Richmond’s GM of Football Talent Blair Hartley has lifted the lid on the “really mature conversations” which took place around Ivan Soldo during the trade period.
Soldo underwent a medical at GWS, having being linked with a move up north as part of the trade to bring Jacob Hopper to Punt Road.
But despite speculation, the contracted Soldo ultimately stayed at Richmond and wasn’t part of the deal.
Hartley was delighted that Soldo is staying put, confirming that as the trade period unfolded, the odds of the Tigers big man leaving grew.
“These sort of deals transpire and we look at all avenues to try and get deals done,” Hartley told AFL Trade Radio’s Trade Exchange.
“Ivan found himself out of the team towards the back end of last year and he turned down a really strong offer from the Western Bulldogs at the end of last season coming off an ACL.
“We just had a really mature conversation with his management (saying) that if Ivan wanted to explore his options, we wouldn’t stand in his way despite having two years to run.
“The longer it went on, we wanted to keep him at Richmond and GWS were in a position to realign their cap and that means he stays at Richmond.
“He is very much a key contributor to us, both on and off the field. We’re delighted he’s staying with and looking forward to what he contributes next season.”
Soldo remains contracted to Richmond until the end of the 2024 season.