Kangaroos join queue for Ottens
By Stephen Rielly, Peter Ker
realfooty.theage.com.au
September 29, 2004
The Kangaroos have joined what is developing into a posse of clubs pursuing Richmond's disgruntled ruckman Brad Ottens, the Roos confirming yesterday that they have spoken with all the parties involved in a bid to bring the 24-year-old to Arden Street.
With the retirements of Anthony Stevens and David King allowing the club to participate in the upper end of the trade market for the first time in several years, the Roos have joined Geelong and Sydney as confirmed suitors.
"It doesn't mean that we've got money to throw around but it does put us back into the market for the best players, which, because of financial and cap restraints, we haven't been able to do for a little while," said Kangaroos football manager, Tim Harrington.
Ottens has declared Geelong to be his preferred destination and while Sydney is expected to make a lucrative offer, the Roos, being a Melbourne-based club, meet with his desire to remain in Victoria, where the former South Australian's mother and brother Luke now live.
"We've spoken with his management and we want to pursue it as aggressively as we can because we believe that we can offer him something," Harrington said.
The Tigers have placed a minimum price of two first-round draft choices on Ottens, who was not at a Richmond fitness session yesterday. The ruckman/forward was the club's first pick, and second overall, in the 1997 national draft.
"That's what Richmond are saying. They've gone back over time and studied the worth of deals for top-line players and swaps and believe that two first-round picks is about the mark," Harrington said.
The Roos' first pick in the national draft is at 10, five ahead of Sydney and six ahead of the Cats, but Ottens will command as much as $400,000 a season and the Cats, in particular, have a greater number of players of appeal with which to buy the second first-round pick required to satisfy the Tigers.
The Roos also have openly pursued Fremantle's uncontracted ruckman/forward Troy Simmonds, now also a target for the Tigers as they seek to cover Ottens' loss.
"We just see that that type of player will help us in a lot of different ways, not only with what the player can bring but who can be released to play elsewhere. That's the biggest priority for us," Harrington said.
"We make no secret of that. We're working hard on Troy Simmonds as well."
http://realfooty.theage.com.au/realfooty/articles/2004/09/28/1096137237012.html
