Who won the Yarran trade?Thursday, October 29, 2015
Source: SportsFan
Author: Ben Hocking
The big questionRichmond made it clear to Carlton that they wanted Chris Yarran, and the Blues made it clear to the Tigers that it was going to take pick No.12 to get the deal done. Richmond held their ground and said they would offer no more than pick No.19.
In the end it was Carlton who caved, accepting the Tigers' offer as the end of the trade period loomed. Richmond may have won the battle, but did they win the war?
Tigers winRichmond got the player they wanted for the price they wanted to pay, so it's hard to see this as anything but a win for the Tigers. Yarran has played 119 games and at 24 years of age he still has his best football ahead of him. He has pace to burn, which should suit the Tigers well, and is capable of playing off half-back or as a small forward, giving the Tigers added versatility. His kicking is also precise, which counts for everything under Damien Hardwick's game plan. It's one of the reasons the Tigers were so bullish about landing him.
Blues winCarlton wanted more, but despite the expected shallowness of this year's draft pool, pick No.19 should still land a fairly decent player with the quality predicted to fall away midway through the second round. There have been some very good No.19 draft picks over the years, including triple-premiership player Isaac Smith (2010), Callan Ward (2007) and David Mundy (2003), which should give the Blues plenty of hope they can snare a good young talent.
Our verdictIn terms of the price paid we reckon pick No.19 is about right for Yarran. However fair this deal seems, the way the negotiations took place left us with a clear winner and a clear loser. Richmond won the staring contest and the repercussions will go far beyond this year's trade period. Carlton were insistent on getting No.12 for Yarran and said they would be happy to keep him on their list a year longer if they didn't get the deal the wanted, but then they folded.
This will make it extremely hard for the Blues to hold its ground in future trade negotiations, setting a precedent that many clubs will expect them to follow. Conversely, the Tigers' ability to hold firm in the face of the looming trade deadline has let other clubs know that they will not buckle at the trade table, and when they say 'final offer' they mean final offer.
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