Collingwood football boss Graham Wright has quashed a report that has suggested young star Nick Daicos could earn over $100,000 if he was to win the Brownlow Medal this year thanks to a clause in his contract.
Daicos, who is the favourite to take out the award in just his second season in the competition, was murmured to be in line for a staggering pay bump should he claim 'Charlie' in any of his first four seasons with the Magpies.
The 20-year-old added two years to his rookie contract after being drafted with the fourth pick in the 2021 National Draft as a father-son selection, following in the footsteps of father Peter and brother Josh to pull on the black and white.
According to a report from The Age this week, Daicos could cash in a six-figure sum if he was to remain on his current trajectory and become the youngest Brownlow Medal winner since Gavin Wanganeen in 1993 while equalling the likes of Michael Voss (1996) and Chris Judd (2004) to do so as a 20-year-old.
When quizzed on whether the contract clause was part of Daicos' rookie deal, Wright revealed no such section of the contract was included, nor could it be for his first two seasons in the AFL.
"No, there isn't," Wright told 3AW.
"I don't like to talk about contracts because I feel like then I'm drawn into talking about them all. But any first and second-year player can't have those clauses in their contract.
"Any incentives people have in their contracts you budget them in from a salary cap perspective.
"The best and fairest can be in there, and then they're on a standard playing contract for two years. That doesn't change."
Daicos has rocketed into contention as the best player in the competition with less than 50 games to his name, flourishing through a myriad of rules under senior coach Craig McRae.
The young star is leading the competition for disposals per game and also ranks in the top 10 for metres gained in 2023, with the Magpies' "generational talent" gaining unprecedented attention both on and off the field.
Wright said the club, along with Daicos' teammates, family and management, have all worked together to provide the best environment for the emerging talent.
"We're just conscious of the fact that he's 20 years old and he's doing the sort of looks like a generational sort of talent," Wright said.
"I feel like we're managing him well. He's got great support around him with his family, but also to his management in Robbie D'Orazio and Paul Connors.
"Then at the club, he's got great coaches, but great leaders around him as well. (Scot) Pendlebury, Darcy Moore, (Brayden) Maynard, these guys who have been playing footy a long time now, so they support him, as well as his brother. They're incredibly close. I think they support each other really well."
Daicos brings up game 42 on Saturday as Collingwood and Fremantle clash at the MCG.