Player Contract Status

[The Doctor]

Fantabulous!

[comrade]

A no fuss signing early in the year (more likely on slight unders based on output than squeezing us for every dollar), guys like Macrae are worth their weight in gold in terms of list management.

Complete opposite to Dunks.

[angelopetraglia]

How good. No fuss, just like the way he plays the game. Bulldog for life. Love Jacko.

[azabob]

A no fuss signing early in the year (more likely on slight unders based on output than squeezing us for every dollar), guys like Macrae are worth their weight in gold in terms of list management.

Complete opposite to Dunks.

It is an interesting comparison.

From all reports Macrae is playing in his preferred position most weeks which means he's fairly happy.

Dunkley is not playing in his preferred position and it can cause him angst.

Typically a happy employee will not necessarily chase the dollars or look to leave where as an employee who is not 100% happy will look around and look at other drivers such as dollars.

[Axe Man]

Dunkley is not playing in his preferred position and it can cause him angst.

I don't think that's the case anymore. I could be mistaken but thought Dunkley played majority midfield on Wednesday night?

[bornadog]

I don't think that's the case anymore. I could be mistaken but thought Dunkley played majority midfield on Wednesday night?

I think he took up all of Libba's normal role.

[azabob]

I don't think that's the case anymore. I could be mistaken but thought Dunkley played majority midfield on Wednesday night?

I will have to take your word for it, I didn't see the game.

[ratsmac]

How can you not love Macrae! Leaves nothing on the field. Awesome news

[Mofra]

It is an interesting comparison.

From all reports Macrae is playing in his preferred position most weeks which means he's fairly happy.

Dunkley is not playing in his preferred position and it can cause him angst.

Typically a happy employee will not necessarily chase the dollars or look to leave where as an employee who is not 100% happy will look around and look at other drivers such as dollars.

English has indicated he wants to play ruck, so perhaps it bodes well for his re-signing chances.

[HOSE B ROMERO]

Mr consistency and at such an elite level. 3 All australians so far and by the end of his career will go down as a legend of the club. Doesn't do the spectacular but i love that he is one of us.

[Go_Dogs]

Macrae is like the new Moz. Heart and soul player who just gives his all for the betterment of the team and club every day. Stoked we’ve locked it away, a great endorsement for others who we are negotiating with, and means we can now sharpen our focus and have a better line of sight in our financials.

[The Doctor]

Jon Ralph says

Caleb Daniel about to sign major deal

Keath also likely

[Axe Man]

Dogs set to lock away star on monster deal

Western Bulldogs defender Caleb Daniel is on the verge of a bumper free agency deal with the club confident it has cap space to retain its array of out-of-contract stars.

News Corp understands 25-year-old Daniel is extremely close to signing a new long-term deal likely to be at least five seasons, making him a Dog for life.

The Bulldogs this week signed All Australian midfielder Jackson Macrae on a new five-year deal but he is only the first of a long list of priority signings.

Wingman Bailey Smith, rebounding defender Bailey Dale, ruck-forward Tim English, prolific midfielder Josh Dunkley and defender Alex Keath are all out of contract.

Talks are ongoing with all of their management companies but English and Dale, in particular, are holding off talks for some time as they maximise their worth.

The brilliant, helmeted rebounding-defender stands at only 168cm but has built an impressive resume, including the 2016 premiership and All Australian honours and the Charles Sutton Medal in 2020.

The No. 46 selection in the 2014 national draft will join Macrae in passing up his free agency rights to gain security on a contract that takes him past 30 with the club.

Former Adelaide defender Alex Keath has a games-based trigger in his contract that will see him locked in until the end of 2023.

He has played 18 and 23 games in his first two seasons at the club and will be joined by ex-Hawks forward Tim O’Brien in coming weeks as the club adds an intercepting defender to replace former captain Easton Wood.

The Dogs’ feedback from player managers is that their clients are keen to remain with the club under Luke Beveridge.

Beveridge’s outburst last week saw calls for more support for the senior coach, given it was a pattern of behaviour, but the club is adamant its support structures are sufficient.

Both football boss Chris Grant and chief executive Ameet Bains had spoken to Beveridge in the lead-in to the press conference about the way in which he would deal with the story of Lachie Hunter’s demotion.

In consultation with that pair and communications boss Adrian Ceddia, Beveridge had agreed he would park his emotions and move on.

Instead, he went out a long rant and attempted to throw reporter Tom Morris out of the press conference.

The Dogs believe the outburst and subsequent discussions over his behaviour will be a circuit-breaker for Beveridge, who has owned his part in the episode.

He told his weekly press conference he had never felt more energised, with the club believing its support levels for the head coach do not need to be boosted.

[Axe Man]

DOGS STAR KEEN TO STAY

YOUNG Western Bulldogs star Bailey Smith is on the club's list of priority re-signings this season and says he has no intentions of leaving the Kennel.

Smith's run of 68 consecutive games since his round one debut in 2019 came to an end last week when he missed the Dogs' loss to Carlton with a hip complaint. He has been picked to return against the Swans on Thursday night.

The powerful midfielder's two-year contract expires at the end of this season and although he is unlikely to open talks until deeper into the season, the 21-year-old said he was keen to recommit to the Bulldogs.

"I'm just trying to play this year as well as I can. I obviously don't want to go anywhere. I leave it to my manager to talk about and he tells me when it gets serious and when to put pen to paper and I'll say 'Done'. I'm just there to sign. That's the thing. I don't want to go anywhere else," Smith told AFL.com.au this month.

"It's more something I think we'll deal with around mid-to-later in the year."

Smith has been an instant hit at AFL level since being the Dogs' No.7 pick at the 2018 NAB AFL Draft.

Many of his contemporaries in that year's draft – Carlton's Sam Walsh and St Kilda's Max King (four years), Gold Coast's Ben King, Port Adelaide's Connor Rozee and Zak Butters and North Melbourne's Tarryn Thomas (all two years) – have already inked contract extensions beyond this year having all started their career with two-year deals through to the end of 2022.

Smith represents an interesting marketplace value given his excellent – and growing – football credentials as well as his wide off-field marketing appeal. – Callum Twomey

[Grantysghost]

Give him a 7 year deal.