Trade Week may have to be named much-a-do-about-nothing week.
All the promised movements between players may not happen in the end because a deal that would have seen Greater Western Sydney (GWS) regain two of the picks in the 17’s mini-draft (players eligible to start playing in 2013) was this week denied by the AFL, as it did not qualify as a genuine on trade situation and did not meet the spirit of the rule.
The deal would have seen Jack Gunston go to Hawthorn, and in turn, the Hawks would send a senior player (Brent Renouf) to GWS, allowing Adelaide to take Brad Crouch,
GWS, Hawthorn, Fremantle and Adelaide may try to modify the deal, even though the AFL’s decision brings the Suns, Western Bulldogs, and Demons back into the bidding for Brad Crouch and Jaeger O’Meara.
The Blues have put Setanta O’Halpin, Brock McLean and Paul Bower up for trade and delisted Mark Austin and retiring Ryan Houlihan. In a surprise move, the Western Bulldogs have put up former Brownlow Medallist, Adam Cooney, for a swap to the highest bidder, which is not sitting too well with Bulldog fans. Gold Coast is considering giving up their number four national draft pick plus another selection to new AFL club GWS to get their hands on a super star in the making, 17-year-old Western Australian mid-field player Jaeger O’Meara. If this move comes to fruition GWS will have the first five national draft picks.
In other proposed moves, Jack Gunston wants to join Hawthorn, Tony Armstrong, Sydney and Crows’ ruckman / forward Ivan Maric may head to Richmond, but not if St Kilda, Brisbane and Port Adelaide offer Adelaide more players and/or draft picks for the big ruckman. Brisbane’s Mitch Clark has asked the Lions to trade him to either the West Coast Eagles or Freo Dockers while the Magpies’ Leon Davis and The Power’s Daniel Motlop are also considering moving West.
Collingwood has put midfielder John McCarthy, premiership players Brent Macaffer and Dayne Beams up for trade and Chris Dawes may also be sacrificed because of salary cap concerns next year. The Magpies did, however, regain 46-game wingman Marty Clarke in a trade, two years after he left the club to return to Ireland to play Gaelic Football, giving up their first pick in the November national draft, Bushrangers junior Jamie Elliot and pick 67 from GWS.
It’s not just the Magpies with payment problems it’s also the Saints who are facing salary cap issues going into trade week and may not be able to afford Nick Dal Santo, Brendon Goddard or Leigh Montagna. No such problems with Geelong as they just retired Milburn, Ling and Mooney.
Richmond recruited 22-year-old defender Steven Morris, son of former Tiger Kevin Morris, in a similar deal with GWS.
Under the father / son rule, Sydney, Carlton and Geelong have all picked up sons of club greats, with Barry Mitchell’s son Tom recruited by Sydney, Jim Buckley’s son Dylan (to Carlton) and Andrew Bews’ son Jed (to Geelong) the three nominated father / son players for this year.
No doubt by the end of trading next Monday a lot of water will travel under the bridge, so next week I hope to inform you how each team fared in the final result of the most unpredictable week in the AFL season – trade week!
