Trade Bell: Giants to consider offers for star defensive duo

“Now, clubs have been made aware that at least in the eyes of the Giants, these guys are tradable as GWS embarks down a path of a reset in the wake of obviously Jake Stringer and Jesse Hogan's departures.

“We're not saying that Lachie Whitfield and Himmelberg want to be traded, or are even open to being traded, just that clubs have been given a heads up in this space.

“And ultimately, we need to point out, both players would have to approve, given Himmelberg's contract until 2029, Whitfield until the end of next year.

“I’m told Himmelberg's exit meeting was pointed, some firm feedback for him about the need to get better. And Whitfield's deal has been reported to be back-ended, potentially as much as seven figures next year. He's 32 years old.

“So the motivation for the Giants is clear, isn't it? Improve your draft hand in the last pure draft before Tassie, clear some money off the books. The massive complicating factor is the fact Toby Greene’s still making up his mind. And we know because he's told us.

“List decisions and other play of movement have been a major factor in Toby's decision over whether to stay at GWS, where he's referenced the club's desire to land Tim English, and also Geelong, where he's spoken to Zak Butters before Zak chose the Dogs.

“So Toby's decision, which we all wait for. When is that coming? Is it this week? Is it next? The list management of all clubs in his orbit are relevant, I think.”

“So the Tom Morris report last night by the way is 100% accurate. It is the framework, it is the crux of what the Dogs and the Power have been working on behind the scenes, what we heard even before really Zak Butters nominated them.

“It's the willingness of the Dogs to work through this that has gone a long way to securing Butters' commitment because it has shown him and his camp and his manager Peter Lenton that the Dogs are serious and there's good faith there and a deal is likely to be struck. Everything they couldn't necessarily see in Geelong.

“So where are the AFL with this? They were aware of it before the details were revealed last night. I'm told that there's an internal wrestle in there in terms of how they view it. Now Greg Swann said to The Age only yesterday, ‘Oh, we're onto it’. And the AFL will write to clubs to put them on notice, but they do this every year, in truth. This is an annual memo.

“Andrew Dillon in the past has picked up the phone when it comes to deals that the AFL are concerned about. That's when it comes to lopsided deals and clear backscratching. But if they are to sit completely separately, compo for Butters, and however you want to term it for Todd Marshall, whether you want to call it salary dumping, or pick purchasing, or if it's an overinflated trade, the AFL are generally, generally speaking, okay with this.

“But is Marshall actually a salary dump? Because Jack Bowes was owed $1.6 million across the last two years of his Gold Coast deal. At that stage, Jack Bowes was an 83 game C-grader when Pick 7 and he went to Geelong. Pick purchasing.

“I’m not sure Todd Marshall is on that sort of wedge. Yeah, he's contracted for another three years. I'm not sure he's getting paid anywhere near that, he's a long way short of that, I hear.

“So can this be portrayed even as pick purchasing or salary dumping and does that potentially hurt the Western Bulldogs? I'm not sure it's a large amount of money that Port will be potentially getting off their books here.

“The hair on this one, if there is hair on it, is not Pick 5 compo for Butters. It is 12 and a future first for Todd Marshall. It's that simple.

“It makes sense for the Dogs, absolutely, and it does make some sense for Port Adelaide, given their interest and the commitment to Louis Salopek, to Zemes Pilot, and the kids coming through. They get armed at the top end of the draft, they can match those bids, Marshall off the books or is he a required player anyway?

“He's gone, the Dogs pick him up, you can see how it makes sense. The best of a bad situation if you're Port Adelaide but the ball is in the AFL's court with this one, it would appear.”

Whateley added: “No. Separate deals have to stand up on merit. That's the wording. I'm not sure I'd want to be wedded to that at this stage.

“Right, I've seen the future. The October press release reads: ‘The AFL has investigated the deal for Todd Marshall and cleared both the Bulldogs and Port Adelaide of breaking any rules’.

“More huge news at the Gabba with Logan Morris signing on for two years. So Zac Bailey last Tuesday, Logan Morris this Tuesday and in between Dayne Zorko signs on for another.

“Danny Daly actually just got up to tell the players, like he did with Zac Bailey, moments ago for Logan Morris. Now I'm told the players had no idea this was coming up at the Gabba and in truth it all came together pretty quickly there in terms of him formally committing.

“So the reception was pretty wild as you'd expect. He signs on for another two on top of next year's existing contract. So now locked in at the Lions for 2027, 28 and 29. By 2029 Logan Morris will be six years in, he's a couple of seasons shy of free agency there, so he's got flexibility ahead of in there given the growth and rate of improvement in him.

“It would have been mad or silly to sign longer term. If you're happy with your years it removes the circus next year and he can get on with it. And a glut of clubs who'd started making inquiries this year now have to pivot. That's the Devils, that's Collingwood, that's Carlton, that's Melbourne, that's Geelong. You reckon many more.

“So now, Brisbane, they turn their attention to Kai Lohmann, who's out of contract next year. For what it’s worth, the Lions are very confident that he's going to follow suit.”

“Now, does he have an interest in them? Do Richmond have an interest in letting him go, given his contract for one more year? Could they be cutting too deep, the Tigers?

“These are all the questions and we're not sure, but we know Collingwood are canvassing him as an option. What I would think though is there would be some appeal for Jayden just from the outside looking in given he might be able to extend his career at Collingwood.

“I know he's only 30, but as you canvass forward, a veteran player on a rebuilding list being actively turned over is not the safest spot to be in the football world.

“From a Collingwood perspective, it's a little bit of a head scratcher too, because not exactly sure he's the type of player they need, at least at the moment. Maybe there's some other movement that we're not privy to there, hence why they've got an interest.

“We know Jesse Hogan's coming in, we know Lachie Neale’s coming in. They did delist seven players, Collingwood. Steele Sidebottom has also retired and Pendles (Scott Pendlebury) has gone to the Gold Coast. So that's nine outs.

“So you get Jayden Short cheaper than that, yep, you'd have to trade for him, but if, and I don't know this, but if Houston is to leave, which he’s publicly refuted this year already, then there would definitely be a home for Jayden Short, wouldn't there?”

“Calsher Dear is the other player we're waiting on. The feeling from the clubs that are competing for Calsher Dear, which is also Collingwood and it is Melbourne and you do hear Geelong again, is that they won't hear from Calsher Dear until Hawthorn’s season is finished.

“He's trying to fight his way back into that team for what it's worth. That's what those clubs are saying at the moment. But a lot of interest there around Calsher and what he's going to do with his future.

“He almost certainly won't be at Hawthorn because the contract he was offered was translated very much to a ‘you better look around and you've got our blessing to do that’, with Ben King coming in.”

Click here to read article