TIGERS INCREASE BID TO KEEP FLAG STARRICHMOND has upped its offer for free agent Jack Graham to four years, hopeful the premiership midfielder will commit his future to the club.
Graham has been weighing up a four-year deal from West Coast throughout the season, where he can move as an unrestricted free agent, but had also been considering a smaller offer to potentially stay at the Tigers.
However, Richmond has since moved to retain Graham by tabling a longer-term deal having already received trade requests from fellow premiership stars Liam Baker, Shai Bolton and Daniel Rioli in recent weeks.
Baker and Bolton have interest from both West Coast and Fremantle within their home state of Western Australia, while Rioli appears destined for Gold Coast where he will reunite with former coach Damien Hardwick.
A coaching call at the Eagles could also be key to Baker, Bolton and Graham's final decisions, with Melbourne assistant Andrew McQualter in the frame for the vacant West Coast coaching job.
McQualter had previously spent the best part of a decade as an assistant at Richmond and has good relationships with Baker, Bolton and Graham, playing a significant role in the club's trio of premiership victories under Hardwick.
He also spent the last 13 games of last season acting as a caretaker coach at Richmond following Hardwick's abrupt departure, guiding the Tigers to a 7-6 record in the back half of the season. – Riley Beveridge
https://www.afl.com.au/news/1211422/inside-trading-tigers-up-bid-for-flag-star-suns-open-to-luko-move-giants-made-to-wait