Port Adelaide and the Brisbane Lions have completed a pick-swap, which sees the Power gain another pick inside this year’s top 20 at the cost of giving up their 2020 first-rounder.
The Power have obtained pick 16 from Brisbane in this year’s draft, as well as selections 52, 55 and 72, in exchange for giving Brisbane picks 29 and 71 this year, and their first-round pick next year.
The exchange appears likely to have been motivated by the need for Port Adelaide to match a bid for father-son prospect Jackson Mead, which was expected to come in the 20s.
Port would have needed to use pick 29 to match this, but by doing this trade can now instead get three picks in before a bid comes (currently selections 12, 16 and 18), and then match for Mead with later picks.
The trade leaves Port with picks 52, 55, 66, 67, 68 and 71 as late picks of value, which should be enough to successfully match a bid for Mead so long as it doesn’t come earlier than pick 21, which would be very unlikely.
As for Brisbane, they will now enter the draft with pick 21 – gained in a trade with the Gold Coast Suns last year- as their first selection, followed by their newly-gained pick 29, as well as pick 34 also in the second round.
The Lions will now hold two picks in the first round of the 2020 draft, allowing them to either keep stocking young talent onto their list, or perhaps providing them the currency with which to plot a play for a star opposition recruit.
What Port does with its three picks in the 20 will become a big talking point, with the club potentially set to take six first round picks in two years after selecting Connor Rozee, Zak Butters and Xavier Duursma last year, all three impressing in their first season.
Port could look to combine multiple picks, say 16 and 18, to move up the order and snatch a top-ten talent, with Melbourne’s pick 8 and Carlton’s pick 9 both believe to be on the trade table.
They’ve been linked at times to key defender Fisher McAsey who it’s believed has also drawn the interest of Adelaide and Geelong in particular, and local boy Dylan Stephens would appear a naturally good fit.
Dylan Stephens (Photo by Dylan Burns/AFL Photos via Getty Images)
Perhaps the biggest talking point longterm though will be the future first-round pick they have given up and the question of where in the 2020 order it ultimately falls.
Theirs becomes the third 2020 first-round pick to be traded to a rival club, with West Coast giving theirs to Geelong in the Tim Kelly deal, and Melbourne trading theirs to North Melbourne in a pick swap last month.
We saw the infamous Liam Stocker trade add to the pressure on Carlton coach Brendon Bolton during the 2019 season, and with Ken Hinkley understood to need a finals finish in 2020 to keep his job, we may see a similar narrative develop here.
That said, given the specifics of the scenario allowing Port to now secure Mead for a clutch of late picks, it’s likely both clubs will view themselves as winners unless the Power have a shockingly awful year in 2020.
Brendan
Guest
I think the logic goes like this: North aren't using picks 50 or 73, so they might as well use them as an incentive to entere a trade now. Next year there are a heap of academy and father-son candidates, so pick 30 this year may well be ahead of pick 27 next draft. So if they don't drop position next year, they may well come out ahead of what their hand was. Hawthorne certainly does win this trade, but North can too, especially if they improve their position next year.
Macca
Roar Rookie
Anyone able to explain the upside for North in their pick swap with the Hawks? Do North have someone looking for a heap of mid range second round picks to match an academy bid?
Raimond
Roar Guru
maybe they should swap coaches :silly:
Eagles supporter
Guest
Port have had a lot of high end talent roezze, butters duursma, powell pepper, marshall these three kids including mead they realise they have enough young talent and don't need it next year that they rate this years crop better than next
TomC
Roar Guru
Once again, I don't see how that makes any difference. Let's assume Adelaide would have been mean-spirited enough to bid on Mead with pick 28, forcing Port to use pick 29, even though the Crows didn't really want him. Now they won't bother, and someone will bid around the mid 30s, allowing Port to match with picks 52 and 55. Port haven't lost anything, but they haven't gained anything. And for the record, I doubt clubs bid on players unless they genuinely want them more than anyone else available. The risk is greater than the reward.
Brendon the 1st
Roar Rookie
All.com.au are saying he got lapped by the top two runners
Powa
Roar Rookie
can we now say for certain Port are rebuilding?
