Fremantle losing heart in chase for Kelly
Freo believes star poised to re-sign with Cats
FREMANTLE is losing hope of securing Geelong midfielder Tim Kelly, believing he will sign a contract extension with the Cats this year.
Kelly was again supreme in Geelong’s dramatic last-term comeback against Melbourne on Saturday night with 10 disposals, two inside-50s, a score assist, a classy snapped goal and 53 ranking points.
The Dockers and West Coast would be keen to secure his services if he decided to move home.
But Fremantle’s information is that he continues to tell Geelong he wants to remain in Victoria — and the Dockers expect him to do so.
Dockers captain Nathan Fyfe said recently he would love to play alongside Kelly but not at the expense of young talent such as Victorian ruckman Sean Darcy.
Fremantle list manager Brad Lloyd is the brother of Geelong football manager Simon Lloyd, who has made clear the club expects to retain Kelly.
Cats coach Chris Scott earlier this month was confident the midfield revelation would commit long-term despite the strong pull of home in Western Australia.
If Kelly stays, the Cats will devise a plan to help mitigate as many of the homesickness factors as possible.
Kelly’s partner, Caitlin Miller, recently said on social media that living in Geelong was “boring . . . because I have no family or friends here”.
The couple have three young children, including twins born weeks after Kelly was drafted.
The Dockers missed out on another key target this week when Jeremy McGovern signed on for five seasons at the Eagles.
FREMANTLE is losing hope of securing Geelong midfielder Tim Kelly, believing he will sign a contract extension with the Cats this year.
The Dockers’ suspicions are in line with recent Geelong Advertiser reports suggesting Kelly could resign before the end of the season, despite some family homesickness.
The Dockers and West Coast would both be keen to secure his services if he decided to move home.
But Fremantle’s information is that he continues to tell Geelong he wants to remain in Victoria.