Cats to play hard ball in Kelly talks

Geelong gun to head west, now it’s all about what they can get for him

WEST Coast is aware Geelong will ask for a massive package of picks for star midfielder Tim Kelly after the Cats flyer officially told Geelong he wanted out yesterday.

The Eagles have known for months that he would arrive, with News Corp reporting on September 2 he was certain to ask for a trade.

He denied that report but Kelly’s decision was confirmed in the past week when his manager Anthony van der Wielen had discussions in Geelong with him, his partner Caitlin Miller and their families.

Van der Wielen said yesterday there was a strong family need to get home given two of the couple’s children had been handed an autism diagnosis.

The 25-year-old has been offered a deal of around $800,000 a season on a contract that could extend to six years.

Geelong is likely to push a hard line not only because of his star power but because premiership contender West Coast will only be strengthened by his presence.

West Coast is prepared to be fair in negotiations and has selections 14, 24, 33 and 61.

It believes a suite of those picks will be suitable for the Cats, even if Geelong coach Chris Scott joked recently Kelly was worth four firstrounders and Dustin Martin.

The Eagles could attempt to trade picks 24 and 33 with a club that needed to secure draft points for father-sons and academy selections, turning it into a pick at around No.11. It believes picks 11 and 14 would be a fair price for Kelly, given most stars who change clubs do so for two first-rounders with a second-rounder coming back in the exchange.

Geelong is believed to want to secure high picks in an even draft rather than young Eagles players in exchange for a player who finished second in the MVP awards and polled 24 Brownlow votes.

But West Coast would not consider trading any contracted players if Geelong changed its tune, believing the days are gone when clubs shunted players in contract to satisfy rivals. Andrew Gaff has an escape clause on his long-term contract at the end of 2020 but the Eagles believe he is content and happy to finish his career at West Coast.

Player power now means trading players against their will — as Hawthorn did with young star Ryan Burton in the Chad Wingard deal — is extremely rare and can backfire on a club.

Fremantle this week made clear it would try to broker a deal on Kelly despite him rebuffing them last year. But as West Coast is aware, players are well within their rights to nominate a club of choice and get there as long as the eventual trade is fair for both parties.

Last year West Coast eventually blinked on a deal that would have seen them hand over 20, 23 and an exchange of future second and third-round picks.

Then Kelly took his football to a new level this year.

“It is well known by all that are close to Tim and his partner Caitlin that their young family are dealing with some significant challenges with two of their three children being classified as autistic,” van Der Wielen said.

“Tim and his family need to be at home surrounded by family and friends who can best assist them with therapy and support. After careful consideration Tim and Caitlin believe that West Coast can best provide the right environment for him and his family to prosper.”