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Sydney premiership player Jude Bolton has become the latest key midfielder to feature in the AFL’s trade week as the Swans try to satisfy their need for speed.
Coach Paul Roos confirmed the 27-year-old was on the table, but said Bolton would go at a high price.
“He’s finished 10th, eighth and eighth in our best and fairest for the last three years….so in order for him to be moved on, it would want to be pretty good,” he told Channel Ten.
It is understood several clubs have expressed an interest in Bolton, a tough in-and-under midfielder who personifies the Swans’ “Bloods” spirit.
If a deal went ahead, Bolton would be the first member of Sydney’s historic 2005 premiership team to be traded.
Bolton does not want to leave Sydney and had been negotiating a new deal with the Swans before this week.
The club has already shown its determination to inject more pace into the team by recruiting Adelaide running defender Martin Mattner.
Although the AFL is yet to receive any paperwork, the Swans and Crows have confirmed the deal will go ahead.
The Swans exchanged their second national draft pick, the 28th overall, meaning Adelaide will now have at least three of the first 30 selections next month.
Bolton joins this week’s biggest focus, former West Coast captain Chris Judd, and Melbourne’s Travis Johnstone as high-profile onballers in the trade mix.
There was strong speculation that Carlton and West Coast would complete a trade for the 2004 Brownlow Medallist as early as Tuesday.
But the Blues put out a media release on Tuesday evening to say the negotiations were continuing.
“This is to confirm the confidential discussions are continuing and no further comment will be made at this stage,” the club said.
Melbourne have attracted some interest for Johnstone and are apparently ready to let their 2005 best and fairest winner go for the right deal.
The Demons have also been ready to deal on full-back Nathan Carroll.
Meanwhile, Geelong are likely to re-sign young ruckman Mark Blake, but they are fielding “reasonable” interest in his veteran team-mate Steven King.
His father, former Geelong player Rod Blake, has criticised the club for handling Mark “exceptionally poorly”.
Blake was a hard-luck story of the Cats’ drought-breaking premiership win, dropped for the grand final as the Cats recalled King to share the ruckwork with Brad Ottens.
“It’s our expectation that Blake will sign, will be keen to go on, but that hasn’t been confirmed,” said Cats football manager Neil Balme.
“There’s a reasonable interest out there for him (King).”
While Blake is 22, King will turn 29 next month and should entice some attractive trade offers as several clubs try to boost their rucking strength.
In other trade news, Geelong’s Tim Callan will go to the Western Bulldogs.
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