AFL players nervous ahead of national draft Jon Anderson | Herald Sun September 29, 2009
ONLY the elite few at each club are untouchable. For the rest nervous times await. Some should be more nervous than others.
Mark 2009 down as the season when AFL clubs decided aggressive pre-draft trading was the way to go.
The unavailability of 17-year-olds, with the Gold Coast having access to the best 12 in the country, has recruiters declaring the November 26 national draft to be somewhat thin after the first 12-15 picks.
And that's where the trades come into play. If you can't find what you are looking for via the kids, go with what you know.
And it could involve established players such as Western Bulldog Brian Lake and Geelong's Mark Blake, despite the latter having played in his second straight AFL Grand Final with Geelong on Saturday.
The Western Bulldogs have told Lake and his management that he won't be traded under any circumstances.
With the parties believed to be up to $100,000 apart in salary talks, Lake is said to be willing to take his chances in the pre-season draft.
Which means Melbourne would get first crack at the 27-year-old full-back, who was recruited from Woodville-West Torrens in 2001 with pick 71.
That would mean the Bulldogs get nothing for a player who is a large part of their planning going into the 2010 premiership campaign.
It is hard to see it happening but, remember, Port Adelaide got nothing when Nick Stevens returned to Melbourne in 2004 and joined Carlton.
Blake is a different case, the 200cm ruckman refusing to sign the new contract offered during the season.
Seven weeks ago departure from Skilled Stadium seemed likely as Blake languished in the VFL, but when rookie Shane Mumford tired towards the end of the season the Cats turned to Blake to give them predictable results at stoppages.
Blake, Mumford and Trent West are all out of contract at Geelong, while giant project player Dawson Simpson has re-signed with the club.
Blake is building a house at Ocean Grove, but with 29-year-old Brad Ottens expected to play at least two more seasons, competition for rucking sports will remain intense.
On the subject of the Cats, don't rule out interest from them in Fremantle defender Marcus Drum, whose uncle Damian played with Geelong.
Geelong is keen to replenish its defensive stocks with Tom Harley, Darren Milburn and Matthew Scarlett part of an ageing defence.
Drum is 22 and was taken with pick 10 in the 2005 draft, so he won't come for nothing.
Carlton is another side desperate for defenders, hence its interest in West Coast's Matt Spangher and Andrejs Everitt of the Western Bulldogs.
Could we even see Chris Tarrant bob up in a Blues jumper, the 29-year-old having declared his interest in returning to Victoria. The expected retirement of Stevens will leave room in Carlton's salary cap.
Spangher is a Melbourne boy and wants to return home while Everitt is said to be seeking a change of environment after being overlooked by the Dogs for all three finals.
St Kilda's Matt Maguire is another defender who could create interest at the Blues, although as of yesterday he was said to be favouring Hawthorn or Essendon, both of which have shown keen interest.
The environmental change can also be applied to Fremantle's Brett Peake, who has made his intentions to begin again outside Perth very clear.
There has been some interest from Melbourne in the 26-year-old who boasts explosive running ability.
Now, to arguably the best credentialled player in trade talk: Port Adelaide's Shaun Burgoyne.
Almost 27, it has been a stunning fallout at Alberton Oval given earlier this year he was coach Mark Williams' preferred choice as captain.
Hawthorn has put pick No. 9 on the table for the sublimely skilled Burgoyne, Port responded by asking for pick No. 9 and Jordan Lewis. Lewis, though, does not want to leave Hawthorn and that deal won't be happening.
If other players from the Hawks become involved look for names such as Mitch Thorp and Ben McGlynn.
As for Josh Gibson, who has declared his intent on joining Hawthorn, pick No. 25 from the Hawks is said to be on the table.
Andrew Raines will leave Richmond for Brisbane for the Lions' third-round pick while Shane Tuck is another Tiger looking for a new club, probably somewhere who wants a player capable of winning contested ball.
Essendon and Andrew Lovett are expected to part company, with Sydney having shown some interest in a player who can break up a game with blistering pace.
