Nick Blakey will decide where he wants to play next year by the end of the week, with the wantaway Sydney Swan most likely to speak to Essendon or the Gold Coast. Other clubs hovering around the situation include St Kilda and North Melbourne, though they’re longer odds.
Blakey is also reportedly meeting with Geelong this week, though reports have said Sydney will heavily block any move that involves the Cats picking up their star rebounder.
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The 26-year-old has been loudly pushing for an exit after becoming embroiled in the Pullman Hotel scandal. He was one of five who had to serve a club-imposed suspension for breaching Swans behavioural standards last month, and remains the only one to complain about how he was treated.
Isaac Heeney, Chad Warner, Blakey, and James Jordon are all the subject of an ongoing police investigation in connection with reports of sexual assault made by three women in relation to an alleged incident inside a Pullman Hotel room. Riley Bice was recently cleared by police of any criminal conduct.
Blakey is signed with Sydney through to 2031, but considering how he acted through the finals, it’s now understood the club doesn’t want to continue their relationship any longer.
Also impacting things is the fact the wantaway star had looked into moving to the Gold Coast last season because his girlfriend, Olympic runner Ella Connolly, is moving to Queensland to prep for the 2032 Olympics in Brisbane.
All in all, it seems like the Bloods simply want to get him off the books now — and it has become even starker with how the other four in the Pullman saga acted.
The Swans have said nothing publicly, though (in comparison to what can only be described as relatively loud whinging from Blakey) because they want to get a fair trade offer for him. He’s on around $1 million a year.
Geelong is Blakey’s preferred destination should he leave the Swans, he has suggested, but they have little to offer and, as noted, the Swans aren’t keen on that choice.
More likely is the Gold Coast move, though the Suns aren’t rushing to burn picks on Blakey.
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