Behind a paywall.
Shai and tell: Where Tigers stand with new Bolton deal
Shai Bolton is emerging as the most dynamic player in the game but what will the Tigers have to pay to keep him at Punt Road? And why is he so happy to sign a new deal?
https://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/afl/news/afl-trade-news-2022-all-the-latest-in-trades-free-agency-and-player-contracts/news-story/0c82f853f599b7b9b0c2927265c67006
Here's the article bits about Bolton:Shai Bolton is emerging as the most dynamic player in the game but what will the Tigers have to pay to keep him at Punt Road? And why is he so happy to sign a new deal? Jon Ralph
Richmond star Shai Bolton is prepared to sign a new contract in coming months that would see him sacrifice his future free agency rights and remain at Punt Road long-term.
But those talks might require the Tigers to hand over nearly a million dollars a season given his extraordinary potential and marketing power.
The brilliant 23-year-old is happy at Richmond and contracted through to the end of 2023 on a deal worth just over $600,000 a season.
Richmond has had early talks with his new manager Anthony Van Der Wielen after he moved across to his stable of former South Fremantle players including Tim Kelly, Marlion Pickett and recently retired Tiger Matt Parker.
Van Der Wielen confirmed to the Herald Sun he was open to a new deal for Bolton but his immediate focus was a strong finish to a season where Tigers can still play finals.
The expected timeline for that new deal will be through summer when both parties can get a more accurate gauge of his worth.
“We are very comfortable where things lie at Richmond at the moment. He’s contracted until the end of 2023, Van Der Wielen said.
“I’m in regular contact with Blair Hartley. When Richmond and Shai feel it’s appropriate we will begin negotiations.
“I’m not sure exactly when that will be but it’s not what we are focused on right at this moment.”
The WA product could write his own cheque if he decided to return home but has been well supported by the Tigers and believes his potential is being maximised under Damien Hardwick.
Talks on Bolton’s deal will be picked up after those list and trade discussions but he is keen to be contracted again before next season starts – subject to a fair deal.
He would only be a free agent at the end of 2024 but a long-term deal would take him well past that date and deep into his 20s.
Senior Tigers advisor Neil Balme said Bolton was on the verge of becoming the “best player in the competition”.
Balme said should the 23-year-old find the consistency that is the mark of the truly great players he could be “hard to stop”.
“I say, to myself, if he actually played consistently, he’s nearly the best player in the comp,” Balme said on RSN.
“He does play reasonable consistently, but so much of it is that natural brilliance. Part of the challenge of being a greatplayer is doing it consistently and that’s still his test.
“Can you imagine if he did play at his absolute maximum all the time, he’d be hard to stop.”
Champion Data rates Bolton as the most impactful player in the AFL with 45 per cent of his disposals part of a scoring chain, streets ahead of Marcus Bontempelli.
He is the No. 1 ranked mid-forward for goals and score involvements.
In 2024 in what would be the first year of a new deal the Tigers will have Dustin Martin in the last year of his existing $1.3 million-a-season deal and Tom Lynch earning over $1 million as part of his back-ended deal.
But with Trent Cotchin and Jack Riewoldt retired by then they could afford his salary in a year three players were on nearly seven figures or back-end the deal into later seasons.
The Tigers would be aware the longer they left his negotiations in the final season of his contract the more they might have to pay him.
Dustin Martin was keen to be re-contracted in 2016 but instead as talks dragged out he was eventually paid $1.3 million after signing on the verge of the finals in a year he won the Brownlow Medal, MVP, Norm Smith and Richmond best-and-fairest.
Bolton has kicked 35.34 this year as well as 13 complete misses but is a superb kick who will only improve his accuracy.
Richmond’s classy manner in which they handled Parker’s return home to WA — he and his partner have three children four years and under and he was not in senior selection contention — has only reinforced to Van Der Wielen that Bolton is in good hands.
