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\u2018PLAYERS MOVE… IT\u2019S A FACT OF LIFE\u2019: FAGAN ON NEALE, BAILEY FUTURES<\/p>\n
Brisbane coach Chris Fagan has conceded players moving clubs is a \u201cfact of life\u201d in perhaps the biggest hint yet that star duo Zac Bailey and Lachie Neale could be headed for the exit door.<\/p>\n
Both Bailey and Neale are free agents and have been linked with exits to rival clubs. <\/p>\n
Bailey is being circled by Adelaide on a lucrative deal estimated to be worth as much as $10 million over seven years.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, Collingwood is among the clubs pursuing Neale, who turns 34 next year, with reports the Pies are willing to table the dual Brownlow medallist a three-year deal worth as much as $3 million in total.<\/p>\n
Speaking on Fox Footy\u2019s AFL 360, Fagan says he hasn\u2019t been involved in contract talks with the pair and simply wants to see both players give their all while they\u2019re still in Lions colours.\ufeff<\/p>\n
Lachie Neale and Zac Bailey are out of contract (Photo by Bradley Kanaris\/Getty Images)Source: FOX SPORTS<\/p>\n
\u201cAt the end of the day, the way football is now, players move. We don\u2019t like it when they move, but it\u2019s a fact of life,\u201d Fagan said on Fox Footy\u2019s AFL 360.<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd I think the main thing is, whether they stay or go, as long as they continue to play and give the best they\u2019ve got each week, that\u2019s all you can ask for.<\/p>\n
\u201cIn the case of Zac and Lachie, that\u2019s what we\u2019re getting at the moment.<\/p>\n
\u201cNo doubt this will all unfold. I may need to get involved at some point in time down the track.<\/p>\n
\u201cBut for now, the focus is just them, their footy and performance and helping them with whatever else they need help with in their lives.\u201d<\/p>\n
Fagan said he\u2019d had more discussions with Neale on his future while the star midfielder navigates a complex off-field situation in the aftermath of he and wife Jules\u2019 split.<\/p>\n
\u201cI probably haven\u2019t had a lot of conversations with Zac at this point in time. His form has been really good, so that\u2019s my major concern as the coach,\u201d Fagan said.<\/p>\n
\u201cLachie, there\u2019s probably been a few more conversations, because there\u2019s a bit more involved in what Lachie\u2019s future holds.<\/p>\n
\u201cSometimes he needs a bit of advice and a bit of help, so I tend to have conversations with him.\u201d<\/p>\n
Gerard TEES OFF on ARC system | 05:34<\/p>\n
PIES HAVE \u2018ASKED THE QUESTION\u2019 OF LEWIS<\/p>\n
Collingwood has \u201casked the question\u201d of Hawthorn free agent Mitch Lewis as it looks to beef up its forward line.<\/p>\n
The Magpies have again been active in the trade and free agency market with links to Port Adelaide\u2019s Zak Butters, Brisbane\u2019s Lachie Neale and Gold Coast duo Ben King and Jed Walter.<\/p>\n
With King expected to join Hawthorn should he depart the Suns and several clubs vying for Walter\u2019s services, AFL j0urnalist Mitch Cleary reports Lewis is another option for Collingwood.<\/p>\n
Cleary estimated that the Hawks\u2019 four-year offer to Lewis would be worth around $600,000-$700,000 per season. Whereas the unrestricted free agent could draw offers as much as $900,000 a year to leave.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think a key forward would be high on their agenda,\u201d Cleary said of Collingwood on Triple M radio.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey\u2019ve asked the question of Mitch Lewis, who\u2019s got a four-year offer in front of him from Hawthorn.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think he\u2019s on their radar.\u201d<\/p>\n
Lewis has booted 23 goals from 15 games \u2014 the equal-most senior appearances he\u2019s made in a season \u2014 after repeated injuries have previously cruelled the 27-year old\u2019s career.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Chris Fagan on the potential exits of Lachie Neale and Zac Bailey. Plus Collingwood has made a play…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":768958,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[560],"tags":[638,64,63,55,639,85],"class_list":["post-768957","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-afl","tag-afl","tag-au","tag-australia","tag-australian-football-league","tag-australianfootballleague","tag-sports"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/768957","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=768957"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/768957\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/768958"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=768957"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=768957"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=768957"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}