By Marc McGowan
Money talksCredit: The Age
Enraged rival recruiters are railing against North Melbourne’s wish to gain pre-draft access to outstanding prospect Ryley Sanders, with some clubs putting together submissions to try to prevent the move.
Anger in recruiting circles has only increased since Money Talks revealed on July 12 that the Kangaroos were exploring options to gain access to potential top-10 draftee Sanders, who won the Larke Medal as the best player at last month’s AFL under-18 championships.
Ryley Sanders, one of this year’s brightest draft prospects, is in North Melbourne’s sights.Credit: AFL Photos
Melbourne-based Tasmanian midfielder Sanders received his certificate of Aboriginality in the past couple of months, joining his father Adam with that status, after a lengthy process. He is attending Melbourne Grammar on a First Nations bursary scholarship.
Is Ben McKay Essendon-bound?Credit: AFL Photos
Recruiters are not challenging the authenticity of Sanders’ heritage, but would prefer to see North Melbourne work themselves out of trouble.
Melbourne’s strategy of trading second-round picks for mature footballers who could support their first-round draftees – including Ed Langdon, Ben Brown, Brodie Grundy, Jake Melksham, Michael Hibberd, Sam Frost and Bernie Vince – is viewed as a blueprint from the bottom of the ladder that the Roos should follow.
North applied to the AFL to include Sanders in their NGA program and that request is pending, even though he is certain to be taken inside the first 40 picks, which would mean they could not match an opposition bid on him.
However, they have spoken informally with the league about the possibility of the teenager being part of a special assistance package designed to resurrect their fortunes under coach Alastair Clarkson. No decision will be made until, first, the Kangaroos officially apply for help, then, second, the AFL Commission meeting in grand final week.
But industry sources, who did not want to be named in order to be able to speak freely, told Money Talks that North’s push to gain access to Sanders is by no means a done deal.
Clubs are also on guard about restricted free-agent defender Ben McKay’s expected departure from North, potentially to Essendon, hoping the AFL will not beef up the compensation to further dilute the top of the draft.
The Roos are on a 17-match losing streak amid a horror stretch where they have won nine of their past 78 games, dating back to round three, 2020.
Among the issues recruiters have with North Melbourne’s hope to gain access to Sanders is that he and fellow Tasmanians, and AFL Academy members, Colby McKercher and Jack Callinan trained with Collingwood – not the Kangaroos – in the pre-season.
Tasmanian prospects, including Sanders, trained with North in previous years.
Another quirk is the Roos are the sole club – the Brisbane Lions, Gold Coast, Sydney and Greater Western Sydney have a separate academy system – without any NGA-approved prospects on the list the AFL sent to clubs in late July, which The Age has seen, whereas most others have double-digit numbers of players.
North’s first and second-round picks on 2023 list
Jack Mahony, Jaidyn Stephenson, Harry Sheezel, Aidan Corr, George Wardlaw, Jack Ziebell, Luke Davies-Uniacke, Ben Cunnington, Luke McDonald, Jy Simpkin, Darcy Tucker, Liam Shiels, Dan Howe, Aiden Bonar, Griffin Logue, Callum Coleman-Jones, Ben McKay, Tom Powell, Paul Curtis, Tarryn Thomas, Miller Bergman, Will Phillips, Charlie Comben, Josh Goater, Brayden George, Charlie Lazzaro, Phoenix Spicer, Flynn Perez.
Talent scouts who spoke to this masthead on the condition of anonymity because they were discussing an opposition club also pointed out the Roos had a league-high 28 players who were first or second-round draftees.
North received special assistance from the AFL last year in the form of future second- and third-round picks, which they had to trade. They used those selections to bring in Fremantle pair Griffin Logue and Darcy Tucker, and were also allowed to have two extra rookie-list spots.
Opinions differ in recruiting ranks on whether the Kangaroos should receive more help.
Some are comfortable with them benefiting from further assistance, as long as it does not include Sanders, while others would prefer they were given increased soft-cap spending specifically to hire more development coaches.
There is plenty of excitement about the top-end talent in this year’s draft, but recruiters consider the depth to be shallow and believe prospects begin to even out from about the mid-teens.
