Stakes raised on Kelly trade
GEELONG will seek two firstround draft picks as a starting point in its end-of-season trade talks on star midfielder Tim Kelly.
The Cats remain hopeful Kelly will stay at the club for next season, but will discuss a potential deal with West Coast and Fremantle to send the gun ballwinner home to Western Australia for family reasons.
Unless a player such as West Coast tall Jarrod Brander or Fremantle ruckman Sean Darcy becomes available in trade talks, the Cats will look to land two top-20 choices in return for the 25-year-old.
Geelong officials will have comparable deals for Dylan Shiel (Essendon) and Lachie Neale (Brisbane) from last year’s trade period to use as a benchmark.
While Kelly’s preference is still believed to be West Coast, Fremantle has a stronger hand to negotiate with the Cats as the Dockers currently hold pick No. 6 in the draft.
Kelly’s partner, Caitlin Miller, “liked” a social media post announcing Ross Lyon’s sacking from the Dockers on Tuesday.
Former Hawthorn and Port Adelaide premiership list manager and St Kilda Chris Pelchen said Kelly was worth two first-round selections based on his 2018-19 form.
“We don’t know if he (Kelly) will win the best-andfairest this year, but he’s clearly performing like a top-three or top-four player at the club,” Pelchen told News Corp. “So, I would think he is worth two first-round draft picks. But the only qualification for that is the areas of the first round those picks fall in.
“I think two top-10 picks is too much. But I think one pick inside the top-10 and then a second pick between No. 11No. 20 would be an equitable position.”
Geelong has also had preliminary talks with St Kilda chiefs about a deal for blistering onballer Jack Steven.
Steven, who is contracted for one more year, could net the Saints a second-round pick if the four-time best-andfairest winner pursues a move to Geelong. Steven, 29, has a missed a big chunk of the 2019 season with mental health issues but fired in the win over Fremantle in his comeback game, kicking three goals in a new forward role.
Geelong held firm on its request to land a top-10 pick for Kelly last year and his value has only increased on the back of a phenomenal second season.
Essendon handed over pick No. 9 in last year’s draft and a future first-round selection (currently No. 12) for Shiel, but received a second-round pick back.
Likewise, Brisbane passed on picks No. 9. 16 and 55 in return for Neale and No. 30 from the Dockers.
Kelly has produced similar numbers to Shiel and Neale in his second AFL season and is only seven votes behind Western Bulldogs’ Marcus Bontempelli in the AFL Players Association award.
West Coast will have to get creative, however, to jump ahead of Fremantle in the Kelly queue. The Eagles’ first pick in this year’s draft will come at the back end of the first round (currently No. 16).