Jack Bowes will depart Gold Coast in this year’s trade period as his salary reaches a bursting point.
Bowes is owed around $850,000 next year after having his salary pushed back multiple times in recent seasons.
Bowes is contracted until 2024, but will be among the departures at the Suns as part of a pay re-structure aimed at retaining its young core and making room for a star rival.
Geelong is very interested and the favourite to land Bowes, but Gold Coast has a queue for the former No.10 draft pick.
The Cats have been in discussions with the Suns over a trade for the 24-year-old, which could see the premier end up with pick 7 in the deal.
Geelong wants to improve its draft hand – its first three selections are currently 18, 36 and 46 – and Gold Coast wants to ease its salary cap squeeze and will do it by attaching draft picks.
While the specifics of any trade will be thrashed out this week, Bowes would either have to forfeit money or the Cats offer him a longer-term deal to spread out what he is owed.
But either way, the Suns would get his lucrative contract off the books.
The Cats see significant upside in Bowes, who has played 83 games in six seasons on the Gold Coast, primarily as a defender, but only five this year following significant pre-season shoulder surgery.
Geelong is also set to secure Tanner Bruhn from GWS and could bring in Ollie Henry from Collingwood, meaning Chris Scott’s side could welcome three first-round draft picks within the last six years after being priced out in the hunt for Brodie Grundy and Jacob Hopper.
The Cats will lose Shaun Higgins and most likely Luke Dahlhaus to retirement, while captain Joel Selwood could also step away after a fairytale fourth flag.
Geelong’s ruthless power on the field could yet be matched by a ruthless genius at the trade table.
They get the high-end talent they didn’t previously have access to, while gaining a pointy first-round pick.