In-demand Giants midfielder "more likely" to leave at the end of the season

SEN Chief Sports Reporter Sam Edmund believes gun GWS Giants midfielder Josh Kelly is “more likely” to leave the club at the end of 2021.

Kelly is currently weighing up whether to re-sign and trigger an eight-year contract extension at the club which would see him paid $8 million over that period.

Following the updated free agency contract list released on Friday, Edmund said Kelly was the most intriguing player currently on the market.

“I think Josh Kelly is well and truly captain of the intrigue list (when it comes to restricted free agents this year),” he said on SEN’s Crunch Time.

“The Giants were caught between a rock and a hard place, they’ve signed this contract which will see him earn eight million over eight years if he takes up this option in his contract.

“(Josh) Kelly is one not to be rushed and he’s one of the great contract procrastinators it was put to me, I think it’s more likely he leaves but where he goes to, there’s only a small number of windows there.

Edmund said the likes of North Melbourne and Essendon – who have significant salary cap room – would have space to accommodate Kelly’s contract if he does decide to head home to Victoria.

“North (Melbourne) can afford him, Essendon can too and he has some links there in (former teammates) Dylan Shiel and Devon Smith,” he said.

“He’s 26, he was an All-Australian in 2017 and has been a stand-in skipper this year and I would argue he’s been in some reasonable form.”