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AAP
Anna Harrington

Giant goodbyes: Cumming, Haynes to leave AFL club

Nick Haynes is the latest foundation Giant to depart the AFL club. (Lukas Coch/AAP PHOTOS)

Versatile unrestricted free agent Isaac Cumming will leave GWS and join either Adelaide or Port Adelaide, while inaugural Giant Nick Haynes has also departed.

Cumming, 26, has offers on the table from both the Power and Crows but has been more heavily linked to the latter.

He has yet to confirm a preferred destination, but days after the Giants' season ended in heartbreaking fashion, Cumming, who hails from Broken Hill, told the club he wanted to head to South Australia.

"Wingman Isaac Cumming has informed the club of his decision to explore his options as an unrestricted free agent," the Giants said in a statement.

"The Broken Hill product played 81 games for the club over eight seasons and will explore free agency options in South Australia."

Cumming, who also had an offer to stay on the table from GWS, is expected to be one of several Giants to depart.

Fellow free agent Harry Perryman, 25, has been heavily linked to Port Adelaide, along with Hawthorn, but appears more likely to join the Power.

Harry
Harry Perryman is also set to leave the Giants. (Joel Carrett/AAP PHOTOS)

Cumming was originally part of the Giants' academy.

He can play on both the wing and in defence but managed just six games in 2024 due to a run of calf and hamstring injuries.

Veteran defender Haynes, 32, is widely expected to join Carlton and received a warm farewell from the Giants.

An inaugural Giant, taken with pick No.7 in the 2011 AF draft, Haynes played 211 games for the Giants across 13 seasons but was out of favour this year, managing just eight AFL appearances.

Haynes was an All-Australian in 2020 and won the Giants' best and fairest award that year.

"We want to thank Nick for his 13 seasons at the club and he leaves with our best wishes as he looks to seek more AFL opportunities," football boss Jason McCartney said.

"As an inaugural player and life member of the club, we've watched him grow into the player, person and now father that he is today.

"We thank him for being a valuable member of our club for such a long time and we wish him and his family nothing but the best."

As unrestricted free agents, Cumming and Haynes can move automatically to the clubs of their choice when the free agency window opens on October 4, but the Giants could receive compensation draft picks.

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