Gold Coast has handed Jed Walter a contract offer in excess of $750,000 a season as Victorian clubs including Essendon, Carlton, Collingwood and Geelong, and Adelaide, attempt to drag him out of the Suns.
But his impressive recent form and a medium-term PCL injury to key forward rival Ethan Reid will give him the sustained run in the senior side that could keep him at the Suns.
The Suns are determined to retain Walter and have shown him they are prepared to reward him with a deal of at least $1.5 million in total.
That offer is for a contract that could be as short as two seasons but longer if he wanted to gain contract security.
Those Victorian clubs and the Crows are seen to have interest but the Suns believe if he keeps playing senior football he will want to stay after 30 games across the previous two seasons.
It comes as the Suns frantically try to ward off Victorian clubs again trying to lure Bailey Humphrey home.
Gold Coast is desperate to retain Humphrey, but the silver lining of a trade south would be giving the Suns trade collateral to consider a strong move for Essendon’s Jordan Ridley.
Ridley is already exploring what a move north would be like, given he has strong family links in Queensland and will marry fiance Rachel Mewett in the state later this year.
The Herald Sun revealed last month Gold Coast had joined Brisbane in assessing a trade for Ridley.
But the Suns interest is only preliminary given, at this stage, they do not have a 2026 first-rounder and they have not had a medical with the injury-prone key back.
Humphrey was keen to get to last week’s mid-season bye concentrating on his football rather than his future but clubs including Hawthorn and Melbourne are desperate for his services.
The Hawks are shooting for the stars, believing they could be possible to secure Essendon’s Zach Merrett and Humphrey, despite the vast financial and draft capital that would be required.
The Herald Sun revealed last month Humphrey was their No. 1 target but they remain keen on Merrett given it seems certain Ben King will sign at the Suns and Zak Butters will choose a club closer to home in Bacchus Marsh.
Hawthorn has only a single first-round pick this year but a spectacular series of trades on draft night last year secured them a trio of second-round picks.
Hawthorn traded back from pick 14 to pick 16 and secured the Giants 2026 second-rounder.
Then they traded from pick 17 back to pick 18 with West Coast (Josh Lindsay) for St Kilda’s 2026 second-round pick.
They were then able to secure Cam Nairn at pick 20, who has already made his debut as a medium-sized forward, as well as pick 23 Aidan Schubert.
So, while the Hawks are open-minded about their plans, they do have trade collateral if they make a second bid for Merrett given they could offer multiple future first-rounders if required.
While they might hope to secure Merrett for a reduced trade offer, he continued to put up exceptional numbers as he averages 28 possessions, five tackles and 3.3 clearances while often playing outside the centre square as the Dons try to blood young mids.
Hawthorn football boss Rob McCartney said across the weekend that the club would continue to aggressively improve its list despite the return of Will Day, saying the Hawks had been in the window for trade targets last year when Day was fit.
Gold Coast full back Charlie Ballard could be part of any trade package but at this stage is keen to fight his way back into the side given he is contracted long-term at the Suns.
He is locked in until 2029 but returning from a knee injury he fell out of favour and his lack of selection means clubs are circling him.
The Suns will be keen to keep him but if he did end up moving it would allow them some cap relief and a later draft pick to help restock their selections.