Making matters worse is that Gold Coast have the rights to three potential top-10 draftees (Jed Walter, Ethan Read and Jake Rogers) as part of their academy, plus another likely second-round pick (Will Graham), while Western Bulldogs father-son prospect Jordan Croft is a probable first-round selection.
That is partly why there is such outcry about the possibility of Sanders, too, being removed from the pool.
There is also a belief North Melbourne does not need another young midfielder, given they already have Jy Simpkin, Luke Davies-Uniacke, Tarryn Thomas, Will Phillips, Tom Powell, George Wardlaw and Harry Sheezel.
Contracting quirk
The potential for out-of-favour Melbourne ruckman and ex-Magpie Brodie Grundy to request a trade to a third club at season’s end could present a never-before-seen scenario.
Grundy accepted a small pay cut on the remaining five years of his contract when he joined the Demons, while Collingwood also agreed to pay an undisclosed portion annually of his wage.
After being a fixture in Melbourne’s senior side for most of the season, the 29-year-old has spent three games in the VFL trying to prove to coach Simon Goodwin he can help as a forward while not rucking.
Grundy’s demotion has sparked speculation he will try to find a club where he will be the No. 1 big man, especially given Max Gawn has thrived in his absence and the forward line is functioning better. The Demons have rejected that noise publicly.
There is no rule, according to list-management sources, precluding three clubs from paying one player’s contract, meaning the AFL would have to formulate a position.
It is unclear whether the Pies’ agreement with Melbourne to pay some of Grundy’s contract was only if he remained a Demon, which could also be a factor in this developing situation.
On the move? West Coast’s Liam Ryan.Credit: AFL Photos
Will Ryan be flyin’?
Rival clubs are already sussing out which West Coast players could be gettable as the Eagles struggle through the most difficult patch of the club’s existence.
Sydney are targeting West Coast vice captain and key defender Tom Barrass despite him being contracted until 2027, although coach Adam Simpson described him as a wanted player last week, given the club’s age demographics.
The other name to pop up last week was All-Australian forward Liam Ryan, with Hawthorn an interested observer.
However, no club has contacted Ryan’s management, let alone the Eagles being willing to trade the 26-year-old. At the same time, you should never rule out any possibility in the AFL’s player-movement circus.
Melbourne’s Adam Tomlinson was subbed out against Richmond.Credit: AFL Photos
The Demon wildcard
Melbourne’s Adam Tomlinson could emerge as a wildcard in this year’s trade period once fellow key defenders Tom Barrass, Esava Ratugolea and Ben McKay make calls on their future.
West Coast’s Barrass (Sydney), Geelong’s Ratugolea (Port Adelaide) and North Melbourne’s McKay (Essendon) all have strong rival interest and are considered the most likely tall defenders to switch clubs.
Another club that could seek key defensive depth is Carlton, depending on what happens with out-of-contract pair Mitch McGovern and Caleb Marchbank.
Tomlinson, who turns 30 next week, was subbed out of the Demons’ win over Richmond on Sunday, but has at least been in the senior side the past fortnight after limited opportunities the last two seasons, following his recovery from an ACL rupture.
He has played well when given a chance but is competing for spots with Steven May, Jake Lever and swingmen Harry Petty and Joel Smith, while Daniel Turner is another key defender on Melbourne’s list.
Ex-Giant Tomlinson, who is contracted for next season, wants to play regular AFL football, but is also settled in Melbourne and got married late last year.
Flipping the narrative
You will get a different answer about Gippsland Power forward-ruck Archer Reid’s AFL prospects depending on which recruiter you speak to.
Some would not draft Reid at all – citing his perceived lack of competitiveness as a concern – and others think he is a rookie-lister, but there are also talent scouts who love what the 17-year-old brings, especially in a 203-centimetre package.
The brother of Essendon’s 2020 top-10 draftee Zach showed another glimpse at what he had to offer in the Coates Talent League on Saturday, kicking four goals and collecting 19 disposals, seven marks and six hitouts in a 34-point win over Northern Knights.
It would not be a surprise if a club with a top-20 pick plucks Reid in November, especially if he maintains this form.
Keep up to date with the best AFL coverage in the country. Sign up for the Real Footy newsletter.