GWS have resigned to the fact that a quartet of players will find new homes this off-season, however are looking to add in multiple targets in the coming weeks.
The Giants are flagged to be one of the busiest clubs of the trade period, with Tim Taranto and Jacob Hopper hoping for moves to Richmond, while young duo Bobby Hill and Tanner Bruhn look likely to join Collingwood and Geelong respectively.
The looming departures add to a frustrating history of failed retentions at GWS, having lost a plethora of stars to interstate clubs across the course of their existence in the AFL.
While this year looks to be the same as far as outgoing names, GWS football boss Jason McCartney has revealed the club are looking to break the trend of only adding to their draft hand, with the club hopeful of acquiring a number of signatures for 2023.
"It will be busy for us," McCartney told AFL Trade Radio.
"Our strategy, we know there's some players going out. We've identified a couple of areas in need and we've been in conversations with one or two players we're hopeful we'll be able to bring in.
"At any stage you don't want to be losing quality players. We know what we're working through now and what we've got ahead.
"We can be a player in that free agency and trade space more than what we have been, rather than just the picks coming back.
"We're under no illusion, we're not where we want to be. We've underperformed since the 2019 Grand Final, so we do need to make a bit of a reset and some recalibration to components of our list.
"What we'll do over this year and next year is certainly going to have us in good shape. It's really important to have that view of what the next 12-36 months looks like."
Both Taranto and Hopper are set to depart after 114 games for the club, while Bruhn is expected to leave for a return to Victoria after just two seasons.
While the pair of departures in Taranto and Hopper to join Richmond was a "rare" occurrence, McCartney expressed his disappointment in losing Bruhn after just 30 AFL games, stating rookie contracts should be extended beyond two years.
“Obviously it’s disappointing," McCartney said.
"Tanner is a wonderful young man and invested really heavily in our football club. He’s played 30 games in two years and there’s probably not many from that compromised COVID draft that have played that many games.”
“It is disappointing. It’s a reality. It looks like it is leaning that way with Geelong and we’ll sit down with Andrew Mackie and thrash out what we can get done there.
“Two years, that is really disappointing. No doubt there has been conversations had for a while and the AFLPA is involved, but our conversations with the AFLPA are around that fact.
“Those first-year draftees, the two-year standard contract needs to be longer, that’s for sure.
“What we’re getting also is there’s an explosion in player salaries third year when they become open market. You look at ourselves and Gold Coast … what happens is you do have to pay a premium in that third year to retain the player.
“That’s fine when the player is performing and you’re paying for production, but players develop at different rates.
“The challenge is you’re in a position where you’re having to pay top dollar just to retain the players. Ultimately that puts pressure on your salary cap as well.”
The Giants will be forced to bid farewell to small forward Bobby Hill this off-season, 12 months after his request to move to Victoria. A deal between the Giants and Essendon failed to transpire, seeing Hill see out the final year of his contract.
Currently continuing in his recovery after a battle with testicular cancer, Hill is in good health and is seeking a move to Collingwood this year.
McCartney revealed Hill will land with the Magpies as the club looks to help the young forward after a "challenging year".
"Most importantly, he’s in a really good space. His health and wellbeing is the priority and it has been a challenging year for him," McCartney said.
"I’ve been talking to Graham Wright for a week and a half, that’s something we’ll be able to facilitate and that will be something that would be done pretty early in the trade period and he will make his way to Collingwood.”
McCartney was questioned on the club's interest in Collingwood ruckman Brodie Grundy, who is expected to depart the Magpies this year with five years remaining on his contract.
While Grundy and the Giants had held talks, a move to Western Sydney isn't on the cards according to McCartney.
The dual Copeland Trophy winner is expected to land with Melbourne for 2023 and beyond.
