Birchall a good fit for Brisbane
FOUR- TIME premiership player Jordan Lewis says his former Hawthorn teammate Grant Birchall could be headed to Brisbane Lions next year.
The lack of a contract offer from the Hawks so far and Birchall’s close relationship with Lions coach Chris Fagan has opened up the chances of a move north.
The retirement of Luke Hodge after the semi-final loss to the Giants has left room for Brisbane to chase a playing mentor, which the 31-year-old could fill.
“Yeah, I think so,” Lewis said on RSN 927 today when asked if Birchall could find a new home at the Lions.
“What’s going on at the moment is there is no official contract (offer) from Hawthorn, so he will get to the stage where he thinks he can still play and certainly when he came back this year, he showed he can still play.
“He and ‘Fages’ (Fagan) are really good friends so if there is not an offer from Hawthorn, there will certainly be one from Brisbane.”
Birchall was one of a host of Hawks premiership players on hand at the Gabba recently to watch Hodge’s last game.
Birchall, who played in the 2008, ’13, ’14 and ’15 flags with the Hawks, is desperate to play on after a frustrating run with injuries in recent seasons.
He has managed only eight games in the past two seasons, including three at the back end of this year.
But he remains confident he can get his body right and he would be a great fit for the Lions, not only in a football sense but from a culture perspective.
Meanwhile, Adelaide’s Brad Crouch is closing on a move to Gold Coast, opening the prospect of a return home for young Suns Izak Rankine or Jack Lukosius.
It was revealed on Friday that Adelaide would lose Crouch, 25, if it offered “unders” for the midfielder who wants a five-year deal.
However, if Adelaide moves Crouch — a restricted free agent next year — on now it can free up salary cap space and or gain compensation from Gold Coast or another interested party.
Spearhead Lukosius is out of contract next year — leaving the Suns vulnerable to raids from Adelaide or Port Adelaide to bring him home.
Crouch and big-bodied midfielder Hugh Greenwood continue to be hotly pursued by Gold Coast. Greenwood wants a four-year deal, which Adelaide is unlikely to offer.