Doedee heads to the Lions' den, Gresham to declare for the Bombers
Doedee heads to the Lions’ den, Gresham to declare for the Bombers
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Adelaide defender Tom Doedee has chosen to move to the Brisbane Lions as a free agent, turning down an approach from the Lions’ grand final victors, Collingwood.
A senior club figure, who did not wish to speak publicly ahead of the AFL free agency window opening on Friday, confirmed that the three clubs – the Lions, Adelaide and Collingwood – have been informed that Doedee, who is recovering from a right knee reconstruction, will nominate the Lions as his trade destination.
Tom Doedee has nominated the Brisbane Lions as his preferred destination.Credit: Getty Images
The Lions had long pursued Doedee, who is originally from Geelong, but Collingwood made an approach later in the season about bringing in the intercept marking defender. Doedee, who ruptured the ACL in his left knee in 2019, has played 82 games for Adelaide over six years.
The Crows are also considering an approach from GWS for Elliott Himmelberg to join the Giants and play with his brother Harry.
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Meanwhile, St Kilda free agent Jade Gresham is almost certain to declare that he wants to move to Essendon when free agency opens, according to two sources familiar with the situation.
The intrigue with Gresham will be over the size of the contracts terms offered by Essendon.
Essendon has been keen to exploit a rule on free agency compensation and use salary cap space to offer Gresham a contract bigger than he would ordinarily get to draw a first-round draft pick as compensation for St Kilda. Under the creative strategy, the Saints would then trade that compensation pick to Essendon for Dylan Shiel.
The net effect of that arrangement for Essendon would be that they get Gresham and an extra first-round draft pick. St Kilda would effectively get Shiel for Gresham.
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While Gresham will end up going to Essendon as a free agent, there are doubts from both clubs about whether this broader strategy of Essendon’s to try to manufacture a first-round pick out of the deal and trade Shiel would work.
St Kilda sees it as a good deal for Essendon and doubts the value for them. They are interested in Shiel but not at that price.
The likelihood is any interest in Shiel will be separated from Gresham, Essendon will offer a lower salary for Gresham and the Saints will keep whatever later compensation pick they get. Any conversation about a Shiel trade would be secondary.
The interest is in the attempt to creatively use the AFL’s free agency and compensation rules.
Under AFL rules, a player does not have to actually be contracted on the terms stipulated in the free agency offer; the club and player can agree a contract on lower terms, but any terms put to the AFL when nominating for free agency are the terms that would remain in a club’s salary cap.
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