Sydney star Errol Gulden is set to come out of contract at the end of the 2024 season.
After a breakout 2023 campaign where he made the All-Australian team and finished fourth in the Brownlow, the 21-year-old couldn’t be better placed to negotiate a new deal.
Hailing from Sydney and coming through the Swans as an Academy product, the wingman hopes his contract talks will take care of themselves despite being in no rush to put pen to paper.
“I think if anyone said it's not something they think about, they're absolutely kidding themselves,” Gulden told SEN Sportsday.
“I definitely do think about it. You know, it is my future and it's obviously extremely important, but at the same time, I have full faith that the footy club and I are going to work things out in due course.
“We're in no rush, I think it's definitely probably something I think about more at the moment with no games on in comparison to when the season starts.
“There's always stuff going on in the background and it's probably not something I really want to talk about on the radio.
“But I love this footy club. I love the direction we're heading, the coaching staff, the group of players and obviously the facility that you mentioned.
“I'm a born and bred Sydney boy and have been at the club since I was pretty much 10 years old. I love the Swans and these things will take care of themselves in due course.”
In response to Gulden’s comments, SEN Breakfast's Kane Cornes and David King discussed what he could be worth to both Sydney and on the open market.
After the AFL confirmed that eight players earned above $1.2 million and 19 overall earned seven figures in 2023, Cornes and King discussed whether the young gun’s new deal will put him into that bracket.
Cornes: “Question without notice. There were eight players who earned above $1.2 million in 2023. What is Errol Gulden worth?”
King: “What he's worth and what he's going to get to stay at Sydney are two different discussions.
“If he was to be lured by another club, he's north of $1.2 million.”
Cornes: “He has to be. He’s a top-eight player now in the league.”
King: “But he wants to win a premiership, so you've got to allow some scope to build a list elsewhere. You can't just take all the money.
“It's like the quarterback who takes all the cash, and you can’t pay for anyone you’ve got to throw it to.
“But I think he's a million-dollar player. There's no doubt about that.”
Cornes: “Is he going to get a million at Sydney, or is he under a million?”
King: “I think what you do is you walk in, and you sort of say, ‘We know we're in the top two or three players here. Pay us accordingly’.
“He's better than (Isaac) Heeney.”
Cornes: “He's their best player I think now.”
King: “As their best player, what does that command, $1 million?”
Cornes: “Yeah, I think if there's 19 players that earned $1 million dollars that averages out to one per club.
“He's the million-dollar player at Sydney and then you build in some incentives in there that he can earn above $1.2 million if he hits some benchmarks and the cap goes up and all of that. But these are the numbers we're talking now.
“I just feel like Errol Gulden’s contract has gone under the radar. He's a born and bred (Sydneysider), we know he loves the club, everything he says you believe.
“For that reason, I think everyone thinks he's going to stay.
“But we talk about (Jamarra) Ugle-Hagan, we talk about (Tim) English, we talk about Bailey Smith.
“No one is talking about Errol Gulden being out of contract. He's the one that someone should be offering huge money to get, someone like a North Melbourne.
“I know it's unrealistic that he would leave but some of the offers that will come across his management desk will be massive.”
Gulden is set to play his 68th career game when the Swans host the Demons in Opening Round at the SCG on Thursday, March 7.
