Brett O'Hanlon [merged]

[one-eyed]

Power moves on Roo Gavin Urquhart
Caroline Wilson
December 7, 2011

ALL-AUSTRALIAN defender Leon Davis appears to have taken a massive gamble and lost, with Port Adelaide looking increasingly determined to sign delisted Kangaroo Gavin Urquhart in next week's pre-season draft.

Plotting a move that will cost cash-strapped Port next to nothing in its salary cap, Urquhart was expected to audition today for his potential new AFL home at Alberton after travelling to Adelaide last night.

But North is committed to paying the majority of Urquhart's $300,000-plus contract next year because he remains contracted to the Kangaroos after the club delisted him when it could not find him a new home during the trade period.

The club has agreed to redraft Urquhart as a rookie if he is not picked up earlier in the drafts (national or rookie). Now the club could be committed to paying the defender as much as $250,000 as Port is required to pay him only the minimum wage.

Coach Brad Scott appeared to lose faith in the once-promising 23-year-old Queenslander, who has one year to run on a three-year contract. He has continued to train with North.

The Port move would spell good news for Richmond, which has itself committed to delisted Magpie John McCarthy should Port - which has a pick before the Tigers - not take him.

McCarthy did not travel with Richmond to its Arizona training camp.

The Tigers had looked closely at Urquhart during last year's trade period.

North delisted Urquhart because it wanted to accommodate Hawk recruit Will Sierakowski and a further two draft selections, at picks 18 and 40. Port Adelaide, while not facing salary-cap problems, remains in dire financial straits and is facing 2012 without two major sponsors.

A skilled running defender, Urquhart has managed just 41

games with the Kangaroos after being taken at pick No. 21 in the 2006 national draft.

He managed just one game in 2011 as a substitute, the second of a generous three-year deal struck before Scott's arrival at the club with the impending threat of the Gold Coast.

Davis now looks certain to have ended his AFL career and learnt yesterday that one of his preferred WAFL homes, Swan Districts, would not take him because of the cost to that club's salary cap points. The club also has financial issues.

Davis quit Collingwood after receiving his second All-Australian selection in three years after the Magpies asked him to accept a contract estimated at $250,000 - understood to be a $100,000 decrease. He quit, citing a preference to live in his home state of Western Australia but also entertained a move to his wife's home state of South Australia.

None of the four AFL clubs in those two states have shown any serious interest in Davis, who will look at offers from West Perth, Peel Thunder and his original WAFL club Perth.

http://www.theage.com.au/afl/afl-news/power-moves-on-roo-20111206-1oh6y.html#ixzz1flyIkSLE

[mightytiges]

What an utter shambles at Arden St if they end up paying a former player to play at another club. Is that what the AFL's extra funds to them is for?!    Thank gawd as well that we passed on Urquhart last year. Just too many deficiencies.

[Coach]

haha and you think we haven't paid for a player to play elsewhere?

[one-eyed]

Port Adelaide is understood to now be eying delisted North Melbourne defender Gavin Urquhart with its pre-season selection.

The Power could also draft another former Kangaroos player, Ed Lower, or former Adelaide Crows and Carlton midfielder Darren Pfeiffer, who are training at Alberton on Wednesday.

http://www.foxsports.com.au/afl/afl-premiership/port-adelaide-officially-pull-out-of-race-to-sign-former-collingwood-defender-leon-davis/story-e6frf3e3-1226216414252?from=public_rss

Looking more and more like McCarthy will be a Tiger.

[one-eyed]

From today's Adelaide Advertiser...

LEON Davis out, Gavin Urquhart in.

Port Adelaide has officially ruled itself out of the running for dual All-Australian Davis and is zeroing in on another playmaking defender - former Kangaroos player Urquhart.

Urquhart joined fellow delisted AFL players Ed Lower and Darren Pfeiffer in training with the Power yesterday and has emerged as the frontrunner to be selected with the club's sole pre-season draft selection (No. 3 overall) on Tuesday. "Gavin fits into what we are looking for," Port national recruiting manager Geoff Parker said.

"He's got some AFL experience, a strong body and skills we are looking for, so he's definitely one of the players we'll be talking about."

Urquhart, 23, will spend the rest of the week training at Port before flying back to Melbourne tomorrow afternoon. He played 41 games for the Kangaroos after being selected from QAFL club Morningside at pick 21 in the 2006 national draft.

The highly-skilled defender/midfielder was delisted at the end of the season and could come cheap for the Power.

