It took less than twenty-four hours after the GWS Giants’ best-and-fairest night for Jack Steele to declare his intentions for 2017: he wants a trade to join the St Kilda Saints.
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This didn’t come as a surprise, it’s a rumour that has been around for a while now. While Steele is reportedly happy at the Giants, it’s simply a matter of opportunity as he has been on the fringe of the team throughout his brief career so far.
At St Kilda, though, he should be able to slot straight into the starting midfield, and spend the majority of games in an on-ball role that suits him.
The Saints will no doubt be happy to have him – he should provide another layer of depth in their midfield and fit well within their philosophy of playing physical, pressure-based football.
So, the only question then that remains is how they will get him across.
There’s been some rumours going around that St Kilda are confident they will be able to get him for just a third-round pick, possibly with an exchange of some later picks.
That seems well unders to me, if they can pull it off. A second-round pick would be more around the mark, except that St Kilda don’t have one this year, having traded it last year to Collingwood for Nathan Freeman.
Perhaps they will give up their 2017 second-rounder instead – or perhaps the Giants will surprise us and accept a pick from the third round. Time will tell.
The other notable development yesterday was Adrian Dodoro making it clear that Essendon are not at all likely to trade away the No.1 pick this off-season.
Dodoro said a trade involving the first selection at the draft “probably won’t happen”, and talked a bit about the kind of player he might draft at No.1.
There was, for the first time in a long time, a genuine possibility that the top pick might move hands this year, with GWS reportedly keen to secure it.
That now seems very unlikely, so perhaps GWS will turn their attention to Brisbane’s pick No.2. The Lions stated earlier in the week that they are willing to trade it for the right deal.
If the Giants can gain another top ten pick – and they are trying to pry pick 5 away from Carlton in the Caleb Marchbank trade – then perhaps a pair of top ten selections would be enough to get the second pick overall from Brisbane.
That could still allow the Giants to draft Andrew McGrath, the player they’re believed to be most keen on, so long as Essendon don’t snap him up with the No.1 pick.
And an update on the Tyrone Vickery situation – we’re still waiting on a decision from Richmond on whether or not to match the two-year deal offered by Hawthorn. They have until Monday afternoon to make the call.
That’s about it from what was a quiet day of news, being a Saturday after all. Possibly the most exciting development of all though is this – just one more sleep until trading opens! See you all tomorrow.
Paul D
Roar Guru
I just noticed you'd said we were trading it with the Suns - obviously disregard that bit about Bowes sliding if that is the case, they'll use it on him. Was thinking more if someone else came knocking for it, but you're right, we'll probably do a deal with the Suns on that one. They're the ones with the most picks to offer.
Macca
Guest
I wouldn't be surprised to see that deal done early - makes sense all the way around
Paul D
Roar Guru
Yes, I am. There's not much benefit for pick 2 for us this year - no Schache type candidate with a strong link to the club - and so two top ten picks will allow us to have one for Jacob Allison if someone calls him early and another one for either draft/trade. Will also make the Gold Coast happy if we do that since we won't be calling Jack Bowes at 2, meaning they might be able to let him slide before someone calls him (and they have to match) given the teams holding the first picks will obviously have players in mind they want.
Mister Football
Roar Guru
Also, this one talks of McCluggage and McGrath being top two: http://www.afl.com.au/news/2016-10-09/combine-wrap-no1-pick-now-a-race-in-two
Mister Football
Roar Guru
More here: http://www.afl.com.au/news/2016-10-09/trade-wrap-dockers-set-to-part-with-pick-no3 but as you say, if the Giants only end up with pick 3, they are a strong chance on missing out on their man.
Macca
Guest
PaulD - if you look at threads discussing last years trade period you will see it was the prevailing opinion- a big part of the reason Ryan gave the blues 3 out of 10 - I agree it is hard to believe. Us getting Marchbank for 23 is definitely my preferred option but I think it is dependant on whether GWS can get in to the top 5 another way, if they can't i hope at least their desperation works in the blues favour. In the age article they discussed the Lions trading 2 with the Suns for 2 of theirtop10 picks - happy with that?
Chancho
Roar Rookie
that's my thinking as well, they must have spotted potential and as the GM says, these types of players grow on trees. And yeah, of all the sides in the comp you would have to think the Hawks are one of the best at getting the best out of players... except maybe Schoenmakers, he continues to frustrate me
Col from Brissie
Roar Guru
MF yes McGrath is the player GWS want as a they see him as a replacement for Heath Shaw when he decides to hang the boots up. The talk is that the top 2 players are McGrath and McCluggage and they were hoping to do a swap with Essendon to get the number 1 pick. It now looks likely Essendon will keep that pick and take either McGrath or McCluggage. If Brisbane keep pick 2 I would think they would pick the one not taken after first trying to get Gold Coast academy player Bowes.
Paul D
Roar Guru
Not over by much, he plays tall forward and in the ruck - it's not the easiest position and there aren't many blokes who can do it. He's turned into a pretty decent kick for goal as well. Obviously the Hawks think they can turn him into David Hale, and any negatives he has can be overcome by better coaching. Knowing Richmond's luck I wouldn't be surprised if he's All-Australian next year, haha.
