Jack Riewoldt set to cash in with new Richmond Tigers contract Mark Stevens
Herald Sun
June 17, 2010 RICHMOND has taken the first step towards locking in Jack Riewoldt to a long-term deal as the value of AFL's newest superstar soars by the week.
Riewoldt is out of contract at the end of next season, leaving him susceptible to a raid from Western Sydney, and the Tigers are keen to re-sign him before the end of this year.
But Riewoldt, 21, will not come cheaply after an amazing run of 30 goals in the past five weeks. Riewoldt is a cut-price Coleman Medal leader, earning about $250,000 this year - slightly above AFL's average.
Given his new status, and the scarcity of quality key forwards in the league, Riewoldt may be able to command up to $500,000 a season.
Richmond made first contact with Riewoldt's manager Ricky Nixon about a fortnight ago and they have been talking since.
Tigers football manager Craig Cameron last night confirmed the preliminary discussions.
"We'd like him to go into next year contracted," Cameron said. "But it's at a very, very early stage ... we haven't exchanged offers or discussed lengths of terms or anything."
The Tigers, in re-building mode and paying close to 92.5 per cent of the salary cap, have significant room to handsomely reward exciting goalkicker.
With the recent urgency from the Tigers, both both parties are expected to sit down and get serious in coming weeks.
A two-year extension would keep Riewoldt at Punt Rd until at least 2013, but he may even sign on for an extra three.
The landscape has changed significantly since Riewoldt's emergence in recent weeks.
If anything, his form has only strengthened the likelihood of Riewoldt re-signing before the end of the year.
Riewoldt was attracting interest from rival clubs in the first month of the season as he was seen as a prodigious talent struggling to blossom because of the Tigers' weak playing list.
Clubs, particularly within striking distance of a flag, viewed him as a player capable of playing a key role in a strong side.
But in good news for Richmond fans, is he is now seen as out of reach among powerful rivals.
They simply will not be able to afford him, given salary-cap constraints - and the Tigers simply cannot afford to let him go, given not only his form, but marketing potential.
Riewoldt signed a three-year deal when he arrived at Richmond after being taken at No. 13 in the 2006 national draft, then an extension pushing him out until the end of 2011.
Western Sydney has the ability to land Riewoldt as an uncontracted player at the end of 2011, but he will almost certainly be off-limits.
The emerging Tigers have signed Trent Cotchin until the end of 2013 and Brett Deledio until the end of 2012.
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