Magpies keen to extend stars deals as salary cap position improves

Collingwood remain hamstrung by their tight salary cap despite the fire sale during last year’s trade period but football manager Graham Wright says the tough decisions made in 2020 have put them back on track to extend deals for stars Jordan De Goey, Darcy Moore and Brayden Maynard beyond 2022.

The Magpies are expected to be relatively quiet this trade period, although they are in the process of gaining two young players, Geelong’s Nathan Kreuger and the Bulldogs Patrick Lipinski, who are seeking more opportunity.

Collingwood aim to extend contracts for a number of star players, including Jordan De Goey.Credit:AFL Photos

They will also match any bid for exciting father-son prospect Nick Daicos with the club needing to ensure their draft picks carry enough value to ensure they don’t have to go into deficit if North Melbourne decide to use pick No.1 to select Daicos.

Wright, who started in the position in January, told AFL Trade Radio on Thursday that the Magpies had begun discussions with the management of De Goey, Moore and Maynard, who all come out of contract at the end of next season.

“We’re really hopeful of progressing contracts with them,” Wright said.

“They are all unique in their own way. They are all super-talented so from our perspective it would be important we try to tie them up, and I think they are really open to that.”

However, he admitted the club was still working through the salary-cap dramas that engulfed the Magpies when decisions were made to kick money down the road in an attempt to win an elusive premiership under Nathan Buckley. That saw Dayne Beams return to the club and then players such as Adam Treloar, Jaidyn Stephenson and Tom Phillips eventually forced out.

“It’s not over ... we have still got some difficulties there or things we have got to work through,” Wright said.

“We are in a lot better position financially, but we are still not completely out of the woods.”

Three members of the Pies’ 2018 grand final team, Josh Thomas, Brayden Sier and Mason Cox, remain uncontracted with Cox open to moving if he can play regular senior football more often at a new club.

The club expects Scott Pendlebury to continue next season but whether he remains captain depends on the conversations he has with new coach Craig McRae, with Wright saying the first step would be determining whether Pendlebury wants to retain the role in 2022.

“As you know with Pendles, he will be a leader regardless of whether he has got a title or not,” Wright said.

The Magpies are also looking at a new head of development to replace Damian Carroll who joined the Saints after Dale Tapping decided to join Essendon.

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Peter Ryan is a sports reporter with The Age covering AFL, horse racing and other sports.Connect via Twitter or email.

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