Caracella waits until December
4:43:59 PM Wed 17 November, 2004
Paul Gough
Dual premiership player Blake Caracella has failed to nominate for Saturday's National Bank AFL Draft, boosting the chances of the former Bomber and Lion ending up at Collingwood in the pre-season draft.
Caracella, who played in Essendon's 2000 premiership side and also the Lions' flag winning 2003 combination, is considered the best experienced player on offer following the pruning of club lists ahead of the first of this year's drafts on Saturday.
The 27-year-old, who the Lions were unable to hold due to salary cap restraints, has already been linked to Collingwood - which has the fourth pick in the pre-season draft on December 14.
And while Richmond, Hawthorn and the Bulldogs hold the three selections immediately before Collingwood, it is considered unlikely those three clubs could either afford Caracella's asking price or have room to fit him inside the salary cap.
A total of 36 recently de-listed AFL players will be eligible for Saturday's national draft after nominating on Wednesday.
However with the bulk of the 78 selections amongst the 16 clubs expected to be used on the hottest teenage football talent in the country, only a handful can expect to find new homes on Saturday.
And those fortunate few experienced players who are drafted on Saturday will most likely be picked up in the final few selections.
Heading the list of players to nominate for Saturday's national draft was highly-rated ex Magpie Mark McGough, who won the Anzac Day Medal in only his second AFL game back in 2002.
McGough, at just 20 years of age and with 37 games already behind him and with a reputation already as a proven big game player, is likely to attract plenty of interest on Saturday with St Kilda believed to be interested.
Former Geelong rover David Spriggs was another player to nominate and is believed to be attracting the interest of Sydney and Carlton.
Veteran ex-Hawthorn defender Mark Graham, who will be 32 before the start of next season, has been linked with a move to Richmond - which has a massive nine picks on Saturday with its final pick coming at selection 72.
Other prominent players to nominate include former Tiger Justin Blumfield, and former Kangaroos' ruckman Mark Porter, who are both a chance to be re-drafted by their original clubs in Essendon and Carlton respectively.
However another prominent ruckman looking for a new home in former Saint big man Trent Knobel did not nominate for the draft and could be picked up by Richmond in the pre-season draft while former Hawk Lance Picioane was another who did not nominate and now will also have to wait for the pre-season draft to find a new home.
Draft nominees:
Cain Ackland (Port Adelaide),
Kris Barlow (Hawthorn),
Callan Beasy (Carlton),
Justin Blumfield (Richmond),
Blake Campbell (Carlton),
Trent Carroll (West Coast),
Wade Champion (Port Adelaide),
Shane Clayton (Kangaroos),
James Condos (Western Bulldogs),
Ben Cunningham (Fremantle),
Brent Doswell (Fremantle),
Greg Edgecumbe (Fremantle),
Tim Fleming (Richmond),
Rob Forster-Knight (Port Adelaide),
Anthony Franchina (Carlton),
James Gallagher (Adelaide),
Mark Graham (Hawthorn),
Daniel Haines (Fremantle),
Chris Hall (Port Adelaide),
Adam Houlihan (Richmond),
Josh Houlihan (St Kilda),
Darren Hulme (Carlton),
Heath James (Sydney),
Stephen Kenna (Carlton),
Jon McCormick (Carlton),
Mark McGough (Collingwood),
James Meiklejohn (Sydney),
Brett Moyle (St Kilda),
Luke Mullins (Collingwood),
Mark Porter (Kangaroos),
David Spriggs (Geelong),
Josh Thewlis (Sydney),
Lachlan Veale (Western Bulldogs),
Darren Walsh (Essendon),
Luke Weller (Richmond),
Patrick Wiggins (Western Bulldogs).
http://afl.com.au/default.asp?pg=news&spg=display&articleid=177873
