Hawks swoop to block Demons’ play at Lewis
MELBOURNE has dangled a three-year carrot in front of Hawthorn star Jordan Lewis in a bid to secure the gun ballwinner.
The Demons have grown confident Lewis will request a trade to AAMI Park after the veteran was encouraged to explore his options in a post-season meeting with Hawks’ coach Alastair Clarkson.
Lewis, 30, last week indicated he wanted to join Melbourne, but Hawthorn chiefs have since attempted to block the move, saying the club will not trade the four-time premiership player.
Lewis’s manager Liam Pickering pushed on with negotiations with Melbourne’s football manager Josh Mahoney on Friday and said Lewis was “professional” enough to deal with his options.
The Dees have indicated they would be keen to sign the veteran for as many as three seasons, with the potential to include a performance-based trigger to guarantee the final year of the deal in 2019.
Melbourne has also earmarked a key leadership and midfield role for Lewis to help assist captain Nathan Jones next season.
Carlton goalkicking great Brendan Fevola yesterday said a disgruntled Lewis was certain to make the switch and would be “kicking it down Jesse Hogan’s throat” next year.
“He thought he was going to be told (by Clarkson) he would be captain next year and lead the mighty Hawks for 2017, but it was a call to say we might be squeezing you out (at the end of 2017),” Fevola said on Triple M.
Fevola said Lewis “was not a happy man” with the proposal.
Melbourne would only offer a late draft pick to Hawthorn for Lewis, only days after West Coast clinched its shock trade for champion midfielder Sam Mitchell for selection No. 88.
It means Hawthorn is faced with the loss of its top-two placegetters in this year’s best and fairest, with Lewis finishing second in his 12th season, behind Mitchell.
Lewis is contracted to Hawthorn until the end of next season but was no certainty to be re-signed beyond 2017, as the Hawks plot some aggressive list changes to rejuvenate a group that won four premierships since 2008.
Pickering yesterday denied his client was upset with Hawthorn’s treatment.
“There are no issues. He’s not filthy, he’s not angry,” Pickering said. “Lewy is a professional, he’s a vice-captain of the club, he finished second in their best and fairest last week. Whatever happens will happen.
“There is a good chance he will be a Hawthorn player, because he is contracted to Hawthorn but I need to keep working through it with Jordan and we will see where it goes.”
“There are no issues. He’s not filthy, he’s not angry”