Pies confirm interest in Pavlich

[Joel]

Pies confirm interest in Pavlich
7:37:31 AM Tue 28 May, 2002
afl.com.au

Collingwood has confirmed its interest in signing Fremantle’s deputy vice-captain, Matthew Pavlich, who comes out of contract at the end of the season.

Pavlich’s management, Flying Start is proposing that interested clubs should submit their offers after round 14, but the Magpies have got in early by meeting with Pavlich’s parents last week ahead of the game against Port Adelaide.

Collingwood football manager, Neil Balme, who attended the meeting, told the Herald-Sun that he expected Pavlich to stay at Fremantle, but that Collingwood would make its pitch nonetheless.

"It's obvious to all there's a bit of an auction, and what we said was we'd like to talk to him just in case he was thinking of moving," Balme said.


"Nothing much came out of it. I think he'll probably play at Fremantle."

Carlton, Port Adelaide and the Crows are also reportedly in the market for Pavlich, though Flying Start’s ‘auction’ proposal may attract interest from the AFL.

A bidding or auction process is expressly prohibited by AFL rules and clubs engaging in an auction for a player’s signature may be subject to fines.

The 20 year-old Pavlich is on the verge of playing his 50th game for Fremantle in his third season after being recruited from Woodville-West Torrens.



JDF