Sydney target Pies veteran Adams for shock trade move

Veteran Collingwood midfielder Taylor Adams is reportedly exploring interstate rival interest following the Magpies’ flag-winning season.

Adams missed Collingwood’s premiership triumph over the Brisbane Lions last Saturday due to an ill-timed hamstring injury sustained during the finals series.

According to Seven reporter Mitch Cleary on Friday morning, Adams is exploring an opportunity with the Sydney Swans this off-season.

The 30-year-old has one year remaining on his current Collingwood contract, with the motive behind his potential Olympic Park departure thought to revolve around a decrease in midfield minutes in 2023; as a result of ex-Hawthorn midfielder Tom Mitchell’s inclusion last year.

Cleary added the Magpies view Adams as a required player next season, while the Swans have been looking to add mature talent.

Sydney is already expected to add former Collingwood ruckman Brodie Grundy — who is understood to have a close relationship with Adams — this year via trade.

The AFL’s premiership medal debated has been reignited, with growing calls for coaches and players who didn’t take part in a Grand Final win to receive medals.

Every year there are hard luck stories in Grand Final week, with key players heartbreakingly denied the ultimate premiership glory by injury, selection or form.

Watch every match of the 2023 NAB AFLW Season LIVE & ad-break free during play on Kayo Sports. Join now and start streaming instantly >

This time the unlucky ones for Collingwood were Dan McStay (injured in the preliminary final), Taylor Adams (declared himself not 100 per cent fit to play) and John Noble (dropped for finals despite playing 83 games in a row).

The 2023 AFL season has officially come to a close after an incredible grand final. In what was such a stellar season across the board, the grand final was a showcase of the two best teams in the competition.

In front of a full house crowd of 100,024, the Magpies took home their 16th premiership, ending a 13-year drought. Although 21 years on from the narrow 2002 Grand Final loss to the Lions, Magpies fans are sure to feel relieved after toppling the team that gave them so many headaches after the turn of the century.

Questions were raised before the game for both sides. For the Magpies, their scoring was a cause for concern. In their qualifying final win over the Demons, the Pies managed 60 points whilst in their preliminary final win, they scored a mere 58.

Brisbane’s MCG hoodoo was always going to be discussed. Despite winning their semi-final against the Demons at the MCG in 2022, that was only their second win in the 19 games prior to their 2023 grand-final appearance. They had not won a single game at the MCG in 2023, granted they only played there twice prior to the grand final.

Whilst previous years’ grand finals have been nothing short of a demolition job of one side, Collingwood and Brisbane were neck and neck all afternoon. The largest margin of the game was the Lions’ lead of 13 points a mere four minutes into the second term. From then on, it was just about goal-for-goal until the final siren.

Before the grand final, Carlton’s Sam Walsh had the lead in the Zero Hanger Finals MVP but following the last game of the year, he’s been overtaken. Grand final votes were worth double, and following his Norm Smith performance, Bobby Hill took home the Finals MVP award.