Julian de Stoop and Jon Ralph bring you the latest news from day two of the AFL trade period.
North Melbourne coach Brad Scott with Levi Greenwood. Picture: Colleen Petch. Source: News Corp Australia
NORTH Melbourne’s inability to strike a deal with midfielder Levi Greenwood during his best season has cost it a player who was only one vote off winning the club’s best and fairest.
Higgins in, Greenwood out. Source: Supplied
Greenwood yesterday morning informed the Kangaroos he wanted to be traded to Collingwood, after agreeing to a four-year deal worth around $1.8 million.
DEPARTMENT OF TRADES: GARLETT TO BECOME DEMON
The Kangaroos had initially offered him what his manager Liam Pickering termed “an unacceptable” one-year contract in July before making two revised offers.
The final offer was for three years, though it was well short of bids from the Magpies and the Western Bulldogs.
“We tried to negotiate it all year and we ended up getting to a stage where we hadn’t locked it away and put it to bed,” Pickering told the Herald Sun.
“Collingwood and the Western Bulldogs were both very interested in meeting with him and they put together very strong offers.
“We got North to three years in the end on significantly less money, but he has decided to wants to be traded to Collingwood.”
Greenwood and Todd Goldstein finished one vote behind Syd Barker Medal winner Ben Cunnington.
He was third overall on a countback after producing a career-best year which also saw him win the North Melbourne fans’ MVP award as well as the Jason McCartney Jumper Award, voted on by the players for the footballer who best embodied the club’s values, strengths and courage.
Collingwood director of football Rodney Eade confirmed the club’s interest in the 25-year-old midfielder, with a deal likely to follow in the coming days.
Levi Greenwood in full flight against Geelong. Picture: Colleen Petch. Source: News Corp Australia
A second-round draft pick could be enough to get the trade done, though the Kangaroos will insist on suitable compensation.
Collingwood currently has pick 30. It could have other picks at its disposals, depending on what happens with Dayne Beams and Heritier Lumumba, who have requested transfers to Brisbane and Melbourne respectively.
North Melbourne said yesterday it was disappointed to lose Greenwood, but conceded he had been presented with a superior offer from Collingwood.
“We were hopeful that Levi would re-sign and stay at North Melbourne and it is disappointing to lose a player of his calibre,” director of football Geoff Walsh said.
“The commerciality of AFL today is very real and an environment that both clubs and players alike are a part of. In this particular case Levi has been presented with a superior offer from another club, and we fully understand how the system works.
“The significant piece of work that remains is for Levi’s nominated club to be able to provide compensation that is able to satisfy us.”
The move is a blow for the Kangaroos, who unveiled Bulldogs free agent Shaun Higgins on Monday after securing him on a four-year deal at $450,000 per season, as well as Blues veteran Jarrad Waite on a two-year contract.
Greenwood was pick 32 in the 2007 draft, and has played 74 games for North Melbourne, including a career-high 22 games this year after managing only 11 in his previous two seasons.
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