‘Billy’ over Brody: Why the Pies have to make Elliott their priority

1 hour ago 1

The Gold Coast Suns have a three-year offer on the table for Jamie Elliott, who performed at the level of an All-Australian small or medium forward in 2025, despite his omission from that team.

Elliott has a decision to make in the coming days about whether he re-signs with the Magpies – the club he has served so magnificently over 219 games – or opts to leave the nest and finish his AFL career elsewhere.

Lachie Schultz (left) and Jamie Elliott celebrate a goal during their qualifying final against the Crows in Adelaide.

The Suns, who offer relative anonymity and a more peaceful existence outside Melbourne’s football jungle, are clear favourites if he decides to leave, although he would have no difficulty finding other suitors.

Collingwood’s offer is for two years and, at this stage, is insufficient for Elliott to accept. It is the amount offered, rather than the length of contract, that has been the reason Elliott has not committed to the Magpies yet, from what one can gather from those closer to the action.

As with most decorated footballers, who have become synonymous with a club – winning games and fans – Elliott’s preference is to remain at Collingwood.

But if he hasn’t signed yet – and has a better deal before him from Damien Hardwick’s rising Suns – the Magpies will likely need to up the ante to retain “Billy”.

Brody Mihocek, too, has a decision to make on his future.

Like Elliott, he has a two-year offer in front of him from Collingwood, and reportedly, a competing deal from Melbourne. It is a fair assumption that the Demons’ deal is superior.

Collingwood have only a certain amount to spend under their salary cap, having outlaid more than $850,000 per season on long-term contracts for both Dan Houston and Harry Perryman last year. They have a squad replete with mature players, and relatively few youngsters on the minimum, compared with rivals.

Had they budgeted for one or two of Scott Pendlebury, Steele Sidebottom and Jeremy Howe to finish by now, they might’ve saved a few pennies. But those ancient mariners will sail on in 2025, having performed well this year, until the preliminary final when Pendlebury was grounded early with a calf injury, Howe was compromised by an adductor injury from round 24, and Sidebottom didn’t play to his usual level.

Will Hoskin-Elliott has already finished, and it would be surprising if Tom Mitchell was retained, given he wasn’t selected for the final rounds and finals. Mason Cox, 34, is another oldie without a contract as yet.

If there is a need for a veteran to jump ship, it would be better for the Magpies to lose Mihocek than Elliott.

Mihocek struggled in both finals, in which he did not manage a goal, and carried a foot injury. He has been a remarkable warrior, capable of picking himself up from all manner of collisions and playing on. Nathan Buckley, his first senior coach at Collingwood, called him “indestructible” once when calling a game for Fox Footy three years ago.

Typically, a player who holds down a key position is more structurally important than a 178-centimetre forward.

Elliott, though, is a unique player, capable of soaring for the highest marks, marking on the lead and scrounging goals on the deck. Despite a wretched run with injury in his mid-20s – he missed the entire 2016 and 2018 seasons – “Billy” has lost neither his spring, nor the bulk of his acceleration.

The Suns are willing to offer him three years, on the grounds that he is a special player. They’re prepared to risk him falling down in the third year of that contract, as the price of picking up a star.

He wants to stay with Collingwood, but he doesn’t want to stay on the terms proposed.

The Pies have potential replacements for Mihocek in youngster Charlie West and Swans forward Jack Buller, who has requested a trade to Collingwood. Dan McStay, overlooked for finals, can also fill the breach, even if he’s less reliable than the former Port Melbourne centre half-back.

Logically, Collingwood and their list management team, headed by Justin Leppitsch, should make Elliott the priority among those ancient mariners.

It makes little sense for Collingwood to pursue Steven May, also 33, and relinquish one of the code’s best small/medium forwards; Elliott, one could add, has never caused foment within the walls of his club.

While Mihocek, 32, is slightly younger than Elliott (who turned 33 in August), his output has declined lately and, as an undersized key forward who puts his body into the helter-skelter, he doesn’t have the option of finding a less-punishing method or role.

This mightn’t be a binary choice, between Elliott and Mihocek. But Elliott’s retention – and remuneration – has to take precedence.

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