Interstate club urged to swoop on axed Cat

“He might not play every game, but if one of your key midfielders goes down, he’s a player that can step in.”

EDITOR | October 21, 2021 - 3:14pm

West Coast have been urged to consider handing delisted Geelong midfielder Charlie Constable a lifeline for next season, with club great Andrew Embley suggesting the unfavoured onballer would add great depth to the Eagles' senior midfield.

Constable was not offered a new deal by the Cats last week, however Geelong are believed to be open to re-listing the 22-year-old should no new suitor emerge.

Despite a stellar season in Geelong's reserves this year, Constable was unable to cement his place in Chris Scott's star-studded engine room.

Constable has gained little interest in the open market across the past two exchange periods, having played 12 games in the blue and white hoops since joining the Cats via the 2017 National Draft.

Setting his attention to the ageing demographic of West Coast's midfield, Embley told Triple M Perth that Constable would be a viable reinforcement option for Adam Simpson's squad.

“He’s a really good, strong-bodied mid,” the Norm Smith medallist said.

“This year, he played in the VFL and just dominated. He was way too good for that competition. I’m actually a little bit surprised with their ageing list they didn’t keep Charlie on.

“You look at West Coast’s midfield group and they’ve got a lot of A-graders in there, but these A-Graders are 30-plus now … They’re no longer the players that they once were.

MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA - MARCH 22: Charlie Constable of the Cats (right) celebrates a goal during the 2019 AFL round 01 match between the Collingwood Magpies and the Geelong Cats at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on March 22, 2019 in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Michael Willson/AFL Photos)

“I think Charlie Constable could be a good fit for the West Coast Eagles. He might not play every game, but if one of your key midfielders goes down, he’s a player that can step in and play a really important role for you.”

The Eagles' list was the third oldest in the competition this season, sitting behind only the Cats and Saints with an average age of 24.9 years.

West Coast did not offer veterans Mark Hutchings and Nathan Vardy new deals for 2022, while senior duo Josh Kennedy and Shannon Hurn remain without contracts for next year.

The Eagles also cut ties with young midfielder Jarrod Brander, who joins Constable in seeking a new club despite promising glimpses at AFL level.

PERTH, AUSTRALIA - JULY 24: Jarrod Brander of the Eagles tries to keep the ball in play under pressure from Ben Long of the Saints during the 2021 AFL Round 19 match between the West Coast Eagles and the St Kilda Saints at Optus Stadium on July 24, 2021 in Perth, Australia. (Photo by Will Russell/AFL Photos via Getty Images)

Brander played 11 matches in 2021, struggling to improve his spot in Simpson's midfield pecking order, landing behind star names in Tim Kelly, Luke Shuey, Andrew Gaff, Liam Duggan and Jack Redden.