You could imagine the stench of optimism on Adelaide Crows supporters faces if, on day one of pre-season, they unearthed Christian Petracca and Angus Brayshaw as their new draftees.
That’s what was on offer, pick two and three was on the table from Melbourne – they wanted Patrick Dangerfield.
It never eventuated. It never needed to.
Throughout trade week about a handful of my Crows supporting friends were calling for the trade to happen. That interview on The Footy Show, his inability to fully commit and the assumption he called for Brenton Sanderson’s head at the end of the season.
It never eventuated. It never needed to.
Patty Dangerfield is the Crows’ best player, but not by a long stretch like it was at the end of 2013. Rory Sloane, Brodie Smith, Brad Crouch, Sam Jacobs and Daniel Talia have all closed the gap on Dangerfield.
Then Melbourne offer pick two and three – ultimately two gun but unproven midfielders. Good replacements for Dangerfield? Yeah, probably, but would they have taken Brayshaw with Petracca? Considering the gaps in their list, probably not and Jake Lever suddenly would’ve become a pick three instead of a pick 14.
But again, it never eventuated. It never needed to.
If Dangerfield does decide to leave at the end of 2015 the Crows will be well compensated, not pick two and three (unless they really, really blow 2015) but probably a pick around nine to 14.
Some smart list management could swap those two picks, say 11 and 12 to St. Kilda, who have shown in the past to aggressively trade to ensure increased picks in the first round, for pick three or four (depending on where St. Kilda finish).
The Crows pick the third or fourth best player in the draft and they’ve still got the player they wanted from the 2014 draft (Jake Lever). The critics of trade week 2014 are silenced and that stench of optimism that would’ve been present in the 2015 pre-season is there, just a year later.
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