By JOHN VAN KLAVEREN
GEELONG speedster Steve Motlop is Tiger-bound, if local footy insiders are to be believed.
Connections with football in the coastal town of Lorne say Motlop has told close friends who play for the club that he has a large offer on the table from Richmond.
Motlop is a keen local football follower, even though it has landed him in strife on the odd occasion.
Hawthorn players outed the sikly ball-handler during to the Easter Monday blockbuster with the Cats for drinking while at a local game in Colac.
The new-found success of former Geelong midfielder Taylor Hunt at Richmond could foreshadow Motlop’s move.
The trade possibility remains open while Motlop, out of contract at the end of this season, delays talks with the Geelong hierarchy.
The Tigers remain keen to bolster their midfield and have signalled an interest in the October trade period.
Football manager Dan Richardson told the club’s website that Richmond had salary cap room.
“We’ve been clear over the last couple of years to continue [building] midfield depth,” Richardson said.
“We’ve seen also the likes of Taylor Hunt spending some time there and he’s shown some real promise for us.
“In terms of the midfield, we’ve seen Corey Ellis and Connor Menadue start to show that we think they’re going to long-term players for us; Kamdyn McIntosh is another.
“We’re developing most of what we need internally but in saying that, you always like to have good players.
“We’ve still got some salary cap room; maybe a little less with the improvement of a couple of players over the last bit of time,“ he said.
“When you try to keep some salary cap space clear, I think it’s important for two reasons: you’ve got to reward players that deserve to be rewarded, and balance with bringing players in, generally speaking, when you’ve got to pay a little bit more to encourage them across.
“That’s not to say money is the be-all and end-all with these decisions.
“We’re halfway through a season and the trade period doesn’t take place until October so how that plays out for us depends on what plays out with other clubs as well.
“You closely monitor that and we’ll continue to do so.“
Defender Alex Rance, captain Trent Cotchin and key midfielder Dustin Martin all re-committed to the Tigers this season.
