THE TRADING CHRONICLES 2018 by Whispering Jack

PART ONE - BETWEEN RUCKS AND HARD PLACES

Melbourne has been rather pragmatic in its approach to the off season Free Agency and Trade period. After methodically releasing a larger than usual number of players through delistings, it has also traded away a couple of others who it clearly regards as being surplus to the requirements of team focused on a top four finish in 2019 and to this date, acquired a big ruckman to accompany its All Australian Max Gawn in that campaign.

The Demons’ lists have undergone a major refit since the final siren sounded on Preliminary Final day. At that point, we knew of the retirements of Harley Balic and Bernie Vince and soon after the announcements came of Tom Bugg, Dion Johnstone, Mitch King, Pat McKenna and Cam Pedersen and rookie Lachie Filipovic. On Friday, the trades of Dean Kent (to St Kilda) and Dom Tyson (North Melbourne) were signed off, bringing the number of departures to double figures. 

The Kangaroos traded Brayden Preuss to the Demons to give Melbourne the competition’s most potent ruck combination. 

If things were going well for Melbourne’s football manager Josh Mahoney, they certainly went sour with the news late on Friday that Fremantle had withdrawn its interest in securing forward Jesse Hogan by way of a trade. The decision threw the Demons’ plans of securing Gold Coast defender Steven May along with a raft of other potential trades depending on the outcome of those deals.

The Dockers have been chasing WA native Hogan for some four years and last week they paraded him through their headquarters. After it was announced that Hogan had passed his medical, it was thought to be a formality that a trade would be arranged after the obligatory bargaining period. 

Fremantle General Manager of Football, Peter Bell, just two weeks into the job, announced -

“We have been undertaking a due diligence process as part of a possible trade to secure Jesse Hogan.

“As part of that process, we have had discussions with Jesse, the player’s management and Melbourne.

“While discussions were proceeding it became clear that what Melbourne would be seeking for a trade would not be possible for our club to meet.

“As such, we have informed Melbourne and Jesse’s management that we will not be continuing further with the due diligence process.”

This was Bell’s reaction to Melbourne’s refusal to accept his club’s offer of National Draft Pick 11 and a future second-round pick with the Demons expecting two early selections including # 5 that the Dockers would be expecting in a deal with Brisbane for Lachie Neale (Bell is reportedly expecting two first round picks).

The reaction might have come as a surprise but it needs to be looked at in the context of what is happening at the very top at the Fremantle Football Club. In August, its list manager Brad Lloyd departed for Carlton and the task of dealing with the free agency and trading was taken over by CEO Steve Rosich in concert with Bell after his appointment. They are certainly doing things differently in a trade period during which all of the other clubs have been businesslike in their approach — the Freo pair’s dealings over Hogan, Rory Lobb, Neale and a clumsy approach to Geelong’s Tim Kelly who wants to go to the Eagles have raised scorn and disdain throughout the football fraternity and their own fans aren’t happy either!

This has left Hogan back with the Demons for the time being as he plays out the final year of his contract in 2019 (unless the Dockers have a change of heart in the next few days). Mahoney has made it clear that the club is not in a position to follow up a trade for May without completing a deal for Hogan. 

The bonus for the club however, is that it can go into the pre season with a quality key position forward approaching the prime of his career while the team is in the premiership window. Meanwhile, at the other end of the continent, the Dockers are likely to languish, living with a dysfunctional recruiting structure and scorned by the rest of the football community. Good luck with that!

Docker shocker as Freo pull pin on Hogan pursuit

This is the full list of trades after five days:

• Reece Conca joined Fremantle as a free agent. The Tigers don't get any compensation.
• Richmond signed Tom Lynch as a restricted free agent. Gold Coast opted not to match the offer. The Suns got pick No.3 as compensation.
• Luke Dahlhaus joined Geelong as an unrestricted free agent. The Western Bulldogs got a round two pick as compensation (No.27).
• Scott Lycett joined Port Adelaide as a restricted free agent after the Eagles decided not to match Port's offer. Port got pick 20 as compensation.
• The Cats traded Lincoln McCarthy, pick 55 and pick 58 to the Lions. In return, the Lions sent over picks 43 and 61.
• Richmond sent Corey Ellis, Anthony Miles and a future third round pick to the Suns for a future third round pick.
• The Blues used one of their special assistant pre-draft picks to send Nathan Kreuger to Geelong in exchange for pick 43.
• The Lions and the Suns did a pick swap. Brisbane ended up with 32, 41, 44 and 77. Gold Coast got 24, 58 and 79.
• Mitch McGovern and a future third round pick made their way from Adelaide to Carlton. Carlton sent back Shane McAdam (their second pre-draft special assistance pick) and a future fifth round pick.
• Sydney sent pick 13 to the Crows. In return, they got pick 40. They also got picks 26 and 28 from Carlton.
• Jared Polec and Jasper Pittard moved to North Melbourne from Port Adelaide. Also sent over: pick 48. In return, Power received pick 11 and a future fourth round pick.
• Sydney's Gary Rohan was traded to Geelong for pick 61.
• The Swans sent pick 61 to North Melbourne in exchange for Ryan Clarke.
• St Kilda traded Tom Hickey, pick 60 and a future fourth rounder to the Eagles. In return, the Saints got pick 39 and a future fourth round pick.
• Alex Fasolo joined Carlton as an unrestricted free agent. Collingwood got pick 57 as compensation.
• Gold Coast signed Josh Corbett (Werribee) and Chris Burgess ( West Adelaide) as two of their special assistance picks.
• Port Adelaide and Fremantle swapped picks: Power got pick six and a future third round selection, and sent picks 11, 23, 30 and 49 to the Dockers.
• Sydney Swans have traded Dan Hannebery and its Rd 2 selection, currently number 28 (on traded from Carlton) to St Kilda for its Rd 2 selection, currently selection number 39 (on traded from West Coast), and its Future Round Two Selection.
• Melbourne have traded Dean Kent to St Kilda for its Rd 4 selection, currently selection number 65.
• Melbourne have traded Dom Tyson to North Melbourne for Brayden Preuss and its Rd 4 selection, currently selection number 62 (on traded from the Sydney Swans).
• GWS Giants have traded Will Setterfield and its Rd 4 (71), to Carlton for its Rd 3 (43), and Future Round Two Selection.

