The interest in one of Gold Coast’s most prized picks across their club’s short history continues to grow amid uncertainty on his position at the club.
Additionally, a Blues forward is coming off a long-term deal with plenty of interest externally
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TOP DRAFT PICK ON WATCH
Suns utility Jack Lukosius continues to attract the attention of rival clubs, with Damien Hardwick’s uncertainty on where to play the star potentially pointing towards greater satisfaction elsewhere.
Taken at Pick 2 in the 2018 AFL Draft, the 23-year-old has regularly been played as a key forward, half-back and winger in his time at the club; with healthy debate on where he best fits in at the Suns.
Speaking on Fox Footy’s Midweek Tackle, Herald Sun journalist Jay Clark highlighted rival interest from Lukosius’ – particularly in his home state.
“I think he’s on every recruiter’s whiteboard and high up on the list – because we know what a talented player he is,” Clark said.
“He’s on a big wicket – a good deal – with Adelaide cashed up and with a couple of first-round draft picks, they’d be having a look at him.
“Every club is watching Jack Lukosius really closely, because we know how talented he is.”
Clark also commented on his current on-field state at the Suns, with his positioning at the Suns for the rest of 2024 perhaps an indicator to rival clubs on how he could best be used.
“There is a little bit of a question mark over what is his best position, because he has been, like Caleb Daniel, been thrown all over the place a little bit (positionally),” he added.
Hardwick earlier this week came out and spoke of Lukosius’ versatility and how in recent times he himself had wrongly put him back in defence.
“From my point of view, we tried him back, he went forward and looked really dynamic, looked a class above, so he’ll play forward this week,” Hardwick said.
“Hopefully it’s a long-term one and the coach doesn’t get his head on again and put him down back.”
Lukosius kicked three goals in Opening Round as a forward, before a goalless game in torrential rain against Adelaide the next week led Hardwick to move the tall to defence.
In his last two games at the stadium, he has kicked 10 goals with two five-goal hauls.
CARLTON CONTRACT CHAOS AS RIVALS SURROUND MARTIN
Carlton forward Jack Martin has peaked the interest of rival clubs – both locally and interstate – amid the Blues’ internal struggle to juggle the salary cap.
Martin’s initial five-year deal at the club expires at the end of this season, and leaves
The Age’s Jake Niall and Michael Gleeson have reported that of the several clubs currently interested in the 29-year-old, two of them are based outside of Victoria.
Yet to begin contract talks with his club, a Martin departure might allow for the Blues to further chase the likes of Will Hayward, who has also been sought after by both South Australian teams and the Melbourne Demons.
Martin returns for the Blues against Melbourne tonight for the first time in 2024, having recovered from a hamstring and knee injury that disrupted his pre-season.
The 148-gamer is one of multiple Blues players on a notable salary at Ikon Park, with Charlie Curnow, Patrick Cripps, Sam Walsh, Jacob Weitering and Harry McKay all
Weitering is the first of the aforementioned players to next run out of contract at the end of next year, while Walsh (2026), Cripps (2027), Curnow (2029), and McKay (2030) are all locked in for the foreseeable future.
Source Agencies
