with the AFLPA are around that fact.
“Those first-year draftees, the two-year standard contract needs to be longer, that’s for sure.
“What we’re getting also is there’s an explosion in player salaries third year when they become open market. You look at ourselves and Gold Coast … what happens is you do have to pay a premium in that third year to retain the player.
“That’s fine when the player is performing and you’re paying for production, but players develop at different rates.
“The challenge is you’re in a position where you’re having to pay top dollar just to retain the players. Ultimately that puts pressure on your salary cap as well.”
Bobby Hill
“Most importantly, he’s in a really good space. His health and wellbeing is the priority and it has been a challenging year for him.”
“I’ve been talking to Graham Wright for a week and a half, that’s something we’ll be able to facilitate and that will be something that would be done pretty early in the trade period and he will make his way to Collingwood.”