Collingwood is planning on spoiling the party and swoop in to steal Logan McDonald from the grasp of Sydney and Fremantle, whilst Hawthorn has also been linked.
Earlier this month, the Pies and Hawks were said to be making plays for McDonald amid reports that a whopping $200,000 difference per year could be on offer from the Victorian clubs.
However, while Collingwood looks at their key forwards list which consists of Mason Cox (33), Brody Mihocek (31) and Dan McStay, who is coming off an ACL injury, there is no doubt the club needs to bolster their front half.
Speaking on Fox Footy'sย Midweek Tackle, journalists Sam Landsberger and Jay Clark discuss the prospect of McDonald and where he could potentially land.
โLogan McDonald I think is a name they are circling. He's from Western Australia, but it's three hours south of Perth at Dunsborough,โ Landsberger said.
โHe grew up a Collingwood supporter, I think he would be a dream fit for Collingwood and they're going to have a red hot crack at him."
Despite the Swans wanting to keep McDonald, uncertainty does surround their "bulging salary cap", which has already seen the likes of Errol Gulden, James Rowbottom, Will Hayward and Ollie Florent signed on healthy deals, while Chad Warner comes out of contract at the end of 2025.
โA prime key forward at 196cm, he to me is the missing link ... at Collingwood, he would become the big banana. I think he'd be perfect, it'd be a long-term deal, eight-year deals are in vogue at the moment,โ Clark added.
โHe would take advantage of the bulging salary cap at Sydney ... the cap is clearly tight, this is where Collingwood moves in.โ
However, the main caveat is the fact that the AFL is likely to introduce the ability for clubs to trade picks two years in advance, which would give Collingwood the ammunition to go after players like McDonald.
SEE MORE: 2024 AFL Draft Order
The Pies gave up their 2024 first-round pick to secure Fremantle's Lachie Schultz last year and currently sit with Pick 26 (as it stands) which won't get a deal done.
Collingwood has also been linked to Tom Barrass and Bailey Smith, which would both require top 10 picks to get them to the AIA Centre.
โThe secret ingredient here is the fact the AFL is about to enable clubs to trade two years of future draft picks,โ Landsberger added.
โIf that gets ticked off for this year's off-season, which a lot of clubs think will happen, I reckon that gives them the artillery to get a trade done.
โGo to the Swans with (Collingwood's) suite of 2025 and 2026 picks, I think that's the key that could unlock a potential trade.โ
Collingwood's interest comes as suspicions that Fremantle's charming of the Swans forward may have wavered given the "emergence of Josh Treacy.
Treacy (22) is having a career-best season and is seen to be working in tandem with Jye Amiss, Luke Jackson and Bailey Banfield as the key forwards under Justin Longmuir.
โFremantle is still in the market, they've got the emergence of Josh Treacy, who's having an incredible season,โ Clark said.
โSo whether Fremantle needs McDonald anymore, I'm not sure. But it's going to be interesting to see how this plays out, the longer it goes you would think the more chance Collingwood is.โ
The Dockers currently hold three first-round picks in the upcoming National Draft and have already been linked to acquiring Warner next year, suggesting the club could make a strong push in 2025.