Terry Wallace on NAB Trade Radio ~

"The thing I take out of this Fremantle situation is, if you're Jesse Hogan, do you want to go there in a year's time when you're out of contract? I don't think so now."

... and that’s why this is not beyond the bounds of possibility.

55 minutes ago, Demon Head said:

Terry Wallace on NAB Trade Radio ~

"The thing I take out of this Fremantle situation is, if you're Jesse Hogan, do you want to go there in a year's time when you're out of contract? I don't think so now."

... and that’s why this is not beyond the bounds of possibility.

I doubt this will happen - it has already been suggested that it will involve a swap of draft picks as well - but it could well stir the pot where the Dockers are concerned. 

This very much depends on how Jesse Hogan looks at the situation given that the Gold Coast might present the new start in his life that he’s been looking for as a result of the difficult times he’s recently experienced in his life.

22 hours ago, Demon Head said:

Terry Wallace on NAB Trade Radio ~

"The thing I take out of this Fremantle situation is, if you're Jesse Hogan, do you want to go there in a year's time when you're out of contract? I don't think so now."

... and that’s why this is not beyond the bounds of possibility.

That's a very indirect route for Jesse to take to get home to Perth. The only way I could see this happening is if Hogan is so desperate to leave the MFC he'll go anywhere, and nothing I've heard or read suggests this is the case. 

Is there much trading activity done by the clubs over the weekend? Everything seems to have gone very quiet.

20 minutes ago, Elwood 3184 said:

Is there much trading activity done by the clubs over the weekend? Everything seems to have gone very quiet.

Rest assured, the necessary phone numbers are inside every recruiter’s contacts and calls are being made even on the weekend.

Well, the official Free Agency period has come and gone and the world hasn't come to an end.

There hasn't been all that much activity with Tom Lynch being the big fish among free agents. There were some other fish caught and nibbles for a few others but it wasn't all that much of a big deal in my book and there are 10 free agents left without a deal.

The next lot of free agents on the menu are the delisted free agents but they don't come into play yet.

 

6 minutes ago, The Oracle said:

Well, the official Free Agency period has come and gone and the world hasn't come to an end.

There hasn't been all that much activity with Tom Lynch being the big fish among free agents. There were some other fish caught and nibbles for a few others but it wasn't all that much of a big deal in my book and there are 10 free agents left without a deal.

The next lot of free agents on the menu are the delisted free agents but they don't come into play yet.

 

I think it runs till Wednesday

Just now, Salems Lot said:

I think it runs till Wednesday

The Trade Period runs till Wednesday.

The Free Agency Period is now officially over.

2 hours ago, The Oracle said:

The Trade Period runs till Wednesday.

The Free Agency Period is now officially over.

ahh!

THE TRADING CHRONICLES 2018 Whispering Jack

PART TWO - NO CHOICE

There was a time before he even played a single game at AFL level that Jesse Hogan was regarded as the player who would lift Melbourne from the bottom of the ladder. He’s been at the club since he was selected in the 2012 mini-draft but circumstances caused him to wait two seasons before making his AFL debut. He achieved Rising Star status in 2015, kicked more than 40 goals in three of his four seasons, had his disappointments with injuries, illness and personal issues with the loss of his father and yet, Hogan the Saviour seemed forever absent for the club’s most triumphant moments.

Hogan is now a Docker after the Demons traded him for national draft picks 6 and 23 on the final day of the AFL's trade period. This is despite the fact that he was contracted to Melbourne for 2019 and would have earned good money. There’s no doubting his quality as a footballer but he wanted to go home and the likelihood remained high that he might be gone after another season filled with unwelcome distractions of an uncertain future at the club. And not for the first time.

