Jamie Elliott signed a one-year contract at the end of last year as the forward kept his options open. Photo: GETTY IMAGES
Melbourne is attempting to sign Collingwood free agent Jamie Elliott and is believed to have made an offer for the talented forward.
The Demons have been monitoring Elliot for a number of months, but have only now have made an official offer to the 27-year-old, who has impressed since making his return from his hamstring issues.
While the Magpies have made it clear they want to keep Elliot at the club, money may well be a factor that makes the forward’s decision a tough one, and Melbourne will look to exploit that fact.
Collingwood’s two-year extension offer remains on the table after Elliott agreed to a one-year deal at the end of last season.
The issue for the Pies is the fact that while Melbourne’s offer may be the same length as their offer, it will most definitely be for more money considering the salary cap constraints under which Collingwood is currently operating. This is where the Demons could well tempt Elliot to make the move.
On the field, Collingwood and Melbourne are currently in different realms.
While the Magpies are still in premiership contention, with odds of $2.38 to reach the grand final in the latest Aussie Rules betting, Melbourne’s season ended with the Demons 17th on the AFL ladder with just five wins to their name.
But the Demons have made their intentions extremely clear, with the club poised to sign Greater Western Sydney midfielder Adam Tomlinson, and Fremantle’s Ed Langdon also linked with Melbourne.
Due to his unrestricted free agent status, Elliott is able to leave Collingwood for any club in the league without the Magpies having the right to match the offer.
The only return Collingwood would see for the loss of Elliott would be a compensation draft pick, which would be related to the size of the contract accepted by the forward.
After seven years at the club since his 2012 selection, losing Elliott for almost nothing would be a bitter pill to swallow for Collingwood, and particularly painful when you consider how good his recent form has been.
Having missed all of 2018 with hamstring problems, Elliott has been a key part of Collingwood’s success this year, kicking 25 goals in 15 games.
It’s been something of a stop-start few years for the Victorian, spending 2016 on the sidelines with another hamstring problem before bouncing back, in similar fashion to this year, when he returned in 2017.
Elliott signed a one-year contract at the end of last year, with an offer of a two-year deal rejected as the forward kept his options open.
Rejecting an additional year’s deal was a bold move, one which required Elliot to back himself to perform to a level that would see him offered a better deal, either by Collingwood or another team.
And perform he has, playing a key role in the Pies season, including a five-goal performance against Adelaide.
At 27, Elliott knows this next deal will be the most important one of his career, and that may end up being the deciding factor behind whether the forward remains at Collingwood or heads across to the Demons.
