Sydney star Chad Warner is determined to return to the Swans post-ban and will see out his contract with the club in a huge boost for Dean Cox’s side.
Warner had been heavily linked to a move to West Coast after he was banned for the season along with four teammates as a result of the Pullman Hotel incident.
But Sydney is keen for him to return to the club and he is also keen to take his place in the side as he attempts to win back the trust of his teammates and the club’s hierarchy.
But Warner is also adamant he will return and the club has in recent days made clear to him that it is also keen for him to return next season.
When the news of the controversy broke a “deeply disappointed” Swans chairman Andrew Pridham had initially refused to guarantee the futures of all five players.
Warner, Isaac Heeney, Riley Bice, James Jordon and Nick Blakey were all banned by the club for the finals and later interviewed by police regarding an alleged sexual assault.
No charges have been laid and the players have denied any wrongdoing, with Bice cleared as a suspect and now being treated by police as a witness.
Blakey’s future is still in considerable doubt, with the brilliant rebounding defender linked to Gold Coast and St Kilda in recent weeks.
He has privately expressed some frustration with his treatment and believes there has been a breakdown in his relationship with the club.
He considered a trade to Gold Coast last year with his partner, Australian sprinter Ella Connolly, relocating to Queensland to train ahead of the 2032 Brisbane Olympics.
Sydney is also keen for Heeney, Jordon and Bice to return to the club next year.
Blakey is by far the most likely of the players to move on as the anger cools between all parties after earlier speculation of a cultural reset given the gravity of the charges.
A delegation of players including Brodie Grundy, acting captain Dane Rampe and Tom McCartin will be at the AFL Brownlow Medal at Crown on Monday.
But the Swans are yet to consider how to run their best and fairest event on October 2 given Isaac Heeney will be a red-hot favourite to win that award.
While the players have not been back at the club since they were stood down for the rest of the season, they have in effect been told by Sydney their leave extends until the start of the pre-season.
Sydney has not been told by the league the players cannot commence their pre-seasons in late November or early December despite speculation the AFL could still intervene with conduct unbecoming charges.
No police charges have been laid and rival clubs asking about players have been told there is unlikely to be a resolution to that police matter before the trade period in October.
Warner is out of contract next season but pledged his future to the Swans last year despite heavy speculation he would return to Perth.
TIGERS OPEN TO FLAG HERO MOVING TO VICTORIAN RIVAL
Richmond’s football program has shifted its entire program into its temporary digs at Waverley Park as the club considers Collingwood’s aggressive pursuit of half back Jayden Short.
The Tigers men’s and women’s programs will be set up at Hawthorn until mid-2027 as the club’s Punt Road facility takes shape under the $110 million redevelopment.
The women’s program has already been at Waverley for some weeks, with the majority of the club’s men’s list is in the one to four year bracket which will relocate from early November.
Richmond CEO Shane Dunne said the move to Waverley would perfectly suit the club’s purposes given an oval closer in size to the MCG and plenty of space for the football department.
Richmond’s Punt Road oval is also being refurbished and resized to MCG.
Hawthorn housed its entire club including administration at Waverley Park before its move to Dingley, but Richmond’s administration is still working out of offices in Wellington Parade.
Dunne said new fitness boss Selwyn Griffith had already started work tweaking the club’s programs and handing out running and weights programs to the club.
Richmond will retain its No. 2 overall pick after Zak Butters chose the Western Bulldogs, and the Tigers will secure another early-20s pick given that initial selection will be pushed back by a bid for Port Adelaide’s Dougie Cochrane.
But Richmond is understood to be open to Short considering his future if he can secure a longer-term deal at Collingwood.
The Pies are keen for half back run as they push Josh Daicos back into the midfield and while Short is a dual premiership player the Tigers are open to what is best for him in his career.
Richmond is also keen to play Sam Grlj, Sam Banks, Tom Brown and Luke Trainor alongside Nick Vlastuin in those defensive positions next season.
It would be another case of coach Adem Yze prioritising the club’s list build over his own future but Richmond has not shut down that interest.
It would require the Pies to hand over a mid-tier pick but it would mean yet another Tigers premiership player departed the club.
Nick Vlastuin is a big part of the club’s future and will not be moving on.
Dunne said Richmond would move back into Punt Road mid-season next year but were thrilled with the current digs.
“The fit-out is great, we have picked up our gym equipment and that’s here now,” he said.
“There is lots of room, it’s a good environment, it’s a good vibe and the locals have welcomed us.
“We see Richmond flags on the balconies around the ground, the people who run the cafe downstairs are a Richmond family, and out this way along the freeway is Tiger heartland for our members. We think it will make us really accessible as the boys come back in and people will come down and watch training and people buy our new gear.
“It’s a good space, we will make the most of it while we are here and we will get back into Punt Road in the middle of next year.
“The current schedule is for it to be finished in the back half of May or early June. The builders are on track so by the time they hand over the keys to us and we get all of our bits and pieces set up we will be in by the middle of the year. We are comfortable with moving in-season. As good as this place is, it’s still not home.”
GIANTS CHASE TOP PICK AS GREENE HEADS FOR GEELONG
The Giants are hopeful of securing an end-of-first-round compensation pick for departing captain Toby Greene but are adamant they are not embarking upon a full rebuild.
Greene will move to Geelong on a three-year deal that will see him secure a deal of up to $3 million as he plays forward alongside Patrick Dangerfield and Jeremy Cameron.
The 32-year-old is likely to live in Torquay with his family as the Cats secure one of footy’s most dynamic players and likely also add St Kilda ruckman Rowan Marshall.
While age is one factor in free agency compensation, the more important element is the size of a contract, which means the Giants are bullish about a high draft pick.
They are keen to secure multiple early picks before Tasmania’s introduction to the national draft and will also match a bid for elite top-15 draft pick Ethan Matthews.
St Kilda has aggressively pushed to secure contracted 32-year-old Lachie Whitfield but would need to stump up a first-round pick to secure him.
St Kilda has driven that move rather than GWS, but given the club’s tight salary cap and determination to play the kids a trade to the Saints or another Victorian club is not out of the question.
The Giants have played finals in eight of the past 11 seasons but view this off-season as another necessary alignment to ensure they retain their exciting kids and keep within the salary cap.
Giants star Josh Kelly was on as much as $2 million this season as GWS paid a large part of his eight-year contract worth around $1 million a season in 2026.
He did not play at all this season after serious hip surgery, with no guarantees that he plays AFL again.
The Giants could end up clearly well over $2 million in cap space given their decisions to move on departing players.
The Giants prioritised young key forward Max Gruzewski over Collingwood-bound Jesse Hogan, aware the young forward would leave if Hogan stayed.
They kept young ruck Nick Madden when he was offered a four-year deal of $3 million by Richmond but it meant Kieren Briggs left for the Tigers on a four-year deal.
The Giants might secure an end-of-second-round pick for Briggs.
And while the Giants were keen on retaining Greene he told the club he believed in their future but wanted to be closer to family in Victoria.
So the Giants will back in Riley Hamilton and Ollie Hannaford to get more opportunities alongside breakout Phoenix Gothard in the forward line.
Jake Riccardi is still weighing up his options and has interested from clubs including Essendon but the Giants have more reason to match any deals given Greene’s departure.