After months of speculation, Demons premiership star Luke Jackson has told the club he wishes to return home to Western Australia to be closer to family.
In a short statement issued on Tuesday afternoon, the Demons said they would now try to work with Fremantle and West Coast to secure a “suitable trade”.
“There is no doubt that we wanted Luke to remain at the Demons, but we respect his decision to want to return home to Western Australia to be closer to his family and friends,” Melbourne list manager Tim Lamb said.
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“We will now work to secure a deal that compensates the club accordingly.”
Speculation Jackson wanted to leave the club had been fueled throughout the year by repeated delays in contract talks.
The 21-year-old was the No.3 pick in the 2019 draft, and played a crucial role in the clubs drought-breaking premiership last year. He played 52 games across three seasons.
He has previously indicated a preference to play for the Dockers, but left the door open for Melbourne bosses to negotiate with the Eagles.
After finishing second in the regular season, back-to-back losses to Sydney and Brisbane saw the Demons knocked out of the AFL finals in straight sets.
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