For better or for worse, AFL list management has shifted towards bigger and longer deals for the league's biggest stars.
Once unheard of, clubs are now prepared to offer players multi-year contracts worth millions of dollars. But it's not without risk.
These huge deals can hold a salary cap ransom for years, and can restrict list management at critical periods for a club's growth.
During last year's trade period, Collingwood were forced into a massive fire-sale of high-end talent after facing such a crisis. The implications of this forced exodus could haunt the Pies for years.
This year, Sydney are facing similar problems after big-money deals have stretched the club's budget thin.
When successful, these massive contracts can attract and retain the best talent in the league.
But when they fail, they can set a club back for years.
As we are now seeing in the AFL, these large contracts can bear a heavy burden for players. When a team is under-performing, the players on the biggest money are the first in the firing line.
The COVID-era has brought forced cuts into the salary-cap and further emphasised the perils of these monster deals.
We take a look at some of the contracts under the most pressure in the league. ๐
2. BRODIE GRUNDY
Like Coniglio, Brodie Grundy was shaping as one of the league's best players in 2019.
Free agency was looming and Collingwood were keen to secure their prized ruckman for the rest of his career.
Grundy also signed a seven-year deal reportedly worth around $1 million per year, which only began this year.
Since the signing, Grundy has failed to recapture his dominant-best form and the deal has hand-cuffed their list management.
When a cap squeeze forced Collingwood to trade Jaidyn Stephenson, Adam Treloar and Tom Phillips late in last year's trade period, many questioned the strategy behind Grundy's big contract.
Grundy's deal doesn't run out until 2027 when he will be 33-years-old, putting huge trust on a ruckman's body to hold up.
