Welcome to The Big Deal!

Thanks for joining us on the journey for our launch last week, and the great feedback.

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Now, let’s get down to business.

IN THIS WEEK’S WRAP OF THE BIG DEALS

• Devil in the detail

• Cripps to cash in as stocks continue to rise

• Tredders’ Trade Whispers

• Mini IPLs pose new threat to Australian cricket

• Hot deal for Curry

• Spanish giants to settle over French star

• Cherries ripe for Vegas billionaire

• Rachael Haynes goes out on a high

• Silver lining for Manchester City

• Apple falls a long way from the LIV tree

• Aussie punter making nil from image rights

• Fed express hits the terminus … but what about Serena?

• In Retrospect: By Juve, that Paul Pogba’s a bargain

• How Tredders almost walked out of Alberton

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DEVIL IN THE DETAIL

AFL Presidents have received the details on Tasmania’s bid for an AFL licence.

They now have between two and four weeks to assess the proposal and decide their club’s position.

While AFL rules stipulate at least 75% or 14 of the 18 clubs would need to ‘yes’ vote to admit a 19th club, outgoing AFL CEO Gil McLachlan doesn’t want a vote but rather a “consensus agreement” on the massive decision.

McLachlan’s preference is for clubs to agree that admitting Tasmania is in the best interests of the game and competition.

An AFL Commission meeting is being held in Melbourne on Monday when clubs will be briefed on the preferred year of entry for the new team.

CRIPPS TO CASH IN AS STOCKS CONTINUE TO RISE

Patrick Cripps has become Carlton’s first Brownlow Medallist since Chris Judd in 2010. And he’ll start reaping the financial rewards straight away.

The 27-year-old is unlikely to use the win to negotiate a new deal, just one year into a six-year contract with the Blues believed to be worth around $900,000 a year.

But not only will a Brownlow add even more value to his brand, Tredders estimates the 27-year-old will earn at least an extra $200,000 a year, through merchandise, appearances and contract triggers.

In this short audio clip, Tredders breaks down Cripps’ earning potential including numerous appearances during Grand Final week at around $10,000 a pop:

Cripps already has Hyundai in his corner and his relationship with Nike is reportedly a “lifelong” one signed in 2019.

TREDDERS’ TRADE WHISPERS

Dunkley heading north 

Brisbane has trumped Port Adelaide and Essendon for the services of Western Bulldogs midfielder Josh Dunkley.

It is believed the Lions have put a six year deal on the table, worth up to $750K a year.

The Power was initially confident and seen to be leading the race for the hard nut because his girlfriend lives in Adelaide and plays for the Thunderbirds.

But Tippah Dwan is originally from Brisbane and Dunkley’s decision to join the Lions, in the city where his sister also lives, will be seen as an indication that Dwan is also keen to soon head north.

It’s also the city where they would both prefer to settle at the end of their playing days.

Dwan has however signed a new one-year deal to remain with the T-Birds in 2023.

Dunkley isn’t a free agent, so Brisbane still has plenty of work to do to make a trade happen.

Bulldogs GM of List & Recruiting Sam Power said: “The Club was clearly intent on Josh staying with the Bulldogs, having tabled an attractive contract offer for him to continue with us for the long term … we will take some time to work through the club’s options leading in to the trade period.”

Pies weigh up Mitchell move

Collingwood is considering a surprise move for Brownlow Medallist Tom Mitchell.

The 29-year-old doesn’t fit seamlessly into their kamikaze game style but coach Craig McRae is aware of the club’s vulnerability at stoppages which Mitchell can clearly address.

Mitchell is believed to be keen for a fresh start, particularly at a club with the potential for success, and Hawthorn could be willing to move Mitchell on as it freshens its list.

He still has one year to run on his contract.

Hill on the move

While Mitchell considers a third club, Brad Hill could be headed for his fourth with talk of a switch to North Melbourne getting louder.

The Saints are likely to shake the tree after a season where they expected to progress but instead went backwards.

Hill has failed to reach the heights he achieved at either Hawthorn or Fremantle in his three seasons at the Saints.

Dockers talk tough on Lobb 

Fremantle is talking tough over ruck forward Rory Lobb’s request for a trade to the Western Bulldogs.