BrightOne
Roar Rookie
I would note that because Port did this change, teams that were going to force ports hand with Mead with a pick before pick 29, will not bother now as there is no point (its basically a strategy to force a bid / pick use)
BrightOne
Roar Rookie
Yeah bit out of shape is he? the video shows that most of the two following groups were on the same last lap
Brendon the 1st
Roar Rookie
That do kind of lose if he gets a bid after 29 though, because they could have bundled late picks and got Mead and still had pick 29 and next year's (hopefully) top 10 draft pick. So they lose if someone bids at say 17 or below because they'll have to match it with pick 18, and they lose if someone bids at 30 or above, because they could have kept next year's pick. Big risk, it could totally pay off if they smash the draft again, history shows that's a big if though.
Brendon the 1st
Roar Rookie
Did you read that Dougal got lapped at St Kilda training? Wow
BrightOne
Roar Rookie
not necessarily, what is does is change the selection landscape of the other teams selections, some teams may want to force you to use your higher picks on your father son so that they get a selection you may want lower down the order (example Adelaide have selection 23, 28 and 37 they could have made a bid on Mead with selection 23 forcing port to use 29 on Mead reducing the ability of port to nab someone they may now get slipping to 37) is more like a game of strategy than pick value. if I was a selector i would be doing my darnedest to make sure sure that the opposition teams really want a quality father son they had to pay overs for him - Tom Green is a prime example If I was Melbourne, Adelaide or Sydney i would force GWS to use their top pick on him because if they don't then GWS can use pick their next pick (pick 59!!!) to get an elite talent
Brendon the 1st
Roar Rookie
So if mead doesn't go until 30, Port lose?
Brendon the 1st
Roar Rookie
Yep, dunno. I hope they know what they're doing, no-one else does. They must have a eyes on players in the draft, that's all I can think of.
Maxy
Roar Rookie
im a port supporter ,not as diehard as a lot of others because I think the quality of football has dropped signifigantly due to the fact of 18 teams is to many in my opinion,keep expanding dilutes the quality,think 14 would be a good number but hey its just my opinion,so I find it hard to watch to many games anymore,saw about 7 or 8 port games last year[live in qld] port looked great at there best ordinary other times I think its a mental thing and consistency thing[ probably comes hand in hand] hence the WLWLWLWL period they went through who takes the blame for that? im not in the inner sanctum to comment cause I don't know but apparently a lot of people do,lots of little things go on through a football season that can sometimes end up snowballing,wines injury while skiing watts injury round 1 Charlie coming of horrific injury grey early injury westoffs alarming drop off after winning best and fairest etc etc its a long season,i actually take my hat off to Hinkley especially the last 2 years,rozee,butters,duursma this year 12 16 18 and looks like getting meade for a few late picks that's 6 1st round draft picks in 2 years get these 3 picks right next week future looking very very good hit free agency 2021 cause should have significant cap space love it.havent givin up on Dixon or watts just yet,charlie is the type of player we need,i don't have any problem with dropping players because in professional sport if you don't perform you should be dropped .sam gray can be replaced easily [ebert butters Farrell rozee Robbie gray can all play that role cox woodcock waiting for there chance 3 1st rounders coming.howard came 21 in best and fairest and we get 1st round pick for him I take that port where in no mans land 2 years ago they are on the right track this time that light at the end of a very long tunnel is visible,captain thing never bothered me,if wines tried to get to carlton in the off season he wont be captain next year,and if he leaves next year we will get our 1st round pick back next year,i would take that to
Pedro The Fisherman
Roar Rookie
Won't the Chop Suey Castle come tumbling down if a club bids early for Mead. Port's best laid plans will be out the window.
Macca
Roar Rookie
I think the whole falling out thing has been way overblown. At the end of the day SOS is a professional and handles himself as such. He has done an amazing job since arriving at the club and I don't expect that will change in the coming draft. If an opportunity presents itself to improve the club he will take it.
Gyfox
Roar Rookie
Correct, BrightOne. Port supporters were up in arms about the trading of popular players last year & the same this year. Methinks the coaches & support staff know what they want - & it seems to be successful.
TomC
Roar Guru
But they’d have got mead anyway with 29. It’s 16 for a possible top 10 pick, and even that’s assuming its certain mead gets a between 19 and 28.
Brendon the 1st
Roar Rookie
Pick 16 and mead for a possible top ten pick next year, probably worth it. Port would have used 29 on Mead anyway and next year's draft is compromised. They've got a plan, just not sure what it is yet