Collingwood and Essendon could look at a Leon Davis-Lovett swap, although the former is 28 compared with 26 and the Bombers have been steadfast in pursuing their youth policy.
The Magpies have been fielding calls about 20-year-old key position players Nathan Brown and Ben Reid. Travis Cloke's name has also been raised.
In terms of players wanting to return to their home states, West Coast's Ben McKinley is a name that has surfaced again, the 184cm forward originally from Old Ivanhoe.
The biggest deal to be locked away is Brock McLean to Carlton with Melbourne getting pick 11.
Depending who you speak to, that is either a win-win or a plus for Melbourne, given McLean hasn't played his best football in the past two seasons.
The reality is he hasn't completed a pre-season in that period and the Blues know the improvement will come now he is free from injury.
Sydney is expected to take West Coast ruckman Mark Seaby for a second-round pick, while Brisbane has shown interest in Brent Staker.
Hawthorn continues to be a potential player with the names of Josh Kennedy and Jarryd Morton having roused interest from rival clubs.
POTENTIAL TRADES ADELAIDE
Brent Reilly, Robert Shirley, Taylor Walker, Nick Gill
BRISBANE LIONS
Bradd Dalziell, Jamie Charman, Scott Harding, Rhan Hooper
CARLTON
Brendan Fevola, Andrew Walker, Brad Fisher, Adam Bentick
COLLINGWOOD
Leon Davis, Travis Cloke, Chris Dawes, Ben Reid
ESSENDON
Andrew Lovett, Jason Laycock, Jay Nash, David Myers
FREMANTLE
Chris Tarrant, Marcus Drum, Steven Dodd, Ryan Murphy
GEELONG
Mark Blake, Kane Tenace, Trent West, Ryan Gamble
HAWTHORN
Beau Dowler, Mitchell Thorp, Mark Williams, Rick Ladson
MELBOURNE
Clint Bartram, Brock McLean, Paul Johnson, Brad Miller
NORTH MELBOURNE
David Hale, Daniel Harris, Corey Jones, Sam Power
PORT ADELAIDE
Brett Ebert, Shaun Burgoyne, Danyle Pearce, Justin Westhoff
RICHMOND
Adam Pattison, Jordan McMahon, Jay Schulz, Jarrad Oakley-Nicholls ST KILDA
Raphael Clarke, Luke Ball, Matt Maguire, Stephen Milne
SYDNEY
Barry Hall, Nick Malceski, Henry Playfair, Ryan Brabazon
WEST COAST
Ashley Hansen, Ben McKinley, Mark Seaby, Matt Spangher
WESTERN BULLDOGS
Andrejs Everitt, Guy O'Keefe, Cameron Wight, Wayde Skipper
Note: The Herald Sun nominates these players as potential trades and is not stating they will be traded.
WIN/WIN1993 Nathan Buckley (right) to Collingwood from Brisbane Lions for pick 12 (Chris Scott)
1997 Wayne Schwass to Sydney Swans, Shannon Grant to North Melbourne
1999 Brett Montgomery to Port Adelaide, Nathan Eagleton to Western Bulldogs
2001 Damien Hardwick to Port Adelaide from Essendon for pick 47 (Andrew Welsh)
Barry Hall to Sydney from St Kilda for pick 13 (Nick Dal Santo)
2006 Chris Tarrant to Fremantle from Collingwood for Paul Medhurst and pick 8 (Ben Reid)
WIN/LOSS1995 Craig Davenport to Carlton from St Kilda for pick 19 (Barry Hall)
2000 Evan Hewitt to Adelaide from North Melbourne for pick 23 (Drew Petrie)
2002 Nick Davis to Sydney from Collingwood for pick 21 (Bo Nixon)
2003 Jason Gram to St Kilda from Brisbane for pick 23 (Matthew Moody)
2004 Brad Ottens to Geelong from Richmond for picks 12 and 16 (Danny Meyer and Adam Pattison)
Chad Morrison to Collingwood from West Coast for pick 37 (Mark LeCras)
http://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/afl/national-draft-keeps-afl-players-on-toes/story-e6frf9jf-1225780649354
