Port Adelaide is set to launch a significant bid for Brodie Grundy as the race for the star ruckman’s services heats up.

Plus North Melbourne has declared its plans to be aggressive this off-season, while a contract rumour has been quashed.

HORNE-FRANCIS FUTURE STILL CLOUDED BEYOND 2023

Jason Horne-Francis remains unsigned beyond 2023 despite scuttlebutt suggesting otherwise.

In the days following Alastair Clarkson’s signing as senior coach, there was speculation Horne-Francis had penned a contract extension beyond 2023, with an announcement to come during the side’s best and fairest awards.

Foxfooty.com.au has confirmed Horne-Francis remains contracted until the end of 2023, but not beyond.

Speaking to 3AW Sportsday this week, new North Melbourne football boss Todd Viney said Horne-Francis had connected with Clarkson.

“He came in with a real sense of enthusiasm to meet him (Clarkson) and he went out jumping and skipping. I thought it was a really engaging interview right at the end before he went on a bit of a holiday,” he said.

“He spoke about the challenges that he’s faced this year. It’s been a tough year for anyone at the North Melbourne footy club and the extra pressures that come with being the number one draft pick was always going to have its challenges.

“We were really happy with our conversations with him as a really good kid that’s going to have a steep learning curve and become a really important part of the future for the North Melbourne footy club, but it’s not going to be just him that takes the weight of building this footy club.”

PORT SET TO MAKE ‘MAJOR PLAY’ FOR GRUNDY

The Power are set to make a “major play” for Collingwood star Brodie Grundy, according to 7 News Adelaide.

Port Adelaide has been among the clubs linked to the ruckman along with Melbourne, Geelong, GWS and Hawthorn. Grundy is contracted at the Magpies until 2027 on a lucrative deal worth around $1 million per season — a deal Collingwood is reportedly willing to chip in towards for him to play elsewhere.

Of course, potentially strengthening Port’s bid for Grundy is that the dual All-Australian is from South Australia and he considered returning to his home state at the end of 2019 prior to re-signing at Collingwood.

SEN SA’s Andrew Hayes also reports Grundy is “absolutely on the radar of Port Adelaide” and that there’s been talk the club has made moves in the space.

“He (Grundy) was in town recently and as we know ... rumours as well of him having a meeting with Ken Hinkley. This is going to be an interesting space to watch,” Hayes said.

“We know Scott Lycett missed the bulk of the season with a shoulder reconstruction and they had a makeshift ruck combination that actually did really well.

“Then you’ve got Sam Hayes who had a taste at AFL level, but finished the year in the SANFL. You’ve also got Dante Visentini who played in the SANFL as well, they love the way he goes about it and is a player of the future.

“Brodie Grundy is on Port Adelaide’s radar and it means he would command about $700,000 a year.”

Reports have stated Grundy is now well settled in Melbourne and that his preference is to stay at Pies, but that his management is open to a trade under the right circumstances.

It comes as Collingwood skipper Scott Pendlebury declared he hopes to see the 28-year old stay at the AIA Centre, saying “All-Australian ruckmen don’t grow on trees”.

“I mean, All-Australian players in general don’t grow on trees, so yeah I hope Jordy (De Goey) stays, I hope Brodie stays,” he told The Age.

“But it’s the nature of the beast in a sense with free agency and stuff like that it can happen now. It’s what we wanted as an industry. But yeah I would like if both guys could stay.”

Grundy will miss the rest of the season after suffering an ankle setback in his comeback from a PCL injury.

ROOS DECLARE AGGRESSIVE OFF-SEASON PLANS

North Melbourne’s new football boss Todd Viney has promised the club plans to have an “aggressive” list management strategy this off-season.

It comes ahead of Alastair Clarkson’s first full season at Arden Street, with Viney linking up with the coaching great after the pair have previously worked together at Hawthorn between 2005 and 2009.

St Kilda’s Brad Hill and Fremantle’s Blake Acres are two players the Roos have been linked to, where the former could form a potential reunion with Clarkson from their days at Hawthorn, while North is also hoping to lock away Cam Zurhaar amid interest from Essendon.

Speaking on 3AW’s Sportsday, Viney echoed Clarkson’s sentiments that the club would explore all avenues to bolster its list, but also preached patience as it looks to rebound from back-to-back 18th-place finishers.

“We’ve got work to do in all aspects of the club and the footy department,” Viney said.

“Part of that is players. We need to look at the talent we’ve got, try and work out how we can best utilise and improve the talent, but we’ll look at all aspects of the avenues available to try and get better.

“Now that’s through draft, free agency and trade, so we’ve got to look at all those avenues, but we’ll be aggressive.

“It’s not going to be all fixed in one year. It’s a tough game, everyone’s trying to do the same thing, we have finished on the bottom of the ladder, so we might not be as attractive as some clubs, but having a four-time premiership coach at the club, at a proud club, hopefully that can carry some weight and we can influence some players to come and help us start this journey.”

BLUES THE FAVOURITES FOR ACRES

Carlton is leading the race for Fremantle’s Blake Acres despite the Dockers upping their offer to the wingman to try and keep him at the club, reports the Herald Sun.

The report states Fremantle has increased its offer to Acres from one year to two years worth between $200,000-$300,000, but the delay in talks has opened the door for rivals to pounce.

Multiple reports in recent weeks have linked the 26-year old to Ikon Park, with the West Australian revealing the Blues were leading he race for him ahead of North Melbourne and Geelong.

Carlton’s deal — reportedly totalling $1 million over three years — is worth more financially than Fremantle’s and would take Acres through to 30 years of age.

It comes amid a strong season from Acres, who’s originally from Perth, averaging 21 disposals and 430 metres gained per match.