GUN FREE agent Stephen Coniglio has spoken to Hawthorn coach Alastair Clarkson over a potential move to Waverley Park.
Fighting with Carlton to try and lure the midfielder out of his current home at Greater Western Sydney for 2020 and beyond, the Hawks remain in the dark over Coniglio's decision.
Clarkson revealed he had spoken to the 25-year-old Giant as he weighs up interest from several clubs, including a monster offer from the Blues that could be as much as $2 million for the first season.
Will Clarko have another gun midfielder at his disposal in 2020? Picture: AFL Photos
"Yeah, I've spoken to him," Clarkson told Fox Footy on Monday night.
"The preference of all coaches is that players would stay at their club. Our only attitude to it is if he decides to leave GWS, we'd like to be at the front of the queue if we could possibly get there."
"But we're not trying to get a crowbar to pull him out of GWS.
"But if he decides to play his footy elsewhere, we want to try and compete with Geelong and Carlton and whoever else who might be in the scheme of things for Cogs, because he's a special player."
Bravo Coniglio! Never in doubt #AFLNorthGiants pic.twitter.com/rj7IQ1dtEc
— AFL (@AFL) June 16, 2019
EXPLAINER Who's that in the coaches' box?
Coniglio has close links to Hawthorn midfielder Jaeger O'Meara, the West Australian pair sharing a close friendship after playing junior football together.
It comes as the Hawks have lost yet another staff member to the Blues, with sports psychologist Tarah Kavanagh to follow high performance boss Andrew Russell to IKON Park.
AFL.com.au understands the move is expected to be confirmed in the next fortnight.
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Kavanagh, who has also previously spent time at Athletics Australia and the North Melbourne Football Club, will depart after joining the Hawks in 2017.
It continues part of a strong Hawthorn flavour at Carlton, with Russell, head of football Brad Lloyd and assistants John Barker and Cameron Bruce also spending time at the Hawks.
Russell joined the Blues ahead of the 2019 season.
The Blues poached highly regarded fitness boss Andrew Russell from Hawthorn. Picture: AFL Photos
"The significant thing for clubs right at this present time is not the movement of players, it's the movement of staff," Clarkson said on Monday.
"Poaching of staff is significant, half of Richmond is at Essendon and half of Hawthorn is at Carlton.
THE RUN HOME Is another Clarko miracle on the cards?
"We've lost one staff member to Carlton who's been announced (Russell) and there's another one who's leaving that'll be announced in the next 10 days.
"We're feverishly searching everywhere, including on a six-day break, interviewing and speaking to people about filling roles."
It continues part of a robust football department review at the Blues that has also had a strong focus on the list management division.