Essendon ruckman Andrew Phillips could be the latest player to move to a fourth club, with AFL Media reporting that Melbourne have garnered an interest in the big man.
The 29 year-old Phillips came across to the Dons from Carlton at the end of last year on a one-year deal, the first time the two clubs have brokered a trade in 16 years.
Before that, he was on GWSโ inaugural playing list and played 14 games across four seasons before making the switch to the Blues, where he played a further 27 matches.
Hitout to advantage rates % since Andrew Phillips debuted in 2012 (10+ games of current AFL players):
Max Gawn 33.2%
Andrew Phillips 32.7%
Braydon Preuss 31.3%
Sam Naismith 30.8%
Paddy Ryder 30.3%#SuperCoach #AFLTrade— Fantasy Freako (@FantasyFreako) November 5, 2020
For the Dons in 2020, Phillips has played only the five games this year, being caught behind emerging ruck Sam Draper and Tom Bellchambers, who has since retired.
The Demons are on the search for a back-up ruckman to Max Gawn after Braydon Preuss signalled his intentions to link up with GWS this off-season.
They picked up tall prospect Luke Jackson last year in the AFL Draft, but has made good progress as a key forward this year.
Melbourne expressed interest in another Bomber in Shaun McKernan, who was delisted following the 2020 season, but the St Kilda have snapped up the big man on a one-year deal.
Should Phillips depart the Dons this year, it leaves the Dons with just Draper and 2019 draftee Nick Bryan, who didnโt play a game in 2020, as players who can play the ruck position.
The latest players to have been at four clubs include Jonathan Giles, who was at Port Adelaide, GWS, Essendon and West Coast from 2006-17 and Ben Hudson, who played at Adelaide, Western Bulldogs, Brisbane and Collingwood from 2004-14.
