Meanwhile,Richmond forward Mabior Chol has become the first player to switch clubs in the 2021 trade period after he officially joined the Gold Coast Suns on Friday.
The 24-year-old Chol joins Gold Coast on a four-year deal after 31 games in six seasons at the Tigers,with Richmond to receive an end of second round pick,which is currently pick 39,as compensation.
Both players are unrestricted free agents,meaning their former clubs can’t match the deal to force a trade.
Meanwhile,Carlton lodged an offer for restricted free agent,Sydney’s George Hewett,to become a Blue with the Swans now having three days to match the offer. The Swans are unlikely to do so,meaning Hewett will join Carlton.
Chol did not play in a premiership with Richmond with his only final being in 2020 when he replaced the injured Tom Lynch against the Brisbane Lions.
He joins former Tigers Brandon Ellis and Oleg Markov on the Suns’ list with the clubs having exchanged several players over recent years,including Corey Ellis and Anthony Miles who went from Richmond to Gold Coast,while Tom Lynch and Dion Prestia went from the Suns to the Tigers.
Kelly,the son of Magpies premiership player and leading player agent Craig Kelly,and the brother of Collingwood’s Will,played for Adelaide in the 2017 grand final and has been a courageous defender at the Crows. He will also benefit from the coaching ofpart-time development coach and former Tigers champion full-back Alex Rance,who has joined Essendon’s coaching panel.
Carlton,meanwhile,have moved to open contract negotiations with Sam Walsh,21,in the hope of signing the star midfielder to a long-term deal.
Walsh,who finished fourth in the Brownlow Medal count,is not off contract until the end of next season but the Blues and Walsh’s manager,Scott Lucas,are likely to accelerate talks closer to Christmas. Lucas said the “uncertainty” over the coaching situation at Princes Park through the year had been an issue,but that was now resolvedwith Michael Voss taking charge.
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Lucas said no deadline had been set for a deal to be done.
“At times you do,but that’s more if it got to the start of next year and you haven’t done anything that you might put a deadline on it,” Lucas said on AFL Trade Radio.
“But right now,there’s no games being played for the next six months,so there’s no rush. Players are away,they like to have an off-season and not think about.
“I’m sure come before Christmas,if they’re back training or within the months after Christmas,we’ll have a bit more of a chat about it,but certainly no rush from our end and I don’t think there’s a rush from Carlton’s end.”
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