Urquhart was delisted while still under contract, leaving North to pick up most of Urquhart's $300,000 contract next season.

The Roos have committed to picking up Urquhart in Tuesday's rookie draft if another club doesn't select him first. Parker said the fact Port could get Urquhart cheap would "not be a main factor" in a decision to draft him.

"It would be a strictly footy decision," he said.

Former North Melbourne onballer Lower and ex-Crow and Blue Pfeiffer also remain in the Power's sights but former Collingwood midfielder John McCarthy is increasingly likely to join Richmond.

He has been interviewed and medically tested by Port but is training with the Tigers and has made no secret of his desire to play at Punt Road.

http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/sport/afl/power-wont-draft-neon-leon/story-e6freco3-1226215861547

[bojangles17]

PA will go Urquart coz it will cost them effectively NOTHING with the roos paying 3/4 of contract..a no brainer

[one-eyed]

From AFL_PKeane Patrick Keane twitter:

"AFL has completed review of each club Total Player Payment (TPP) estimates for 2012 season in lead-up to NAB AFL Pre-Season Draft next Tues

The AFL has determined that six teams are eligible to participate in the Pre-Season Draft.

PSD Selection order is

1 – GWS
2 - GWS
3 - GWS
4 - GWS
5 - GWS
6 - GWS
7 - Suns
8 - Power
9 - Tigers
10 - Dockers
11 - Bulldogs"

[Owl]

Who are GWS taking

[Eat_em_Alive]

Whoever they want clearly at this stage... 

[Smokey]

Whoever they want clearly at this stage... 

 

[WilliamPowell]

Wonder who the Suns will take 

[mightytiges]

Wonder who the Suns will take 

Ex-Saint Adam McQualter apparently.

GWS will probably only use one of their PSD picks so effectively we'll have the 4th pick.

[one-eyed]

Power leaves door open for Tigers

    by: Zac Milbank and Andrew Capel
    From: The Advertiser
    December 09, 2011

PORT Adelaide will almost certainly let John McCarthy slip through to Richmond in Tuesday's pre-season draft.

The former Collingwood midfielder, who has been training with the Tigers for the past month, has signalled his preference to stay in Victoria rather than relocate to Adelaide.

"He's been training with Richmond and that's where he hopes he can play his footy for the next few years," McCarthy's manager Ned Guy said. "He sees some good opportunities there."

And it appears the Power - which flew McCarthy to Alberton for a medical check - won't use its opportunity to trump Richmond by selecting the 22-year-old.

Port was yesterday handed pick No. 8 in the pre-season draft before Richmond at No. 9, giving it the chance to snap McCarthy up before the Tigers can pounce.

But Port recruiting manager Geoff Parker is more likely to call the name of former North Melbourne defender Gavin Urquhart.

"From a recruiting point of view, John's a little bit different than the others because he wants to stay in Melbourne and Richmond has committed to him," said Parker, who will also be armed with picks 3, 21 and 39 in the rookie draft.

"We pick before Richmond so technically we can pick him but the question is whether you want to pick a player whose preference is to be somewhere else."

Richmond coach Damien Hardwick last week confirmed the Tigers will take the ex-Magpie, who has managed 18 AFL matches in four seasons.

"We've committed to John at this stage, but we're not quite sure what Port Adelaide are doing," Hardwick said.

"He's a guy who can give us great flexibility - he can play forward, midfield and a little bit down back.

"He probably didn't get the opportunities at Collingwood because of their depth. But he can play the game."

Greater Western Sydney has the first six picks of the pre-season draft but is unlikely to use them all, causing the other five clubs to shuffle up the order.

Gold Coast, which has pick No. 7, is likely to select former St Kilda midfielder Andrew McQualter, who has been training with the Suns for the past week. This leaves Port to snare Urquhart before Richmond snares McCarthy.

Fremantle will then select former Saints full back Zac Dawson, who will again link up with new Dockers' coach Ross Lyon.

The Western Bulldogs will pick last in the pre-season draft after making room for a selection with the late delisting of Jayden Schofield. The Dogs could choose one of three players it has invited to pre-season training in former Carlton defender Mark Austin, ex-West Coast utility Jordan Jones and Queenslander Matt Jones.

http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/sport/afl/power-leaves-door-open-for-tigers/story-e6freco3-1226217680378

[dwaino]

You ripper 

[gerkin greg]

Ned Guy