New two-year deal almost done for Sydney Stack

[one-eyed]

New deal almost done for Tigers' breakout rookie star

AFL.com.au
Mitch Cleary Jun 26, 2019

SYDNEY Stack's rise from wayward youngster to AFL star is set to be rewarded with a new contract at Richmond until the end of 2021.

Handed a nine-month contract as the Tigers' last pre-season signing in February, Stack has been offered a two-year extension to remain at Punt Road.

After returning to Western Australia during Richmond's mid-season bye, the 19-year-old has arrived back in Melbourne this week on the verge of signing a fresh deal.

"We are working through the specifics of an offer for Syd at the moment," Stack's manager Cameron Read of Inside 50 Player Management told AFL.com.au. 

"Richmond have done a fantastic job in supporting him, he's very happy there and keen to remain given the faith they have showed in him."

Overlooked by all 18 clubs in last year's NAB AFL Draft due to concerns about his off-field preparation, Stack was given a two-month trial by the Tigers across December and January.

After impressing on the Tigers' pre-season camp in Queensland and building a close bond living with coach Damien Hardwick, Stack was officially added to the list in February.

He has since enjoyed a stellar start to his AFL career, playing 11 matches straight in defence since his round three debut and finds himself a contender for the NAB AFL Rising Star.

https://www.afl.com.au/news/2019-06-26/new-deal-almost-done-for-tigers-breakout-rookie-star

[one-eyed]

Summer fitness clause for Stack

JON RALPH,
Herald Sun
June 27, 2019

Sydney Stack’s new two-year contract will include a financial incentive for him to return to pre-season in the best shape of his life.

The Herald Sun can reveal both his management and the Tigers are happy to include a clause which would reward him for keeping himself fit through that period.

The new Tiger, second only to Carlton’s Sam Walsh in TAB’S Rising Star betting, nearly cost himself a shot at AFL stardom last off-season.

After an exceptional back-end to the 2018 season he turned in poor shape at the draft combine and was only taken by Richmond after a summer of training under the new rookie clause.

Stack’s manager and mentor Paul Peos is closing in on a new contract with Richmond list boss Blair Hartley that would sign up until 2021.

Talks have been scheduled for the mid-season break for several months, with many close to WA-raised Stack believing settling in Melbourne the perfect spot to retain his focus.

Walsh is the $1.30 favourite ahead of Stack ($8), but Stack’s combination of aggression and precision off half back makes him one of footy’s most watchable young players.

Peos said yesterday Stack was happy with a contract with financial incentives over summer — only part of a detailed contract with a range of incentives for performance.

AFL players are often given targets for skinfolds or time trial results when they return to the club over summer so a financial clause could easily be structured accordingly.

“There has been something presented for a couple of years and it’s quite detailed and complex and incentivised,” he told the Herald Sun.

“All parties are on the same page but we are not there yet. It will get done but there is a bit to work through.

“Both parties know he needs another pre-season and there are a few things that we discussed and agreed on that we thought would potentially incentivise it through that pre-season period. As a young boy he is a bit inconsistent in that area and we want to provide some incentives in the contract to work through that period.

“It can be financial, some of the detail we are still working through but all parties are pretty happy and things are moving in the right direction.”

Stack is the top-rated teenager in the AFL on Champion Data’s player ratings, ahead of players including Connor Rozee, Bailey Smith and Sam Walsh.

His kicking efficiency is also the best for any teenager in the competition and the second-best of any player at Richmond despite him consistently taking challenging inboard options.

Stack has quickly become a cult hero at the Tigers, applauded for his embrace of Eddie Betts after the Adelaide star kicked a goal on him late in Richmond’s loss to the Crows before the bye.

https://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/afl/teams/richmond/stack-to-get-paid-for-offseason-discipline-under-new-twoyear-deal/news-story/6ddca185ad517edb7b7727e94e908ece