Collingwood coach Nathan Buckley firmly believes only a financial offer he couldn’t refuse would lure Jordan De Goey away from the AFL club.
The Magpies’ big task following Saturday’s humbling 68-point semi-final loss to Geelong at the Gabba is securing the future of off-contract star De Goey.
The 24-year-old has previously expressed his desire to stay at Collingwood but rivals, in particular Carlton, are interested in luring De Goey away.
Buckley accepts it’s almost certain the forward will talk to other clubs, given that is the reality of the AFL’s free agency era.
“Jordy loves the club, and he wants to be here,” Buckley said.
“Elements of people on his side would like to see him remunerated as well as he possibly could and we want him to be rewarded appropriately as well.
“That’s what it comes down to, because it’s not for a lack of belief in what the place has done for him and what it brings for him and the opportunity that it provides and the love and care and connection that he has to, not only the club, but in particular his teammates.
“But yes, there still needs to be a monetary outcome that’s satisfactory for both parties.”
Buckley is confident the heavy loss to the Cats, where the Magpies managed just two scoring shots by three-quarter time, doesn’t highlight a need for sweeping change in the off-season.
With uncertainty over just what size lists will be in 2021, the Magpies coach was holding his cards close to his chest about his recruitment goals.
“We feel like we’ve got a really good handle on what we’ve got and what we need, and we will be as aggressive as we can be,” he said.
“We’ve now won finals in the last three years and not been able to get to exactly where we want to get to, but we’ve got to continue to get better.
“There’s no stopping. There’s no slowing down in that regard.”