‘HUGH CAN’T LET HIM GO’
Black urges Lions to pay price
Brisbane legend Simon Black believes the club would be silly to let money get in the way of locking down off-contract star Hugh McCluggage and risk losing a player “critical to the Lions’ future”.
McCluggage, 26, is in the final year of his contract and looms as one of the biggest names in free agency.
It is believed the midfielder could command upwards of $1m a season on his next deal, with a slew of cashed-up clubs ready to contend for the in-hisprime Victorian should the Lions baulk at that figure.
“You’ve got to draw a line at some point, but I think if they (the Lions) can offer somewhere near his value I’d be surprised if he left for say an extra $100,000,” Black said.
“It seems like he’s a real fabric of the club type of player. If he’s offered fair value then I would be surprised if he left.
“It’s really important the club secures him long-term … because he’s reaching the peak of his powers for the next halfdozen years.
“It’s critical for the Lions’ future that they retain him.”
In February, McCluggage reiterated his desire to become a Lion for life, saying: “I definitely want it to happen but it’s definitely a business so you have to make sure you do your due diligence and get the best possible result for both the club and yourself.”
With the salary cap set to soar to $17.7m next season – an increase of almost $2m – Brisbane should have the money to make a long-term deal happen.
But if the club is ready to make McCluggage a milliondollar man then Black believes he has to be put to use where he can hurt opposition the most – in the middle.
“I like him when he’s inside on-ball, I think that’s where he’s of most use and that’s where I think he’s produced the most for the Lions, so I want to see him on-ball as much as possible,” Black said.
McCluggage made a name for himself as a smooth-moving wingman in his early years at the Lions, before earning more minutes as an inside midfielder in 2022.
But last season, he split midfield duties with boom fatherson recruit Will Ashcroft, who hit the ground running.
To allow pure midfielder Ashcroft more time in the middle, McCluggage was deployed on the wing or at half-forward for much of the season.
It wasn’t until Ashcroft went down with an ACL injury in round 19 that McCluggage found himself a regular at centre bounces once again.
He averaged 23 disposals and a goal over his final 10 games and was arguably Brisbane’s best player in the grand final defeat to Collingwood.
“For me personally I’d be orchestrating as much as I could to play him big minutes as an on-baller because I think that’s his best spot,” Black said.
“It can be a challenge when you’ve got Lachie Neale and Josh Dunkley who will both play big inside minutes … so it’s really just the third spot there that is up for grabs.
“I appreciate you have to give grabs to (Zac) Bailey, (Cam) Rayner and others that go through the middle but for mine McCluggage is the class. What he gives you as an inside mid is superior to the others.”
The early indication is that Chris Fagan agrees with Black’s assessment.
Brisbane’s coach has upped McCluggage’s midfield minutes this season – perhaps a sign the club plans to get its money’s worth out of the would-be million-dollar midfielder.