A mammoth pitch has landed on Essendon’s table with three first-round picks offered for them to give up their prized top-five selection.
Plus the always tight-lipped Swans confirm their interest in trading on draft night.
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DEMONS’ BIG BID TO JUMP INTO TOP FIVE
Melbourne has launched a huge bid to move into the top five of Monday night’s AFL Draft, offering three first-round picks as part of a deal for Essendon’s pick 4.
The prized selection – which will become 5 once an expected bid for Will Ashcroft is made at the top of the order – is viewed as the flex point of the draft, with Ashcroft (to Brisbane via father-son), Aaron Cadman (to GWS), George Wardlaw and Harry Sheezel (to North Melbourne) viewed as near-certainties in the top four.
Essendon holds interest in both Mattaes Phillipou and Elijah Tsatas but could be convinced to trade down the order and grow their draft hand overall.
AFL Media reported the Demons had offered pick 13 plus two future first-round picks, tied to Melbourne and Fremantle, in exchange for Essendon’s picks 4 and 22.
“If that is exactly right – that goes through to our list management team – that’s an example of how keen some clubs are to get in,” Essendon coach Brad Scott said of the offer on AFL Media’s Draft Night Countdown show.
“We’ve got some analysis to do on whether we’d contemplate that but there’ll be offers coming until right before us, and even when North Melbourne call their player if pick three, don’t be surprised if there’s extra time asked for.”
Asked whether the Bombers would pick a player or trade the No.4 selection, Scott said “the honest answer is we don’t know yet.
“We’re the night before the draft and we’re still discussing it, mainly because there are a lot of clubs really interested in that pick. There’s been a lot of offers coming our way but to get a pick inside five, I can’t think of many clubs that have been able to trade into the top five over a long period of time.
“They’re valuable for a reason, that’s where a lot of the superstars and great players come from. There are a lot of good players there and it’d have to be, I’d have thought, an extraordinary offer for us to give that up.”
Jeremy Cameron’s advice for Cadman | 01:47
SWANS CONFIRM INTEREST IN TRADING DOWN
Sydney GM of list strategy and recruitment Kinnear Beatson has confirmed the club holds strong interest in trading away one of its two first-round picks at Monday night’s draft.
Foxfooty.com.au’s Ben Waterworth has reported rival clubs are aware the Swans’ picks 14 and 17 are on the table, as they are interested in boosting their 2023 draft hand.
Speaking on AFL Media’s Draft Night Countdown show and asked whether they would be trading out pick 14, Beatson appeared to somewhat jokingly quip: “We’re gonna trade it. (To who?) Don’t know yet.”
More seriously Beatson continued: “There’ve been a few clubs that have enquired about it.
“We’re in no urgency to trade it, we’re really confident that the players are there, but if a deal’s put to us where we can get back in the second round and significantly improve our position in next year’s draft, we’d be mad not to look at it.
He added: “Tomorrow’s going to be a really long night, because there’ll be a lot of phone calls made and received.”
However Sydney would also be happy to trade up if the option became available.
Beatson believes the draft pool has a clear top seven “that are going to be substantially good AFL players”, followed by 10 players in the second tier, before the draft gets very even.
