Swans select trade bait to snare Ottens
Greg Denham
October 04, 2004
SYDNEY has stepped up its bid to recruit disgruntled off-contract Richmond ruckman Brad Ottens.
And eight days after becoming a premiership player with Port Adelaide, midfielder Josh Carr yesterday informed coach Mark Williams he wants to be traded to Fremantle.
But Port chief executive Brian Cunningham warned the Dockers that the club would demand adequate compensation for losing its vice-captain.
"Fremantle have got a lot of work to do," Cunningham said. "To trade, we would need a (Byron) Schammer or a (Matthew) Pavlich type."
On the merry-go-round, Fremantle appear certain to lose off-contract ruckman Troy Simmonds to Richmond and possibly for no compensation in return.
Simmonds' management yesterday informed the Dockers he had agreed not to be traded to another club and would move on a long-term deal to the Tigers, who had first pick in the pre-season draft.
The Swans' bid to satisfy the Tigers with two first-round draft choices for Ottens will include offering players to the Western Bulldogs and Adelaide for either selection six or eight in next month's national draft as the first five selections, which belong to Richmond (two), Hawthorn (two) and the Bulldogs, have been reserved for the draft.
If successful and coupled with Sydney's first pick, No.15 overall, two first-round choices would then be on-traded to Richmond, which is seeking a combination of the best two selections from the Swans, Geelong and the Kangaroos before exchanging Ottens.
A successful trade with the Bulldogs for their second selection in the draft would almost ensure Ottens heads north where he has been offered a four-year deal worth $2million.
Sydney is preparing to tempt new Bulldogs coach Rodney Eade with a package of three players, which would more than likely include forward Nick Davis, defender Jason Saddington and another midfielder.
Eade has left the door ajar by saying he was "90 per cent sure" he would not trade his second pick. "It's off the radar for other clubs, unless we get something really good," Eade said.
Swans coach Paul Roos said yesterday Sydney would talk today to the Bulldogs about an exchange for pick six.
"We're keen to get hold of that selection to be able to get Ottens," Roos said.
"But first we need a commitment from Richmond of what they'll accept and we need that by midweek. We're not going to be held to ransom by Richmond by taking us to the deadline because we've got other deals to go."
The official trade period starts today and ends at 2pm on Friday.
The Swans will involve the Crows, if need be, to secure Ottens by offering ruckman Stephen Doyle and Nic Fosdike, both recruited from Adelaide clubs, for pick eight.
The snag in that scenario is the Kangaroos and Geelong are attempting to trade with Collingwood, which has pick seven, but so far has demanded an extremely high alternative for its first draft selection.
The Magpies have told the Kangaroos that releasing Brent Harvey would get the deal done, while the Pies have requested any one of James Kelly, Kane Tenace, Steve Johnson or James Bartel from the Cats to complete the exchange.
Geelong has declared none of the Magpies' wish list are available as they form part of coach Mark Thompson's list of 15 untouchables.
While the Magpies yesterday denied they are in the race to trade for Ottens, they could secure him in the pre-season draft as an off-contract player with an annual $500,000 price tag as they have the fourth selection in December.
Sydney also has offered Melbourne overall selection No.31 and Mark Powell to Melbourne for disgruntled but contracted ruckman Darren Jolly, who has also attracted keen interest from the Kangaroos and Carlton.
Should the Kangaroos miss Ottens, its target will be Hawthorn's contracted ruckman/forward Nathan Thompson, who has asked to be traded.
The Kangaroos will offer the Hawks its first pick (No.10) and another selection under 20 it hopes it can secure by trading their off-contract midfielder Jess Sinclair.
West Coast is also interested in Thompson, but chief executive Trevor Nisbett said yesterday the Eagles were well behind other clubs in what it could offer.
"Our aim is to get Tyson Stenglein (from Adelaide) and we might not have the quality draft picks that Hawthorn would require," Nisbett said.
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