Former Blue and Crow Bryce Gibbs believes Harry Himmelberg would be an excellent fit for either South Australian club.
Out of contract at the end of the year, the GWS tall looms as one of the most sought-after players in the 2023 off-season, with AFL.com.au’s Cal Twomey telling SEN Breakfast that “up to 10 clubs are chasing him and the Giants want to keep him.”
While Himmelberg certainly has the versatility to seamlessly fit into any side in the league, Gibbs believes both the Power and the Crows would benefit significantly from his talents.
“There’s no doubt he’d fit well in any side but both of our SA teams, he’d be a welcome inclusion without a doubt,” he said on Saturdays in SA.
“Both defences are probably the line and the area of the ground which is probably a little bit undermanned, they probably need a bit of bolstering, especially those tall defenders.”
For Port Adelaide, Gibbs believes Himmelberg would bring the best out of their big-name backmen.
“(Trent) McKenzie plays undersized a lot, (Tom) Jonas can play big or small but he plays out of his weight division a little bit, and Aliir Aliir obviously is a quality player,” he said.
“You want him on the second or third key forward so he can come off and intercept and do what he does best.”
On the other hand, Gibbs sees the Crows’ backline as one that just needs a boost, despite Adelaide’s success so far this season.
“Obviously Jordan (Dawson) and (Jordon) Butts for Adelaide have been just hanging in there and getting the job done, and it has surprised a lot, then you’ve got (Nick) Murray, (Tom) Doedee,” he said.
Of the two clubs, Gibbs sees Adelaide as more likely to secure Himmelberg's services due to his brother Elliott’s presence at the Crows, yet acknowledges that it will ultimately come down to the salary cap.
“I reckon having his brother at Adelaide might give Adelaide the advantage if he is to come to South Australia, I reckon he would want to play with his brother,” he said.
“It’ll come down to cash too, who has got more money available in their salary cap.
“We all know Port have traded well, but if they want to hold (Connor) Rozee, (Zak) Butters for the long term, obviously (Izak) Rankine, (Josh) Rachele, there’s some young stars across both sides.
“To hold on to them all, I’m not exactly sure where both salary caps are at in terms of percentage used, it might also come down to who has got more money to spend.”
The Giants will have to be patient to see if they can retain the versatile tall, with Himmelberg stating that he is not focusing on his contract at this stage of the season.