Essendon want nothing less than a top 10 pick for wantaway forward Joe Daniher, according toย SEN's Sam Edmund.
The club appears open to letting the 26-year-old walk, but only if the compensation they receive for the restricted free agent comes as an early first round pick.
Otherwise, Essendon is expected to match any offer for Daniher, according to Edmund.
Earlier this month, Daniher once again signalled his desire to leave the Bombers, this time nominating the Lions as his club of choice.
The two clubs have held preliminary talks, and a trade is still on the table, per Edmund's report.
The Lions currently hold picks 16 and 17 in this year's draft, while Essendon possess pick six.
Because Essendon have that early pick, any compensation they could receive from Daniher's departure can't be higher than pick six, making pick seven their best case compensation pick.
The compensation the Bombers could receive will depend on, among other things, the length and value of Daniher's contract, with reports of a five-year, $600,000-per-season contract reportedly circling.
For comparison, the Lions received a late first round compensation pick when Tom Rockliff left the club in 2017, joining the Power on a four-year deal. His deal was reportedly worth around $650,000 a season.
It's likely that the Lions will have to table a similar offer to Daniher for Essendon to receive a first-round pick in compensation.