When expectations are high for the future after making it to a Preliminary Final, full commitment to the cause beyond the now is paramount. In the end, there was no choice.

Moving on to the future, the three players introduced to the Melbourne Football Club  have the attributes of commitment, willingness to work hard and the ability to fill needs. Former Gold Coast co-captain Steven May, a hard-at-it defender has a five year contract. The skillful Kade Kolodjashnij who brings run and carry to the table and mature ruckman Braydon Preuss both join the club with three year deals. 

There is no certainty in the business of sport but Melbourne appears to have done well in a trade period that also saw it upgrade its draft position to a point where it now has two picks in the 20s. There is still a lot to do at the draft table, some rookie upgrades and possible acquisition of delisted free agents to fill the eight vacant places on the club’s lists.

Where does this all leave the Melbourne Football Club?

Age journalist Peter Ryan summed up the Demons’ trade period in At a glance: Assessing each club's 2018 AFL trade period when he wrote

“At a glance: Going for the flag”.

Of course, it’s too early to make a reasoned analysis of the trade period because the outcome is never determined in the moment. Time will tell for all clubs and in 2018 there were so many different agendas and strategies. There were clubs that used it to dump the burden of high salaries, some wanted better draft position while others aimed to fulfill certain needs. In the end 42 players changed clubs by way of trades but by draft time at the end of November, there will be many more new faces at every club.

The completed trades - Trade Tracker

You can’t underestimate the point about wantaway players not being a health hazard to the organization. The players themselves might be professionals and give their all on the field but the atmosphere always gets strained as soon as they or the team has a bad day and the media gets on the case with their speculation. 

We traded out one player who had no contract and two with one year left and now have three players well and truly tied to the club plus AVB is on a three year contract. 

We did well.

Great outcome for the club; some really good deals done when looked at them all together.

And on that note, we are not likely victims of any pillaging through new agency with loyal skipper Nathan Jones our only player in this category and hardly a candidate for jumping ship.

One of the big victories of the period from my perspective is the retention of AvB who really provided some much needed strength and aggression to the team’s make up late in the season.

Basically, Jesse Hogan is saying that happiness off the field and being close to family are more important than potential finals success, which is why he was keen to leave Melbourne for Fremantle. If he was never going to be focused on the big prize in a team sport, then it was best that both player and club parted.

Jesse Hogan’s priorities.

"I caught up with Nat and Ross last year in the case of a random trade and the way they were talking with a bit of a five-year plan, it kind of aligned with where I was at,” Hogan said.

“Then this year we had further conversations about it with a bit more depth and they aligned with where I was at.

“I agreed with what Nat and Ross were saying so the natural pull to Freo was on the back of those conversations.”

After reading that I hope Goody & Jack have been sitting down & having a chat with young Cera & talking a bit of a 5 year plan & aligning where he's at...then we can have further conversations with a bit more depth next trade period and get him onboard in 2020...

On 10/19/2018 at 11:35 PM, rjay said:

"I caught up with Nat and Ross last year in the case of a random trade and the way they were talking with a bit of a five-year plan, it kind of aligned with where I was at,” Hogan said.

“Then this year we had further conversations about it with a bit more depth and they aligned with where I was at.

“I agreed with what Nat and Ross were saying so the natural pull to Freo was on the back of those conversations.”

After reading that I hope Goody & Jack have been sitting down & having a chat with young Cera & talking a bit of a 5 year plan & aligning where he's at...then we can have further conversations with a bit more depth next trade period and get him onboard in 2020...

Hasn’t Cerra signed on to end 2021?

We definitely need to start sending the Dockers back some  “desperately homesick” tales of Andrew Brayshaw.  His family (and no doubt his dentist) are in Melbourne and he needs to get back.  Also loves playing golf with his brother in the Sandbelt. Values it as far more important than playing under Ross Lyon.  

4 minutes ago, monoccular said:

Hasn’t Cerra signed on to end 2021?

Doesn't seem to matter much these days...

Brayshaw is going to be a good player, I just rate Cerra.

All going well I think he will be an absolute gun, he's got more tricks than Kelly and everyone is going bananas about him.

53 minutes ago, rjay said:

Doesn't seem to matter much these days...

Brayshaw is going to be a good player, I just rate Cerra.

All going well I think he will be an absolute gun, he's got more tricks than Kelly and everyone is going bananas about him.

No problem - another year or so under Lyon and he won’t have a positive aspect to the way he plays. He’ll be bored to tears and demanding to go home. 

4 hours ago, monoccular said:

Hasn’t Cerra signed on to end 2021?

We definitely need to start sending the Dockers back some  “desperately homesick” tales of Andrew Brayshaw.  His family (and no doubt his dentist) are in Melbourne and he needs to get back.  Also loves playing golf with his brother in the Sandbelt. Values it as far more important than playing under Ross Lyon.  

Great start to an argument for his return to 'the flock', the MFC. Just imagine the two of those Brayshaw boys onfield - it would be just like the Febeys...