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Demon likely to stay
Melbourne small forward Kade Chandler’s increased senior opportunities this year are set to convince him to commit his future to the red and blue, according to sources familiar with the situation.
The 23-year-old made only 10 appearances in his first four seasons on the list while stuck behind the likes of Kysaiah Pickett, Charlie Spargo, Alex Neal-Bullen and ex-Demon Toby Bedford, but has kicked seven goals in five matches in 2023.
Kade Chandler has enjoyed a career-best start to the season.Credit: AFL Photos
Those limited opportunities saw Chandler meet with Adelaide two years ago before he rejected that interest to ink a two-year extension with Melbourne that expires at season’s end.
The Crows have since bolstered their attack and are no longer in the market for a Chandler-type. But Port Adelaide would make sense if the South Australian wants to return home, while rival Victorian clubs are monitoring his situation.
Chandler’s strong start to the season, on top of the opposition interest in him, means he is poised for another multi-year contract, although any potential deal may not be locked in until closer to mid-year.
The Demons re-signed emerging talents Trent Rivers and Judd McVee last week, with Pickett, Neal-Bullen, Chandler and James Jordon the top out-of-contract priorities.
Close nears new deal
Negotiations on another multi-year contract are well advanced for Geelong premiership player Brad Close.
The Cats took a flyer on the 24-year-old in the 2019 rookie draft after he starred for Glenelg’s SANFL premiership team, and he has blossomed into a key contributor at AFL level.
Brad Close has become a key contributor for Geelong.Credit: Getty Images
Close, whose two-year deal from October 2021 expires at season’s end, has played 52 senior matches in a row – the 17th-longest active streak in the league – and 60 in total, while kicking 50 goals.
He enjoyed his best performance of the season on Sunday, kicking four goals among 16 disposals in Geelong’s emphatic victory over West Coast at Adelaide Oval, and his future beyond this year is expected to be locked in soon.
Coach Chris Scott singled Close out for praise during his euphoric post-grand final speech last year, hailing him as one of several unheralded forwards who performed an integral role in the Cats’ success.
Eagles’ plan to lock away young guns
West Coast is deep into a rebuild and transitional period from the 2018 premiership team, with first-round draftees Reuben Ginbey and Elijah Hewett an important part of that.
Ginbey, in particular, has made an excellent start to his AFL career, averaging 15 disposals and three clearances, on top of laying the equal-sixth-most tackles in the competition this year.
Reuben Ginbey looks a star of the future for West Coast.Credit: Getty Images
The West Australian pair’s draft contracts do not expire until the end of 2024, but discussions are set to ramp up in the coming weeks to extend them – probably for another two years, as is the norm.
Well-placed sources told Money Talks that strong-bodied midfielder Ginbey was most likely to sign on the dotted line first.
Another first-year player, Noah Long, is also poised to sign an extension before the season ends after impressing in the pre-season and playing all games in 2023 so far.
The 18-year-old from Echuca, in northern Victoria, slid to the 58th pick in last year’s draft despite almost every club asking about him, then being surprised he fell so far.
Rebel with a draft cause
Talent League club Greater Western Victoria Rebels produced last year’s No.1 draft pick Aaron Cadman – and they may have another first-rounder on their hands this November.
Joel Freijah enjoyed a day out for the Rebels on Sunday against the Dandenong Stingrays, racking up 26 disposals, six clearances and six goals from the wing in an extraordinary performance.
Fast-rising draft prospect Joel Freijah is drawing comparisons to Hugh McCluggage (pictured).Credit: Getty Images
The 17-year-old, who is of Lebanese heritage, has grown to 191 centimetres and offers a rare mix of speed and endurance, while also boasting a neat right boot.
Freijah represented Vic Country in an under-17 Futures match last year against NSW/ACT, but started this season more likely than certain to be drafted, before his eye-catching opening month rocketed him into first-round calculations.
AFL recruiters love the teenager’s upside, and some talent spotters even see a resemblance in his playing style to ex-Rebel-turned-Brisbane Lions star Hugh McCluggage.
