Brisbane’s move to lure Crow Josh Jenkins is almost a deal too good to refuse
May 27, 2016 2:00pm
MICHELANGELO RUCCI CHIEF FOOTBALL WRITER The Advertiser
BRISBANE’S offer to out-of-contract Crows key forward Josh Jenkins is real - and almost too good to refuse.
But Jenkins’ teammates at Adelaide are hopeful the Lions’ off-field lure - a five-year deal worth more than $4 million - will be dented by the Crows’ greater prospects on the field in the chase for the priceless AFL premiership.
Brisbane has denied reports of putting a $3.75 million deal to Jenkins’ manager Paul Connors. But The Advertiser has confirmed Jenkins, 27, is aware of a genuine offer from the Lions - and is waiting for Adelaide to respond with firm terms to a new contract at West Lakes.
That will take time, leaving at least one Victorian-based club to also make a move on the 27-year-old forward-ruckman who is the leading goalscorer (26 goals) in the AFL’s most-potent attack.
First, Connors is on leave overseas. And the Crows are waiting for the AFL to declare salary caps for 2017 and beyond - a process held up by the challenging collective bargaining agreement with the players’ union.
Adelaide will now have to offer at least a four-year deal - and at least $3 million to keep Jenkins, a 78-game player who moved to the Crows after starting his AFL journey from basketball as an Essendon rookie-listed player.
Brisbane’s offer - and those to come from at least two other AFL clubs - makes a mockery of the reviews, including that from North Melbourne premiership hero Wayne Carey, that Jenkins is a “fourth-string forward”.
The real threat of losing Jenkins - after Adelaide paid dearly for raids on its key players in recent years - has not prompted the Crows squad to gather to follow the ethos set by the Geelong and Hawthorn player groups to ignore money to chase flags.
But 21-year-old Rory Atkins - who this week signed a two-season contract extension at West Lakes - hopes Jenkins and other out-of-contract teammates, including midfielder Brad Crouch, value the culture and on-field promise at the Adelaide Football Club.
“When signing a contract, there’s a lot of things that need to be assessed,” the 17-game Atkins said of how an AFL player today decides his future.
“But I’m confident that (at Adelaide) we have a very close group; a very young group and we’re striving for success and going the right way in doing that.
“There’s more of a bias to stay with the group that you feel comfortable with. As a (non-Victorian) club and with a lot of us from other states, we rely heavily on each other. That is a big factor in deciding if you stay or not.”
Of the prospect of forming a pact to ignore more cash from rival AFL clubs to be more focused on team success at Adelaide, Atkins said: “There’s definitely not anything structured. Stuff like that usually just happens catching up with a mate or a group of guys for a coffee.”
Atkins joined Adelaide from Victoria as a fourth-round pick (No. 81) in the 2012 AFL national draft. He has become a shining light as a long-term player for the Crows.
Like Jenkins, Atkins is managed by Connors. His negotiations for a new deal were far from protracted.
“I left that up to (my management) and the people in charge at the club ... and it went well,” Atkins said. “I enjoy living in Adelaide - it is easy to live in.”
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