Sydney superstar Chad Warner set to be on the table this time next year as WA clubs play long game

Sydney’s abysmal grand final performance removed any chance of Chad Warner coming home early but reports are swirling the superstar Swan will be on the table next year.

In the lead-up until the 2024 grand final there were some suggestions that should Sydney prevail Warner may have returned home on a high.

However, after their 60-point belting, Warner is set to remain a Swan, though, for how much longer appears to be up in the air with his contract expiring at the end of 2025.

He also put contract talks on hold in June of this year.

“WA-based clubs are of the belief it is his intention to return home at the end of next year. He’s stubborn enough to believe he can get through a whole season of a contract impasse. They believe it’s not an ambit claim, it’s not a contract negotiation,” AFL journalist Jon Ralph told Fox Footy’s On the Couch.

“He and his partner, who’s also from Perth, just want to go home. They even believe that if Sydney had won this game, he might have put in a trade request. A really small chance, but it’s absolutely zero now.

“This is a 12-month saga. It’s not going to be easy for this club to negotiate through. It’s another distraction this football club doesn’t need coming off this loss.”

A report from The Snitch back in June revealed Fremantle had paid for Warner and his partner Alice to stay at Crown with the Dockers keen to play the long game over the star.

Channel Nine’s Tom Morris also said West Coast are prepared to offer big money once he comes on the market.

“I think there is going to be massive money offered to Chad Warner. I’m talking 10, 12, 14 million dollars across nine, 10 or 11 years.

“That’s the sort of money that is going to be thrown around for a player of Chad Warner’s calibre from the West Coast Eagles.

“The go home factor as well is real, even more real than the money that is offered.”

Former Richmond superstar Matthew Richardson suggested the Swans should get proactive and seek a trade for the star now rather than leaving themselves open to a season of speculation.

“The rumour mill is in overdrive Warner will go west at the end of next year to play with one of the WA clubs in his home state. This issue will be a massive distraction all year for the Swans,” Richardson wrote for The Nightly.

“With four grand finals losses in a row, the last two being soul-destroying defeats, maybe Sydney need to get aggressive in this trade period and move Warner on now. A very tough call to make, but it may be the right one.”

Though Warner was below his best in the grand final he was still one of the strongest performers for Sydney finishing with 21 disposals and a goal.

He had a career best season in 2024 averaging more than 23 disposals, four clearances and kicking a career high 35 goals across his 25 games.