Tom Papley is the darling of New South Wales footy lovers. A rookie draft steal, turned master goal sneak. All at just 23 years of age, making him a major part of the Swans' young core going forward.
Except rumours swirl. Papley is a born and bred Victorian and a return home could be on the cards.
"My understanding is while people don’t want to talk about exactly what it is, (Papley’s) got some personal circumstances that would see him likely to want to go home,” SEN’s Sam McClure told Whateley on Monday.
Joe Daniher, the injury-prone prodigy. The ultimate if-only of Bombers fans. The mighty moustache. The big man of Sydney’s dreams to pair with Buddy?
On top of it all, a Sydney boy, whose old man played 115 games for the Swans.
McClure thinks their futures could rely upon each other. Both players are under contract and both clubs say they have no real interest in moving them, publicly at least.
“Joe, like Tom, will not be asking for a trade. He’s not unhappy at Essendon, but Essendon are open to it and Sydney want him," McClure said.
"It will just depend on if they (Sydney) want to get a big name player and it might be Daniher, it might be someone else, it might be both. How much do they want to get a first-round pick in the door?"
If Sydney land Daniher, they could be more open to sending young Papley, who is under contract until 2023 and kicked 37 goals in 2019, back to the Southern State.
