Collingwood,who have made plain their wish to attract a key forward,have offered McStay a five-year deal worth close to $600,000 a season.
Brisbane recently upgraded their offer from the initial three years to a five-year offer for McStay,who will turn 27 next week. The Lions’ offer is close to $500,000 a year and is sitting with McStay,who has not yet made his call on what will be the biggest decision of his football career.
But there is a significant complication for Collingwood if – and only if – star midfielder Jordan De Goey leaves the Magpies as a restricted free agent.
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In the event that De Goey exercised his rights as a free agent and went to another club,Collingwood’s compensation draft pick – potentially a first-round pick if he is able to get a significant contract – would be compromised;the Magpies would no longer gain a first- or end-of-first-round choice.
This would leave open the possibility of striking a trade deal with Brisbane if the Magpies wished to retain a compensation pick and still snare McStay. If they re-sign De Goey (whose contract offer was withdrawn on the weekend),there would be no need for a trade and the Lions would receive a compensation pick,likely to be end of first round or second round,based on past deals.
The five-year offers for McStay,who is not a front-line key forward in the AFL and has benefited from playing alongside Joe Daniher in 2021 and 2022,are a measure of the scarcity of key forwards in the market.