NO MENZ LAND
Contract impasse to linger but mind on job, Cats say
GEELONG coach Chris Scott has signalled the club’s desire to keep Daniel Menzel amid fears he could be lured back to his home state as his contract standoff lingers.
Scott is “extremely confident” Menzel’s focus is on finals football — and not where he will be playing beyond this season.
Menzel is far from a certainty to be at Geelong next year, with talks between the Cats and the forward’s management on hold until season’s end. The Cats say they offered Menzel a two-year deal at the end of last year before he opted to back himself in by accepting only one year.
Geelong is yet to learn formally if other clubs are interested in Menzel’s services next year, but the goalsneak has previously said he’d “be lying” if the thought of returning to South Australia didn’t enter his mind. As an unrestricted free agent, Menzel is free to move at season’s end to any club that offers him a deal he likes.
Menzel is pushing for a twoyear deal, having taken oneyear deals in recent years in line with his injury history of four knee reconstructions.
If a club came at Menzel with a lucrative two-year deal, it could be beyond what the Cats are willing or able to match.
“What you’ve got to look at is past history with Daniel,” Menzel’s manager, Adam Ramanauskas, said on RSN.
“(In the past) his one-year contracts have all been signed after the season. Would Daniel like a contract from Geelong in front of him now? Absolutely.
“He wants a longer-term contract, there’s no doubt about that.”
Scott says out-of-contract pair Steven Motlop and Menzel are focused on playing finals.
Menzel, 25, and Motlop, 26, are both free agents at the end of the season and neither has contract extensions on the table from Geelong.
Scott said the Cats wanted to keep both but had put talks on hold until the season is over.
“We had a two-year offer in front of Dan at the start of the year and, by mutual agreement, it was decided we’d wait until longer, but, yeah, we’d like to keep Dan,” Scott said.
“Steven Motlop is another one that’s been brought up. We’d like to keep Steven.
“But for Dan, and Steven in particular, I’m sure their focus is on 2017 and not 2018 and 2019.
“I’ve spoken to both of those guys and I’m extremely confident that they’re focused on the priorities right at the moment, and that’s 2017 and the opportunity to play in another finals series.”
Geelong — which doesn’t hold a first-round pick at this year’s national draft — has been linked to a number of players including Gary Ablett and Giants pair Devon Smith and Jacob Hopper.
Scott said it was “logical” to think some players might need to make way for recruits given Geelong’s draft position.
“Your contention is a logical one; I would just add it’s a lot more complicated than that and no one should take for granted that because there’s speculation that we might be interested in other players from other clubs, that that will necessarily happen,” he said.
“At this time of year there’s also huge speculation on player movement at a number of clubs — guys going out, guys coming in. It’s really important our coaching group, in particular, focus on what’s in front of us right at the moment and the opportunity for those guys.”
Darcy Lang, Tom Ruggles and veterans Tom Lonergan and Andrew Mackie are also among other Cats without a contract for 2018.