Martin linked to a move as Blues chase Swans gun Hayward

1 week ago 6

Carlton are the front-runners to unafraid Sydney escaped cause Will Hayward arsenic clubs ellipse out-of-contract Blues guardant Jack Martin amid a salary-cap juggle astatine Ikon Park.

Martin is astatine the extremity of a five-year deal, which was heavy front-ended, and has been sought by respective clubs including 2 interstate.

Due to a choky wage cap, Carlton’s elder players person signalled they would beryllium unfastened to deferring payments oregon modifying contracts to alteration the Blues to pursuit players who suit their needs, whether that is Hayward oregon others.

But the imaginable exit of Martin, 29, who is yet to participate meaningful declaration negotiations with Carlton, would make a tiny magnitude of salary-cap room, adjacent though his woody was front-loaded.

The Blues are anxious to onshore Hayward, who is simply a restricted escaped cause due to the fact that his back-loaded woody landed him successful the apical 25 per cent of Sydney’s wage earners this year.

The Swans mightiness not to person the scope to wage Hayward what helium would get from rivals, adjacent including the Blues, who are astatine the beforehand of a queue for the free-agent guardant conscionable up of the 2 South Australian teams and Melbourne.

While Hayward is not definite to permission the Swans, rival clubs person pursued the guardant knowing helium was facing a simplification successful his existent deal, which placed him among the 10 best-paid Swans this year. A root said the Swans offered improved declaration presumption precocious but that the Crows, with their younger database profile, would beryllium successful a presumption to outbid Carlton oregon Sydney.

If helium were to permission the Swans, Hayward is unfastened to determination to Melbourne and to proceed to play for a squad successful premiership contention. He has nary beef with the Swans, who are facing salary-cap pressures, pursuing the re-signings of superstars Errol Gulden and Isaac Heeney, and James Rowbottom and Ollie Florent. Key guardant Logan McDonald is successful negotiations implicit a caller deal.

If Hayward near the Swans, Sydney would person the accidental to judge free-agency draught compensation if they chose not to lucifer the terms. While $800,000 has delivered first-round selections arsenic compensation successful the past, the accrued wage headdress successful 2024 means it is unclear what magnitude would present a first-round oregon end-of-first-round enactment this year.

Hayward, prime No.21 successful the 2016 nationalist draft, booted 4 goals in a superb show against Greater Western Sydney astatine the SCG connected Saturday.

The Swans prioritised the signing of a chap escaped cause from the aforesaid draft, Florent, who past week confirmed a caller five-year deal.

The talented Martin was an important contributor to Carlton’s late-season surge and finals run past year, but has endured periods connected the sidelines with wounded since crossing from Gold Coast successful the pre-season draught earlier the 2020 season.

Martin was selected connected Wednesday nighttime to instrumentality connected Melbourne connected Thursday for his archetypal crippled of 2024. Mitch McGovern is besides among 4 inclusions for the Blues.

Carlton’s enviable postulation of top-end players, headed by cardinal forwards Charlie Curnow and Harry McKay, midfielder Sam Walsh, cardinal backmost Jacob Weitering and skipper Patrick Cripps, are each successful the higher-income bracket of the AFL, with Weitering to travel retired of declaration adjacent twelvemonth and intelligibly worthy much than $1 cardinal successful the marketplace.

Hayward has kicked 174 goals successful 145 games for the Swans.

The moves travel arsenic the Western Bulldogs officially confirmed that cardinal guardant Jamarra Ugle-Hagan had signed a two-year declaration extension. That woody is worthy astir $1 cardinal a year.

The 22-year-old from Balardong Noongar and Whadjuk Noongar state was the No.1 draught prime successful 2020 aft the Bulldogs matched Adelaide’s bid connected the Next Generation Academy player.

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