Young West Aussie Shai Bolton is set to knock back offers of up to $800,000 a year to remain loyal to Richmond and commit to a new deal.

As speculation continues to swirl about where the kid from Katanning will play in 2022 ramps up, Herald Sun journalist Jon Ralph says Bolton wants to stay a Tiger.

“Shai Bolton will stay at the Richmond Football Club, but it will take sacrifice and it will come late in the season,” Ralph said on Fox Footy.

“Deals likely to be offered to him for up to $800,000 a season.

“He‘ll need to sacrifice and his manager Ralph Carr will need to do the same as he did with Dustin Martin, which is bridge the gap in those massive offers with the commercial opportunities that come with big marks like tonight on the big stage for a big club like Richmond.”

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Bolton is WA football royalty as the son of former Docker and Peel Thunder great Darren Bolton and the nephew of Sandover Medallist Allistair Pickett.

But he was overlooked by both Fremantle and West Coast in the 2016 AFL Draft, before being taken by Richmond with pick 29.

The Dockers instead went with Griffin Logue at pick 8 while the Eagles chose Daniel Venables with pick 13.

Bolton is one of four West Aussies out of contract at Richmond at the end of the year, alongside Pinjarra local Kamdyn McIntosh, former Lake Grace junior Liam Baker and troubled Sydney Stack.

Last month, Bolton’s manager Ralph Carr fuelled speculation the 22-year-old dual premiership player would consider rival offers when he said no new deal would be signed during the season.

But speaking to the Herald Sun in March, Carr said he expects Bolton to stay in black and yellow for 2022 and beyond.

“My feeling is he won’t move from Tigerland. He will stay,” Carr said.

“He is a ripping kid and why would he want to go anywhere else.

“He has only just turned 22 and his breakout year is probably this year.

“He is a special player. He is just a beauty.”

Bolton is having a breakout 2021 season, averaging almost 22 disposals and a goal a game.

On Friday night, he put forward a ripping mark of the year contender in Richmond’s 63-point loss to Geelong.