Lobb has one year to run on his deal in the west with the Dockers adamant he won’t be traded.

But with a contract worth around $750,000 next season, they are unlikely to stand in his way.

Lobb had the best of his four seasons in Perth this year, kicking 36 goals from 21 games.

But the Bulldogs’ desperation for some more tall timber is likely to see them move heaven and earth to make the deal happen.

MINI IPLs POSE NEW THREAT TO AUSTRALIAN CRICKET

Cashed up, cricket crazy India will further test the management, foresight and depth of Cricket Australia’s pockets with the emergence of city-based T20 leagues on the sub-continent.

News Corp reports Australian captain Pat Cummins has already been sounded out by more than one of these leagues, dangling $1m carrots for cameo appearances that have the potential to significantly disrupt the local cricket landscape.

The first of these local Indian leagues was born in Karnataka in 2009-10 but there are now seven in total with four more emerging in the last few seasons.

While Cummins’ Test ambitions are not likely to see him tempted by such offers, there are many other fringe or senior players who could be swayed by the making of a quick dollar.

Cricket NSW board member and former player Neil Maxwell said: “For Pat Cummins to be approached by a city-based league and offered money that is proportionate to his Cricket Australia contract is just mind-boggling.

“I’m urging Cricket Australia and the ACA to have a five to 10-year plan of what we’re going to do in order to control our market and fit into a global competitive landscape.”

HOT DEAL FOR CURRY

NBA superstar Wardell Stephen Curry II, aka Steph, is reportedly poised to sign a lifetime contract with apparel company Under Armour worth US$1b.

Once a Nike ambassador, Curry has been swishing US$4m a year for the last decade from the Baltimore-based company but his current deal expires in 2024.

There was some tension between the two as recently as 2018 when Curry threatened to defect to a rival brand.

But all seems to have been smoothed over with this new offer, reported in Rolling Stone, a monumental investment for Under Armour which has a current market cap of $3.55b.

It looms as a massive pay day for the 34-year-old Golden State Warriors champion whose current net worth, according to Wealthy Gorilla, is US$160m.

SPANISH GIANTS TO SETTLE OVER FRENCH STAR

Atletico Madrid might have finally worn down Barcelona over a bizarre loan deal regarding star Frenchman Antoine Greizmann.

The attacking midfielder hadn’t started a game this season for Atletico, being used solely as a super sub and consistently being deployed during the 60th and 70th minutes - until the weekend’s clash with Real Madrid.

Atletico were arguing that the fine print of the deal specified they wouldn’t be obliged to pay €40m to make it permanent if Greizmann didn’t exceed 50% game time over the two years of the loan deal.

Barca had counter-argued declaring the trigger applied only to the first season of the deal and that it had already been reached, owing to his 26 appearances last term.

The feud had appeared headed for the courts until the weekend when Greizmann made a surprise start.

It is now believed the clubs may be coming to terms on a knock-down figure of €22m.

CHERRIES RIPE FOR VEGAS BILLIONAIRE

Know any Bournemouth fans? Us either. But American billionaire Bill Foley, owner of NHL franchise Vegas Golden Knights, is betting £150m (A$255m) that he’ll own the Cherries by Christmas.

Bournemouth haven’t exactly made a glittering start to their promotion season, slumping to a 9-0 defeat at Liverpool in August so some new investment might be just the ticket.

Their current owner is Russian-British businessman Maxim Demin who bought his share of the club, which he now owns solely, for a reported £850,000 in 2011.

A nice return on his investment appears there for the picking.

If the deal goes ahead, the south coast club would become the 11th Premier League at least partly-owned by Americans.

No wonder the traditionalists in the old dart are fearing a culture killing North vs South All-Star game, as suggested by new Chelsea owner Todd Boehly.

RACHAEL HAYNES GOES OUT ON A HIGH

Australian vice-captain Rachael Haynes has announced her retirement from international and state cricket.

The 35-year-old left-hand bat enjoyed a career renaissance after returning to the team in 2017, going out on a high in the gold medal match against India at the Birmingham Commonwealth Games.

