Fremantle champion Paul Hasleby says Sean Darcy’s status at his former club is a “slight elephant in the room”.
The Dockers are well stocked in the ruck department with Darcy ably supported by Rory Lobb and 14-game tall Lloyd Meek – though Lobb has equally been linked with a trade.
Their ruck stocks could be further bolstered if Melbourne’s Luke Jackson decides to return to Western Australia this off-season.
Jackson, who remains out-of-contract with the Demons, is reportedly weighing up a move home to WA with the Dockers reportedly interested in the 20-year-old.
Despite being contracted for next year, unsettled tall Lobb has been linked with a move to the Western Bulldogs.
Hasleby explained why he “wouldn’t be too worried” if Darcy decided to leave the Dockers at season’s end.
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“It is a slight elephant in the room how he (Darcy) would be feeling,” the 208-game Docker told SEN WA’s The Run Home.
“He’s the number one ruckman, reigning best and fairest at the Fremantle Dockers. Probably not quite to that same level this year, but against the two ruckmen on the weekend, (Max) Gawn and Jackson, he won that battle. I thought he was terrific, back to his best.
“He’d been thinking, ‘Well, where’s my future at? Am I the number one (ruckman) or is Jackson going to keep improving?’ Everyone’s talking about him in a sense that his best football is going to be played in the ruck.
“He’s probably looking, ‘Well, maybe if there is another offer’ – and he’s always been linked to Geelong because of where he’s from and Geelong are always chasing a ruckman of that ilk.
“To me, at the Fremantle Dockers, it doesn’t make too much sense to have $1.8 million tied up in two ruckmen, I don’t think you need it.
“I wouldn’t be too worried if Sean Darcy did opt to leave the football club because you’ve got Lloyd Meek.
“You can do what Collingwood are doing at the moment where we’ve seen Darcy Cameron come in really cheap, but his influence has been just below that of what Brodie Grundy was achieving, but Brodie Grundy of course is about to come back in, he’s on $1 million.
“I think Lloyd Meek can fill a really important role for Fremantle if that was to happen and then it would be him and Jackson. It could save you money for potentially a shot at Logan McDonald down the track.”
Darcy is contracted to Fremantle until the end of 2024 after signing a two-year deal last year.
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