What should Essendon pay Mason Redman to keep him from the clutches of Adelaide?
The defender, who is out of contract with the Bombers this year, is reportedly being monitored by the Crows while producing a strong start to the 2023 season.
Redman, 25, is a South Australian native so there could be a pull to return to his home state, but not if the Dons can convince him to remain at Tullamarine by making him one of their best paid players.
Former Bomber Tim Watson believes Redman’s rise in recent years suggests he is deserving of a significant pay bump in 2024 and beyond.
“When somebody does put off their negotiations and they’re coming up to free agency, you start to get a little bit worried when they’re one of your favourite players,” Watson said on SEN Breakfast.
“He’s a South Australian so the speculation is the Adelaide Crows might get their claws into him. Mitch Cleary had it that he’s not talking about the contract, which is always a bad sign.
“He’s super consistent, super competitive, he’s got leadership written all over him and he’s a leader already. He just ticks all the boxes of somebody you want to keep when you’re building.”
How much would Watson be prepared to pay to keep Redman?
“My opinion is he’s in the top three players at Essendon so he should be paid as a top-three player at Essendon,” he added.
“Stop between $750,000 and $800,000.
“You always do (sacrifice a bit more to stay). There’s no suggestion he’s not buying into what they’re doing there at the moment, every suggestion is that he is (buying in).
“But there’s always that pull of going home. The other thing is, say you get to go back home to South Australia and that’s what you want to do, you also can join the Adelaide Crows when they look like they are on the rise as well. That’s exciting too.”
Watson said further: “For me right now, the three most valuable players at Essendon are Sam Draper, Zach Merrett and Mason Redman.”
AFL Media’s Cal Twomey speculated what Redman might be worth, indicating that a proposed price point of around $775,000 appears justified.
“I think he’d be right around that point,” he said.
“50-odd players were paid $800,000 or more last year under the figures that were released by the AFL. He is a top-50 player in the competition at the moment.
“I think that’s fair. It’s a free agency year and he’ll be looking for a longer deal.
“Obviously Adelaide would be looking and seeing what he’s going to do. He does come from Millicent (400km south of Adelaide) though, so it’s not exactly like he’ll be coming back home.”
However, he is not as effusive as Watson in where he rates Redman in order of importance at the Bombers.
Twomey would be clambering to prioritise midfielder Darcy Parish who also comes out of contract this year.
“I’m a little bit different (to what Watson is saying), I think Darcy Parish’s value would be higher,” Twomey added.
“I think he’s a more important player to what they’re doing, particularly his partnership with Zach Merrett and how crucial that is to what Essendon wants to do in the future.”
Despite what his playing future holds, Redman and his Essendon teammates will be out to improve their 4-1 record when they meet Collingwood in a massive Anzac Day clash at the MCG on Tuesday.