Free agency officially closes for 2016 at 5pm (AEDT) tonight, and that means there could be some AFL trade rumours action on what would otherwise be a lazy Sunday.
There are three players to keep an eye on today. Ricky Henderson of Adelaide is one of them – the Crows gave him license to explore free agency, but he hasn’t really been linked to any particular clubs.
Henderson has definitely showed some good signs on occasion as a Crow but he’s 28, often injured, and wasn’t in the Crows’ best side this year. It’s something of a high-risk, low-reward proposition so you can see why there haven’t been any takers just yet.
Mitch Brown – of the West Coast variety – is said to almost certainly be on the move to a Victorian club, but if that’s going to happen, then the time is running out.
St Kilda was keen on him some time ago and are looking for a key defender so they might surprise us with a wild punt, and both Collingwood and the Western Bulldogs are looking light for key defender options next year.
The other name to watch is Zac Clarke. He seemed likely to leave for a while this year as he was unable to crack into Fremantle’s side permanently, but the word now is that he’ll probably re-sign.
The other option is for him to take up a deal to join West Coast – that would probably see him be best 22 next year but his spot would be in doubt again as soon as Nic Naitanui returns.
Will we see any of these three sign deals to move to a new club today? At the moment it seems a bit unlikely – Clarke will probably choose to stay and there don’t seem to be any clubs gunning for Henderson or Brown.
If the deadline comes and goes and these players still want to move clubs, they’ll have to look at either a trade, or a move into the draft pool – perhaps some clubs would see Henderson or Brown as a more viable option on the rookie list.
Two pieces of news cropped up on Saturday, both involving Western Australian clubs.
The West Coast Eagles confirmed that Will Minson is one of a number of players they’ve talked to in the quest to find some short-term ruck depth – not clear at the moment whether or not they’ll make him an offer, but it certainly seems a chance.
And Joel Hamling has finally made his decision – he wants a trade to the Fremantle Dockers, despite being part of a premiership team with the Western Bulldogs just weeks ago.
That’s sure to be a disappointment to Dogs fans, especially coupled with the recent news that Marcus Adams is interested in a trade as well.
However, Hamling’s recruitment could be a massive boost for Fremantle if the 23-year-old is able to replicate the excellent form that he showed in finals across the rest of his career.
Rod
Guest
That's what I tried to write this morning before going out. Was the outcry the same when Dane Beams went to Brisbane? I'd prefer to hear he was going home because he wanted to be closer to his Dad, rather than another player swapping clubs to chase a premiership. He helped the Dogs to their first one in a squillion years....what more do people want from the bloke?
Ryan Buckland
Expert
The Saints got a Brown...just not the one they've been chasing for the past few years.
13th Man
Guest
I think from next year the best 3 players in the AFL will be Dangerfield, Fyfe and Bontempelli. Danger is ageing so in a few years time it really will be the Fyfe v Bont show
Don Freo
Guest
Hodge IS very old. None of the Bont's doing.
Josh
Expert
So deadline has come and gone. Mitch Brown and Ricky Henderson still in limbo.
I hate pies
Guest
He's going home because his old man is crook.
Onside
Guest
David Williamson should write a sequel to The Club.
Tim Holt
Roar Guru
Could be like 'Lally' Bamblett#2
Slane
Guest
Very nice reply. Put me straight back into my box!
mattyb
Guest
Some rumours from inside Carlton are Hrovat and pick 40 to Carlton,Touhy to Geelong and Motlop of all people to the Dogs . Not sure I'm keen on Motlop at all but apparently Geelong need salary space.
mattyb
Guest
I've seen a lot of both Fyfe and Bontempelli as my family follow the Dockers. Fyfe is by far the better player but then again Fyfe in my eyes is clearly the best player going around. Bontempelli is still very young and if I was going to compare him to anyone it would be Fyfe. The main point of difference at this early stage is Fyfe is far better in the air while Bontempelli is slightly more creative. I don't think we have seen the best of Fyfe yet either so they are two players worth tracking to see how good both can get.
Balthazar
Guest
I don't dispute any of that at all. I just don't think we've seen the best of Fyfe yet either, given the disruptions to his career caused by injury. Of course, my theory is heavily dependent on him staying injury-free for a while.
Aransan
Guest
Bontempelli was very young for his draft, he is a good size and has just completed his third season. Such players don't mature fully until at least their fifth year, Bontempelli still has huge upside which is somewhat frightening given what he has already achieved. Tom Boyd also has significant upside.
Balthazar
Guest
See I think the Bont's finals campaign has been pumped up a little by the Vic-based media. He was good but not (IMO) in the dogs' best in the GF and he was very good but didn't have a finals campaign the like of Picken's, possibly Roughead's or M Boyd. I simply expect Fyfe to be best on ground for Freo in every final, although hopefully he might get a bit of competition going forward from Bennell. Play in Victoria and you grow 10% taller in the media's eyes ... Hodge is very old. Time waits for no man etc
Tim Holt
Roar Guru
I think Bont' destroyed us in the recent final in the process making Hodge look very old No doubt Fyfe is everything you say, highlighted by his exceptional prelim final performance on one leg last year but I think Bont' is every bit as good.
Balthazar
Guest
Who knows? I assume he is because you need to be pretty committed to be an AFL player. But he's clearly not shallow, having made a solid decision for his future. Perhaps he is a fan of Nassim Nicholas Taleb and is well versed in the differences between causation and correlation?
Balthazar
Guest
I don't agree. Although I haven't watched Bontempelli quite as closely (obviously), he is a player that impacts games at critical times to swing the game in his team's favour. He has great vision, is incredibly clean with his disposal (particularly below his knees), has pretty good disposal and he is powerful. They are fantastic attributes and he will be one of the great players of his generation. I acknowledge he is younger, too but then Nat was matchstick when he was drafted and has taken time to build his physique. But I am yet to see him dominate a game from start to finish the way Fyfe did in the first half of 2015, before Knees got hold of him. In fact, the only player who can do that ATM is Dangerfield and he can't hit the side of a bus by foot. Fyfe is actually an accurate kick over distance and for goal (the latter he's worked on furiously since the 2013 GF). Fyfe is young but has had significant time away from the game due to shoulder and leg injuries. He also had the disc problem at the beginning of 2016 which would probably have hampered him all year. In his own words, with a year off, his body now feels better than it has at any other stage in his career. And he's also said he's not happy someone else won the Brownlow.... He is a very driven man - another difference between him and the more laconic Bont.
Sojourn
Guest
It's the new inner man.
Tim Holt
Roar Guru
All your points are spot on aside for 'playing with Fyfe' i say this for time might judge Bontempelli ever bit his equal and in fact better. Both freakishly superb players
Tim Holt
Roar Guru
If you were basing it purely on the footy prospects of the two the Dogs would win every time. With them winning the flag this year, arguably before their time due to their list still having a huge upside. As for Freo, they will improve next year and in my view are a chance for the 8 but a fair way off being a contender But, it is about home and his desire for it which is understandable on many levels. I am sure the Dogs will respect this and facilitate it