The West Coast Eagles have landed their priority trade target with Geelong today agreeing to a deal that will see classy midfielder Tim Kelly join the club.
A deal that was 12 months in the making, will see Kelly and his young family settle back in their home State with the 25-year-old starting life as an Eagle.
Kelly has exploded onto the AFL scene with two exceptional seasons to begin his elite career. In 2018 he won the AFL Players Association best first year player, won all-Australian selection this year, as well as winning the AFL Coaches Association best young player and finishing in the top five in the Brownlow Medal.
In exchange for Kelly, who has been runner-up in the Geelong fairest and best in his two seasons with the Cats, Geelong will receive the club’s first round selection in November (currently #14) as well as two second round selections. The Eagles have also handed over their first round selection next year.
Geelong will give the Eagles a third round selection in this year’s ballot as well as the 2020 draft.
General Manager Football Craig Vozzo spent the last couple of days in Melbourne discussing the trade with Geelong and closing out the deal.
“We are delighted that we have been able to secure Tim because we believe he is a unique talent and a high quality person. His first two seasons in the AFL have been quite extraordinary and probably as good as any player in recent history,” Vozzo said.
“When Tim nominated our club as his club of choice we were committed to securing his services and so we are thrilled the deal has been done. We have paid a premium for his services, but he is an elite player who is about to enter his prime years.
“It has been well documented that Tim has wanted to return to Perth largely because of family reasons and we believe we can provide the supportive family environment that he and Caitlin are looking for. He is delighted that we have been able to reach agreement and we look forward to introducing him to the club.
“We would like to acknowledge Geelong for their part in securing this important exchange so early into the trade period.”
View this post on Instagram