And while there remains a significant pay gap between the men’s and women’s game, Haynes has been one of Cricket Australia’s contracted players in recent years.

Those on the list are part of the highest-paid women’s team in the country, pocketing an average of $180,000 each, before their domestic deals, which are worth an additional $65,000.

SILVER LINING FOR MANCHESTER CITY

Private equity firm Silver Lake has upped its stake in EPL giants Manchester City, increasing its share by approximately 4.1%.

The American company is now the second largest shareholder of the Citizens with a 14.54% slice, having bought in with a 10% stake for US$500m in 2019.

Silver Lake’s City Football Group now has more clubs than Scottie Scheffler and they no doubt want a stake in him too.

The group already has 12 soccer clubs on its books including Melbourne City FC, New York City FC, Yokohama F. Marinos, Montevideo City Torque and Girona FC.

They also tipped $100m into the A-League for digital and perpetual rights.

They’ve grabbed 10 minor league baseball teams in the US with big club affiliates and are set to plough $122m into New Zealand Rugby.

You get the feeling these guys love their sport.

But they are yet to get their hands on Bayern Munich whose commercial revenue in 2021 was greater than any other soccer club in the world.

Bayern banked €345m to see off the likes of Real Madrid, PSG, Manchester United and Liverpool.

Meantime the Bundesliga has joined forces with the NFL in what may seem an unlikely collaboration, signing a deal to share ideas around production, programming and marketing, concentrating particularly on the US and German markets.

It’s the expansion of an alliance that has been in place since the beginning of the pandemic.

APPLE FALLS A LONG WAY FROM THE LIV TREE

The hole has been moved again for LIV golf with Apple TV turning its back on the rebel league for being “too toxic”.

Amazon Prime also passed on the invitation to bid, having committed US$1.2b per season to show NFL’s Thursday night football.

LIV has divided the golf world with players and fans split on its merits.

Incredibly, the series is currently broadcast for free on YouTube.

Apple was sounded out for the 2023 rights but said “no thanks”  just days after another rejection when the Royal Sydney Golf Club declined to host an event next year.

CEO Greg Norman is determined to bring the Saudi-backed league to Australia in 2023.

AUSSIE PUNTER MAKING NIL FROM IMAGE RIGHTS

The University of Cincinnati’s Australian punter Mason Fletcher has decided to donate all of the money he makes from merchandise sales to his team’s walk-ons.

That’s because US visa rules prohibit him from keeping any NIL (name, image and likeness) money.

So Fletcher, the son of Bombers legend Dustin, will channel the profits of any shirt sales with his name on it to Cincinnati’s walk-ons.

They are players who are part of the team who haven’t been awarded a scholarship.

FED EXPRESS HITS THE TERMINUS … BUT WHAT ABOUT SERENA?

As we covered last week, Swiss maestro Roger Federer has hung up the Wilson, finally succumbing to three knee surgeries in the last 18 months.

This weekend’s Laver Cup in London will be his swansong after becoming the first man, in 2018 at the Australian Open, to win 20 grand slams.

Rafael Nadal (22) and Novak Djokovic (21) have since gone past him in terms of tournament grand slam wins - part of an astonishing triumvirate who have dominated the game for the past two decades.

The pair also shade Federer on the all-time earnings list but Roger won’t be going hungry after winning $130,594,339 since his debut tournament in July 1998, his career spanning four separate decades.

Djokovic has won $158m and Nadal $131m according to Sportrac.

But where Mr Nice Guy gets them all is in endorsements. Throw them in and he becomes the first Billion Dollar Man with total estimated earnings reaching US$1.1b.

This guy attracts the people that make the nice stuff! We’re talking Rolex, Mercedes-Benz, Moet & Chandon. It’s a wonder he hasn’t been tapped up to play James Bond.

Fed’s announcement came just days after Serena Williams retirement - although she prefers to look on it as an “evolution”.

Modelling her exit on that of NFL superstar Tom Brady, Serena is threatening to return as well, not that she needs the coin.

Her venture capital fund has interests in more than 60 startups with 16 of them valued at north of $1b.

And she’s part owner of the Miami Dolphins and women’s soccer team Angel City FC.

