A pair of Swans and a duo of Cats could be set to find new homes this off-season, according toย SEN's Sam Edmund.
Edmund reported on Wednesday that talks between Sydney star Luke Parker and the club he has called home since 2011 were still at an impasse.
โWe spoke about him wanting that multi-year deal worth around $700,000 a season," the station's chief sports reporter began.
โHe is at the centre of a contract stand-off with the Swans, at the moment people tell you that the Swans just canโt move, and Parkerโs camp have been frustrated by the inability to get something done at this point."
With the Moore Park club facing strains on their ability to spend next season, the Victorian's management team had reportedly begun sounding out other options for his services.
โThere have been plenty of calls to other clubs asking if theyโd be interested in Parker as this drags on and the Swans salary cap squeeze bites," Edmund continued.
โHeโs 28, heโs the pillar of that side, clubs still think it gets done (with the Swans) but the longer it goes the more real it gets of the possibility he could leave.
โItโs just about finding a deal that they agree upon.
โThe player wants to stay, and the club wants to keep the player.โ
Parker's teammate, George Hewett, also appears likely to become a victim of the club's salary cap squeeze, with Edmund claiming that the impending free-agent was a near certainty to leave the harbour city.
โHeโs the one thatโs almost certain to leave, we say that because the Swans have showed no inclination to start talks on a new contract with him," he said.
โHeโs a restricted free agent, they briefly explored a trade for him last year before that was aborted, heโs pretty well paid up there, so I think of the group thatโs out of contact, heโs the most likely to leave."
Despite stating he was expected to leave the SCG within the coming months, Edmund remained at a loss as to where the 25-year-old would ply his trade next season.
โI donโt know of a home for Hewett at this point in time, only that heโd prefer to stay at Sydney. That deal is not happening and doesnโt sound like it will happen.โ
Young Cats Quinton Narkle and Jordan Clark have long been linked with a departure from Kardinia Park.
Edmund provided updates on the Western Australian couplet, with a managerial relationship providing a clue as to Narkle's potential landing spot.
โItโs been the whisper for some time, heโs got the same manager as Shai Bolton, the two are pretty tight," the journalist said.
โIโm not sure if thereโs a lot of interest in Quinton Narkle elsewhere... thereโs concerns over the knee and his ability to spread but heโs clearly good enough at the level and he hasnโt had a clean run at it at Geelong, so Richmond have long been rightly or wrongly put up there as the new home for him.โ
Despite the pivot city side spending a top-end pick to land him just less than three-years ago, Clark has been predicted to move back across the Nullarbor.
โRival clubs tell you heโs been played out of position," Edmund suggested.
"Heโs playing mainly off a wing in the VFL, he made his name as a running defender in the National Championships before he went pick 15 in the 2018 draft."
Edmund also explained that a relationship breakdown could be the catalyst behind any desires he may harbour to depart.
โThe defensive coach down there (Matthew Scarlett), Iโm not sure how solid that relationship is between player and coach and whether Scarlett sees him in the best 22 not just this year but going forward.
โHe still has another year on the contract, WA clubs have been knocking, he did meet with rival clubs last year and decided to stay, heโs one to watch.โ
Edmund also proposed that ex-Crow Daniel Talia could land at Tigerland and that the precociously talented Sun Jack Lukosius looked odds-on the stay with the Carrara club.
