Dwayne Russell has questioned Taylor Adams’ decision to explore his options for 2024 while Collingwood prepared for a Grand Final.
Swans list manager Kinnear Beatson told SEN's Sportsday that Adams’ manager reached out to Sydney in the lead-up to the Grand Final, which the player missed after he failed a fitness test for his injured hamstring.
Adams joined Sydney on Wednesday in exchange for pick 33 in this year’s draft, a deal Russell believes could have waited to be negotiated after the Pies’ premiership glory.
“I know we’re all trying to be progressive and new age, but I don’t really like the story of Taylor Adams speaking to his manager about leaving Collingwood and heading to other clubs,” Russell said on SEN’s Dwayne’s World.
“It’s been floated around in the last week or so, it was even floated during Grand Final week that he might not have been happy about doing the fitness test on the Wednesday.”
Russell thought that Adams, 30, should have had his main focus on Grand Final week, regardless of his injury.
“I still think if you’re in Grand Final week, whether you’re playing or not, you’re part of a team,” he said.
“You’re all trying to row in the one direction for a steady ship.
“I don’t like the chance that a story of you being grumpy or maybe speaking to your manager about looking to jump elsewhere can break (just) days before the Grand Final.
“I reckon wait a few days, call your manager Grand Final night if you (really) need to.”
The Swans have bolstered their midfield this trade period, with ruckman Brodie Grundy and young midfielder James Jordon both joining from Melbourne, while defender Joel Hamling also moved to Sydney from Fremantle.