Big names likely to stay put
Greg Denham | September 30, 2008
THE AFL's annual five-day player exchange period starts on Monday, but don't expect a flurry of activity this year following last season's Chris Judd-led resurgence of trade week.
Following several years of reduced activity during the second week of October, a total of 17 trades were completed last season, eight more than in 2006.
Last year Judd was the highest-profile player to be traded since Wayne Carey was swapped to Adelaide in the twilight of his career at the end of 2002 for overall selections two and 18.
The West Coast premiership captain and Brownlow medallist was one of five premiership players to switch clubs last year, the others being Steven King, who less than a fortnight earlier played in Geelong's massive win over Port Adelaide, Sydney Swans Adam Schneider and Sean Dempster, and Brisbane's Richard Hadley.
With the start-up of the Gold Coast in 2011 followed by a team out of west Sydney scheduled for 2012, this year's national draft will be the last "uncompromised" draft for at least five years, so most clubs, if not all, are reluctant to give up first-round selections. That appears likely to go against Daniel Kerr moving from West Coast, as the Eagles have demanded two picks inside the top 10 for him as he is already contracted to the end of 2009.
Sydney would dearly love Kerr and is prepared to offer him a five-year contract, but how can the Swans, who at the moment have pick No11 to barter with, possibly satisfy the Eagles?
Even if Rodney Eade's desire to have Barry Hall playing at the Western Bulldogs next year is fulfilled, what the Swans would get in return would not go close to appealing to the Eagles.
No doubt Essendon will have a crack at Kerr, but what are the Bombers prepared to give up in return? They have got pick five and a bunch of young West Australians, including Patrick Ryder, Scott Gumbleton, David Myers, Tayte Pears, Kyle Reimers and Leroy Jetta.
If Essendon can't deal, Kerr is almost certain to stay in Perth.
So, with no Kerr, no Hall, no Alan Didak, who appears certain to remain with Collingwood despite a history of poor off-field behaviour, and with Jonathan Brown having re-signed with Brisbane, who is left?
The biggest name without a home is Ben Cousins, but the disgraced former Eagles captain will only surface in November or December, should the AFL Commission give him permission to return to the game via the draft system after a 12-month ban for bringing the game into disrepute.
The wild-card next week could be St Kilda big man Justin Koschitzke, who may be a good fit for the Western Bulldogs.
The Dogs are in desperate need of a power forward, while the Swans need a replacement for recently retired ruckman Peter Everitt.
Sydney coach Paul Roos yesterday hosed down interest from his club when he said Koschitzke was "not in our plans".
Roos, who is confident of keeping Hall for another two years, is more focused on retaining out-of-contract star Ryan O'Keefe following a week-long stalemate in negotiations.
Koschitzke could be an attractive proposition in a different environment, but he carries the baggage of too many big-game failures.
He averaged 12 disposals this season, and was hardly sighted in St Kilda's preliminary final loss with 10 touches, three marks and no goals.
If Koschitzke, 26, does go, St Kilda will probably keep midfielder Nick Dal Santo, who is two years younger.
Josh Carr wants to return to Port Adelaide, where he played in its 2004 premiership, and Fremantle will not put up too many obstacles for that to happen.
In another mutual arrangement, Essendon appears certain to part company with contracted midfielder Andrew Lovett, who was twice suspended by the Bombers this year for breaching team rules.
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,24422009-5012432,00.html