Col from Brissie
Roar Guru
Paul D, MF, there is no doubt that there are good relations between the 2 clubs and both have been winners. Last year SOS turned pick 28, 5th and 6th round picks into Plowman, Phillips, Sumner and Lamb and also swapped the 2016 Geelong pick received for Henderson (currently pick 16) into pick 8 in last years draft which they used to grab Harry McKay. I am not sure about the rumors re multiple picks this year but at the least they should get Marchbank for pick 23. When you look at what SOS did at GWS one thing that gets overlooked is that the majority of the players they picked were from Victoria. They knew they had to cull their list each year and there would always be a 'go home' factor as well so the benefit in the Victorians would be that in most cases you would have multiple Victorian clubs to deal with instead of only 2 in the other states. That is why you get good deals for players like Treloar. There are some people who say SOS hasn't done anything great because of all the early picks he had but I think that has more to do with him being a Carlton person.
Paul D
Roar Guru
I don't see how anyone could have looked at pick 28 for 4 players or whatever it was and not seen it as a good deal - I mean, if they got onto GWS list in the first place they obviously aren't complete spuds, and Carlton was getting 4 of them. I think your version of events is pretty accurate, and if I was in your shoes I'd just take Marchbank for 23 and let Freo stuff about with their pick 3. I agree it's far more risky this year. Don't get sidetracked from the main path! I'm still waiting for "old" Carlton to resurface and try and shortcut on this rebuild...
Macca
Guest
I that's what am hearing too, I proposing GWS still end up with 3, just Freo would get 5 and he blues 7, that is better for Freo. I would then hope the blues could get something good enough for Tuohy (assuming he is leaving) to bundle with 7 to get 2 from the Lions as the top 5 players appear a distance in front of the rest.
Macca
Guest
PaulD - I think last year a lot of people (Ryan and Josh included) had the attitude that a 4 for 1 deal was too good to be true and that the 4 must be all duds without looking at the reasons why these players were being put out, high quality GWS list, the players had bad luck with injury and GWS' list had to come down. I would have thought the success of Plowman and Philips and the fact Sumner and Lambarent complete busts should have changed that thinking. This year some of the conditions remain but the bug driver is GWS' desperation to get a top 5 pick. The ruomoured deal started at Marchbank and Stewart, then Pickett was added, then Corr and now it seems Kennedy. I think that if they can get 3 from Freo as discussed in the age report I posted below the extra players will evaporate and the blues will just get Marchbank for 23 - unless of course the blues get involved in the deal with Freo as I have suggested. I suppose the point is last year the blues saw the opportunity and they pushed it, this year GWS are the ones pushing the deal. I would also say I was happier with the 4 for 1 when it only cost us pick 28, I have a few more reservations this year when it Could cost us 5
Mister Football
Roar Guru
Hoskin-Elliott another one looking to move, still contracted for 2017, currently on $400,000, which is a lot for a 50 gamer, but probably won't appear as much from next season onwards. He'd be ahead of the five Carlton are looking at. Collingwood's looking at him.
Mister Football
Roar Guru
It's a mystery that Hawks are so keen on Vickery. I got a tiges mate who reckons he'll absolutely spew if he comes good for the hawks. But, it has to be said, the hawks rarely pick duds.
Mister Football
Roar Guru
I'm hearing the Giants have an eye on a player likely to go high (but not in their Academy), and so are looking to get either pick 2 from Brisbane, or it would now appear pick 3 - although the player concerned, McGrath I think, is likely to go at some point in the top 3.
Mister Football
Roar Guru
Yeh, true about getting high picks for Treloar, including high first rounder in this draft. I get what you mean about the other clubs. You have Steele going to the saints (most probably), and you have Port sniffing around for another player, whose name escapes me. Freo will nab McCarthy, still, as you say, all of that doesn't come to the number which are heading to Carlton (on top of a similar number which went there last year), so yeh, I guess those numbers are starting to pile up for one club. It's starting to make sense that Sos' contacts are telling him what he can get for one high draft pick.
Paul D
Roar Guru
That's what I'm saying though, the other 16 clubs all knew GWS had to get their numbers down as well, and yet pretty much everyone who's been jettisoned looks like landing at Carlton. Seems baffling. Anyways. I agree their recruitment has been first class - agreed too on Treloar, he is a gem, but they got two first rounders for him, one of them a higher pick than the Pies were hoping to have to give up so I can't even fault them for that really.
Chancho
Roar Rookie
News just in from MMM, Hawks have landed Vickery for about a mill for 2 years... that sounds like overs to me. That should be a 2nd round compensation pick too, shouldn't it
Mister Football
Roar Guru
No doubt there remains good relations between SoS and GWS, but in truth, Carlton are only getting the best of the rest, and GWS are probably happy to get one high draft pick to offload a few players because they now have to get their numbers down a couple of years ahead of time (you could call it the Eddie effect). GWS really haven't put a foot wrong in terms of who they have re-signed and who they have let go. Treloar probably the one they least wanted to lose.