North Melbourne’s decision to reject Adelaide’s pitch last year for the No. 1 pick used on Jason Horne-Francis has made the Crows’ bid to secure a second star in as many years easier.
Adelaide and Richmond both made audacious offers to try to secure the Kangaroos’ top selection in the 2021 draft but each looks to have done just fine with the deals not eventuating.
Those proposals are back in the news after Horne-Francis’ shock trade request to play for Port Adelaide in his home state.
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North Melbourne list boss Brady Rawlings said on Monday he expected the Power to stump up more than pick eight this year and a future first for Horne-Francis.
“I would have thought so. We have knocked back better than that in the past, so I can’t see why we would take that as an option,” Rawlings said.
The Crows were willing to part with their first-round pick last year and both selections in that territory this year – one linked to Melbourne – in return for pick one and North’s future second-round pick.
With the Roos knocking them back, they instead drafted Josh Rachele at No. 6, then offloaded the Demons’ selection to Sydney for Jordan Dawson.
Rachele kicked 17 goals in 13 games this year, including a five-goal debut against Fremantle, while Dawson finished a close runner-up to Rory Laird in the club champion count.
The remaining Adelaide pick is No. 5 in this year’s draft and set to be the major piece of the impending trade with Gold Coast for Izak Rankine.
The Tigers’ bounty included their top three draft picks last year – they ended up being Nos. 9 (Josh Gibcus), 17 (Tom Brown) and 28 (Tyler Sonsie) – plus Callum Coleman-Jones for the No. 1 selection.
The Kangaroos instead brokered a separate deal for Coleman-Jones, picks 42 and 47 and a future fourth-round selection that saw Robbie Tarrant, pick 40 and a future second go the other way.
Gibcus already looks a future star and played 18 games in his debut season, with Richmond needing another young key defender to help transition from Dylan Grimes, Nathan Broad, Tarrant and the retired David Astbury.
Brown is yet to play a senior game but midfielder Sonsie made seven eye-catching appearances, including the Tigers’ elimination final, and is already a Damien Hardwick favourite.
Richmond is poised to use the best of its draft hand this year and next to secure Giants midfielders Tim Taranto and Jacob Hopper as the Tigers launch another premiership assault.
— NCA Newswire
