NO DEAL! KELLY TO STAY A CAT

Package deal was too much for Eagles

WHEN Tim Kelly requested a trade to West Coast the day after finishing second in the Carji Greeves Medal — his last official duty with the club that took a punt on him with pick 24 in last year’s draft — it always seemed unlikely that he would get his wish.

The two clubs were so far apart on what an acceptable offer was that it is a credit to both that they were even holding discussions late into the evening yesterday.

Ultimately, though, the Eagles, as enticing a destination as they might have been for the 24-year-old, simply could not come up with a deal that was suitable enough to placate the Cats.

As many as five different options were put to Geelong by West Coast throughout the trade period involving a combination of picks 20, 22 and an exchange of future picks, but the value it placed on Kelly was substantially different to the Cats.

Despite the Eagles being prepared to offer the contracted gun a long-term deal with a sizeable remuneration package, they felt the asking price to secure him via a trade — in the end, picks 20, 22 and a future first-round pick — was far too expensive.

A person close to the negotiations said that if West Coast had given the Cats what they had asked for it would have first-round selections drafted by the Cats in the past 10 years that remain on the list.

Mitch Brown (pick 15, 2008), Billie Smedts (pick 15, 2010) and Darcy Lang (pick 16, 2013) all had injury-hit but ultimately short stays at the club for limited success. been one of the biggest deals of all time for a player who had only been in the industry for one year.

But Geelong should be commended for how it has handled this situation.

Kelly averaged 22.9 disposals and a goal per game in 2018, as well as 3.5 tackles, 4.2 clearances and four inside-50s.

Compare that to Dylan Shiel — who Essendon gave GWS two first-round picks for — a player who averaged 25.9 disposals, 3.4 tackles, 4.5 clearances, 4.7 inside-50s and 0.6 goals per game.

Stephen Wells and the list management team know what Kelly’s true value is and it set the price accordingly early in the trade period for him.

When an appropriate offer was not forthcoming, it held its ground.

The Cats had known for some time that a request from the Kelly camp to return home to Western Australia was likely to be made, but it is not as though they did not try to accommodate him.

Fremantle, which was one of the most active clubs on an eventful final day, had put an offer to Geelong that it was willing to accept, but his refusal to play there forced his clubs’ hand.

The Dockers remained in dialogue with the Cats as late as yesterday afternoon and were keen to get something done, but Kelly was insistent it was the Eagles or Geelong.

It shows that clubs, despite what many think, still hold some power when it comes to the trade period and by keeping Kelly, Geelong has set a precedent others may just look to follow in the years ahead.

Menzel still remains unsigned for next year after going unloved through the trade and free agency period, while Cockatoo’s best is hardly seen because of a body that continues to fail him.

Thurlow played a total of 17 games during the past two sea-