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AFL trade rumours: Another gun Sun on the move?

Expert
27th August, 2016
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(AAP Image/Joe Castro)
Expert
27th August, 2016
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6125 Reads

I know what you’re thinking – wasn’t it just yesterday that I updated you on all the latest trade rumours? Yes, but following on from yesterday’s discussion of Jaeger O’Meara and the Gold Coast Suns, a new development that emerged last night feels like it just can’t wait another week.

This is one around which there have been subtle and not-so-subtle hints for a little while now, but the rumour and talk had faded away it seemed for at least another year. However, there was a fresh flare up last night regarding the possibility that Gold Coast might lose yet another highly-rated young star in this upcoming trade period – former No.1 draft pick David Swallow.

Firstly, a quick recap – the Suns confirmed via a statement on their website on Thursday that Jaeger O’Meara is asking for a trade out of the club, and it’s pretty clear also that Dion Prestia is looking to leave, with his sights set on Richmond.

That’s a pretty rough off-season for the Suns already but it now appears that their handling of the O’Meara situation may have seen them shoot themselves in the foot when it comes to Swallow.

In their statement regarding O’Meara the Suns were… let’s say terse, and that’s putting it very, very mildly. They made a salty laundry list of all they’ve done for O’Meara over the years before putting him up for auction to the highest bidder.

However it didn’t stop there, apparently. According to the Herald Sun, Gold Coast chairman Tony Cochrane reportedly repeated his indictment of O’Meara as ‘disloyal’ to the Gold Coast playing group, a message that did not sit well with Swallow, who defended O’Meara’s conduct at a leadership meeting.

Swallow is currently contracted with the Suns until the end of the 2017 and had previously advised the club that despite speculation, he intended to see out his contract.

However, this reported falling out with a key figure at the club is believed to be leading him into the position of considering a trade away from the club this season, if the opportunity comes up.

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North Melbourne, where Swallow’s older brother Andrew is captain, looks the likely destination. It’s well known that David visited North Melbourne doctor Steve Saunders for advice regarding his persistent knee injuries earlier in the season.

David Swallow Gold Coast Suns AFL 2014

Of course, Swallow is a Western Australian by birth, and a trade home to the West Coast Eagles or the Fremantle Dockers might be equally appealing.

It’s worth noting here that Swallow, O’Meara and Prestia have all had the better part of the last two years ruined by regular injuries. One could certainly understand why there’d be a bit of solidarity between the three, especially regarding what should and shouldn’t be considered disloyal when it comes to the club that has not been able to keep them on the park.

North Melbourne certainly have the salary cap to make a play for Swallow this season after earlier this week announcing they would not renew the contracts of four established veteran players including Brent Harvey.

However the real question on my mind is not so much about the potential of the trade, but what this means for the Gold Coast Suns as a football club. At the moment, any hope of competitiveness in the near future looks to be circling the drain.

Just to make a clear contrast, the GWS Giants are about to play finals for the first ever time, and will in fact record a top four finish if they can win their match at Etihad Stadium tonight. The Suns on the other hand are a cellar dweller whose fortunes only look to be getting worse.

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Cochrane says the aggressive stance on Jaeger O’Meara has been necessary to prevent a future where Gold Coast becomes “a permanent training camp” for the southern clubs.

That’s a fair point to make but perhaps the Suns need to put more consideration into just why these players are asking to leave. There’s pretty clearly something rotten at the club right now, and if they do nothing more than bury their heads in the sand and sigh over the impetuousness of those darned entitled millennials, it won’t be long before what is presently a time of alarm becomes a complete catastrophe.

O’Meara, Prestia and Swallow are all players who signed contract extensions with the club. They’re not the ‘first chance and I’m out’, Tom Boyd-leaving-GWS types who never had any intention of sticking around. They all made the decision to commit to the club, and now for whatever reason, it appears they’re deciding to sever those commitments. That’s an indictment on Gold Coast, and no one else.

These next few months will define the future of the Gold Coast Suns. Can they get Swallow back on side? Can they turn around the flaws that are creating these problems to begin with? And how do they do that? What needs to change?

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