MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA - MAY 15: Lachie Whitfield, Jacob Hopper and Tim Taranto of the Giants look dejected after losing the round 9 AFL match between the Richmond Tigers and the Greater Western Sydney Giants at Marvel Stadium on May 15, 2021 in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Quinn Rooney/Getty Images)
The Giants remain hopeful of retaining out-of-contract midfielder Tim Taranto beyond this season, while GWS football boss Jason McCartney has also reflected on recent interest in contracted gun Jacob Hopper.
The star duo are understood to be on the radars of several clubs this year, with a swarm of Victorian sides reportedly pressing to lure Taranto back to his home state.
Richmond, Geelong, Essendon and Collingwood have been linked to the 24-year-old, who is currently "assessing his options" for 2023 and beyond.
McCartney revealed to SEN on Friday that discussions between the club, Taranto, and his agent are underway, however progress may hinge on the Giants' search for a new senior coach.
“We’re in constant dialogue with Tim and his management. Matt Bain, his manager, is up here in Sydney now, which is great,” he said.
“That’ll take some time to be honest when there’s not a coach in place.
“Tim is really invested in our club and loves living in Sydney, but he’s got the right – he’s out of contract, he’s assessing his options.
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“We’ll continue to work with both parties and hopefully we get the right outcome at the end of the season.
“The priority is to keep Tim, but we’re not immune to this, we do deal with this a lot."
Both the Tigers and Cats have been rumoured to be showing interest in Hopper as well, with the two clubs looking to land ready-made midfielders for the future, while Adelaide have also been linked to the Leeton product.
Hopper's name has been tied to a potential Victorian switch for a number of seasons, with Geelong and Essendon believed to have shown interest in the past.
Despite his current contractual obligations in Sydney's west, Hopper's name being floated in the player market comes as no surprise to McCartney.
“Jacob’s name does get mentioned most years for whatever reason, whether he’s in and out of contract," McCartney added.
“Jacob’s one of those classic examples, a bit like Tim at the moment, he was out of contract all of last year … Jacob didn’t re-sign until post-season.
“He’s got next year to run on that contract, then he becomes a free agent.”
The Giants may also need to stave off rival interest and persuade former first-round pick Tanner Bruhn to stay in New South Wales, with the young onballer reportedly weighing up a return home to Victoria.
Despite the trio of names in the eyes of rival clubs, the Giants have been able to secure the services of six players to new deals this year, with Ryan Angwin (2024), Isaac Cumming (2024), Josh Fahey (2024), Cameron Fleeton (2023), Connor Idun (2026), James Peatling (2024) all re-signing.
The Giants will host Brisbane at Manuka Oval on Saturday afternoon, with the match to commence at 1:45pm (AEST).