Serena won 23 grand slams with total career prize money of $94,618,080.

Sister Venus is second on the list with a tick over $42m.

IN RETROSPECT - BY JUVE, THAT PAUL POGBA’S A BARGAIN

Paul Pogba is a fine player. Of that there can be no doubt.

He has represented France 91 times, only 13 players can top that.

But his best days have undeniably been in the black and white of Juventus rather than the red of Manchester United.

And the Red Devils have paid a pretty penny to find that out.

It started back in 2009 when they were accused by the President of his French junior club Le Havre of poaching him as a 16-year-old.

The accusation amounted to Pogba’s parents being given a house and €100,000 each to bring him to Old Trafford.

United denied the claims but nevertheless, Pogba found his way to the red half of Manchester where he made just three senior appearances before being granted a free transfer to Juventus in 2012.

He was accused of disrespecting Manchester United by then manager Sir Alex Ferguson on the way out, and promptly realised his promise in four seasons with Juve, culminating in being named in the 2015 UEFA Team of the Year.

It was all Manchester United could stomach and they promptly emptied their wallets bringing back Pogba on a five-year deal in what was a then world record transfer fee of €105m (£89m). 

Pogba’s agent, Mino Raiola, swallowed a cool €27m for his part in the deal.

But according to Eladio Parames, a close friend of then manager Jose Mourinho, the deal was done against his wishes.

Mourinho and Pogba never clicked as is evidenced by the Special One labelling his big signing a “virus”.

Indeed illness, injuries and a loss of confidence, potentially being brought on by being played out of position, all plagued Pogba at the Theatre of Dreams which turned into his own personal nightmare.

By July 2022, United had seen enough and he returned to Juventus for the princely sum of absolutely nothing! AGAIN!!!

That amounts to pretty much what United won with Pogba on board (okay, they beat Leicester in the 2016-17 League Cup final but that is small beer for the Red Devils).

Juventus on the other hand were just fine without their man, extending their run of successive Serie A titles to nine, winning the last four with Pogba in red.

HOW TREDDERS ALMOST WALKED OUT OF ALBERTON

If you missed our first podcast this week, what were you thinking?

Go back and listen to it on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or Google Podcasts!

But just so it’s on the record, we thought we’d recap the story of how the great Warren Tredrea was almost a Blue. Or a Swan. Or a Magpie.

A Port Adelaide legend he is but Tredrea could so easily have been a hero at any one of three clubs.

Indeed the only man to lift the AFL premiership cup as captain in Port colours wanted to join Carlton at the end of 1998.

The Blues had a good memory. 

A 19-year-old Tredders had booted 8.4 against them at Princes Park in an 89-point win.

Come the end of the season, they dug deep, offering him a four-year deal to become a Blue.

As we now know, accounting wasn’t one of Carlton’s strengths back in those days and it wasn't difficult to slide him in under their salary cap.

Tredders was convinced and wanted to join the Blues for more playing opportunities, but he still had a year to run on his contract at Alberton and Port refused to let him go.

Carlton tried to convince Port by offering one of its South Australian contingent up as bait but the Power wouldn’t budge and he remained in the teal.

Twelve months on and Collingwood and Sydney both came knocking.

An 8am meeting at Eddie McGuire’s house in Toorak had the new President and footy manager Neil Balme trying to convince Tredders to become a Magpie.

The Pies were prepared to go through the back door and take him as their number one selection at the pre-season draft, having finished bottom that season.

While Sydney threw a $400k per year contract plus a Nissan Patrol at the big forward.

The wheels nearly got the deal done but by that stage, John Cahill had gone from Alberton, replaced by Mark Williams and Tredders had decided his future was at his home club.

Although he did decide to do his own negotiating, much to the horror of his manager Geof Motley.

Tredders told Williams over a breakfast meeting he’d need to find an extra $200k a year to convince him to stay.

Williams waltzed off with his croissant and made it happen!

It was a big deal back then, and it was the right one for the Power.

Sydney changed its focus, eventually securing Barry Hall in 2002, and broke its own 72-year premiership drought in 2005, a year after the Power’s maiden AFL pennant.

Got a Big Deal you want to share? Get in touch

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