In the wake of Lance Franklin’s proposed move to the Sydney Swans, the question remains: are AFL clubs other than the Swans accepting and welcoming the ‘US model’ of player administration, as flagged by Eddie McGuire on AFL360?
And if they are, is Nick Riewoldt destined to be a Giant by the end of trade week?
St Kilda have dismissed any such question after reports surfaced that other clubs have already shown interest, yet head of football Chris Pelchen and Riewoldt have said that any player would be on the table if an “exceptional offer” arose.
The Giants have surely spent the season planning for life with Lance Franklin from 2014 onwards. Nick Riewoldt provides the obvious choice in terms of a senior CHF to continue those plans with minimal tweaking.
Riewoldt also provides GWS with a marketable face going forward, arguably the biggest loss for the club when it missed out on Lance Franklin.
St Kilda recently won Virgin Australia’s short film festival open to all AFL clubs, the goal of which was to create a short viral movie on the subject of going the extra mile. That feat would not have been achieved if not for Riewoldt’s starring role in the short garnering extra Facebook likes/views/shares.
St Kilda itself may not a happy club – SEN’s Mark Fine reports the club is in “disarray”, with a breakdown in communication lines between the coach and other parts of the football department “beyond repair”.
The Saint’s are also believed to be shopping around experienced stars such as Nick Dal Santo, leading to recent media reports that Nick Riewoldt is not pleased with current goings on at Seaford.
Riewoldt is under contract, so any approach will have to come during trade week.
With two highly touted key forwards already on their list and a #1 draft pick which many believe will be potential superstar Tom Boyd, GWS are in a commanding position to field that “exceptional offer” St Kilda will be open to.
Then it comes down to whether Nick Riewoldt himself would accept the offer – he’s a follower of US sports who’s shown a deep understanding of that ‘best for the club and the individual’ model during all trade-related interviews.
Riewoldt is a good fit for GWS if it maintains the plans it had with Buddy in orange.
In return, St Kilda pick up handy compensation and clear enough salary cap space/experience to hold onto the Leigh Montagnas and Nick Dal Santos, who will in turn be able to shape and mentor the young end of St Kilda’s list into the future.
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