Lions bid to lure Cameron
BRISBANE will farewell Tom Rockliff after opting to use the compensation pick they will receive for the former skipper in an attempt to lure Adelaide’s Charlie Cameron.
The Lions had the option of matching Port Adelaide’s contract offer to Rockliff to retain the midfielder, but Brisbane has decided to let him leave.
Adelaide have taken a hardline stance on Cameron but may reconsider after his West Australian- based manager Colin Young yesterday declared he would never sign another deal with the Crows.
Brisbane are prepared to offer the compensation draft pick they receive for Rockliff, expected to be No. 19, to the Crows and with Cameron out of contract next year it may be the best deal they get.
Port Adelaide yesterday lodged paperwork on a fouryear offer to Rockliff worth about $ 2.6 million.
Brisbane’s longstanding offer was about $ 1.8 million over three years.
Rockliff rehabilitated his image in his first year under new coach Chris Fagan but this year always looked to be his last at the Lions.
The Lions were last night waiting on an AFL ruling on their compensation.
Given the size of the deal and Rockliff’s history as an AllAustralian, there was a slim chance under the AFL’s criteria it may be tied to their first round pick which would have given them the first two picks in the draft.
A player needs to be on a salary that puts him in the top 5 per cent of players aged over 25 to secure first- round free agency compensation.