Adelaide free agent Tom Doedee has confirmed Brisbane has shown an interest in his services this year, with the Crows defender taking the Lions' advances "as a compliment".
The Victorian has been tied to the premiership contenders after hitting pause on contract talks, while Doedee's situation unlike most others given his 2023 campaign has been cut short due to injury.
A ruptured ACL in Round 12 against the Gold Coast Suns brought Doedee's season to a premature end, with the setback the second of its kind for the backman since 2019.
The injury came as Doedee weighed up his future at West Lakes, with the 26-year-old eligible to explore free agency come the conclusion of his eighth season in the AFL.
A host of clubs are likely to show some level of interest given Doedee's availability and skill set, with the Lions among those hoping to bolster their backline this coming off-season.
Speaking to 9 News Adelaide,ย Doedee confirmed the Queensland club were keen to lure him out of South Australia, with the Geelong Falcons product taking their interest as a positive.
"I take it as a compliment, (having) any interest from other clubs," Doedee said.
"It means I've done something right in my career that people either like me on-field or off-field and what I bring on the field or off the field.
"So it's a positive in that regard."
Doedee's recovery will mean he misses the remainder of this season and likely the beginning of 2024, with the Crows star looking for inspiration in his journey through rehab.
The defender said he didn't have to look too far, with former skipper Rory Sloane putting in the work throughout last year after suffering a season-ending knee injury of his own in April 2022.
"I saw what he did in the gym every day," Doedee said of Sloane.
"Not just the hard work but the diligence he put into it and the methodical nature that he attacked it with in that every set and every rep meant something.
"He didn't leave any stone unturned and I plan on doing the same thing."
Injured Adelaide star Tom Doedee has confirmed to #9News that Brisbane is one of the clubs interested in the out-of-contract defender.
The Crows still have a deal on the table, leaving the 26-year-old with plenty to ponder. @coreynorris9 pic.twitter.com/zAm4pxkcMY
— 9News Adelaide (@9NewsAdel) June 29, 2023
Adelaide coach Matthew Nicks confirmed on Friday that Doedee and the club have hit pause on contact discussions, with the Crows hopeful their defender will re-sign.
"We'd love for Tom to re-sign," Nicks told media.
"At the moment, that's not the conversation we're having with him. Those conversations have been put on hold slightly while he recovers and gets himself right.
"He's doing a lot of work to make sure he gets that rehab right. He's been doing that really well.
"Most of our conversations in the past week or so have been around how he's doing.
"I think Tommy loves our footy club and I think our footy club loves Tom. We'll be doing everything we can."
Like the Lions, Adelaide remain in the mix for a shot at the premiership this year, sitting in eighth after 14 games with an even record of seven wins and seven losses.
The Crows will face North Melbourne at Adelaide Oval on Saturday before an important run against Essendon, GWS and Melbourne prior to their Round 20 Showdown aginst Port Adelaide.
