THE TRADING CHRONICLES 2007: ZERO HOUR

[Whispering_Jack 30,065]

THE TRADING CHRONICLES 2007: ZERO HOUR by the Oracle

FATHERS, SONS AND OTHER DISTRACTIONS

"Representatives of the 16 AFL clubs will all meet at Telstra Dome on Monday, 8 October 2007 to discuss their options for the Exchange Period, which concludes at 2.00pm on Friday 12 October 2007.

The clubs will meet from 10.30am-2.45pm at Telstra Dome" - AFL Exchange Period Rules and Regulations.

To observe the opening of trade week is akin to watching grass grow. The usual scenario on this day is that nothing much happens apart from the normal introductory discussions and some huffing and puffing in small doses. Generally, we have to wait until the third day comes along before the first trade is done but most of the action takes place in a whirlwind final half hour on Friday afternoon.

The problem is that every year there are usually one or two big trades going down that require intricate arrangements to be completed between a number of clubs. Until the larger dominoes fall, everything else must wait. As a result, the whole process almost grinds to a halt in the early part of the week, boredom sets in among those who watch the events closely and the action only hots up towards the final day.

Last year the problem was the closing of two separate big deals that involved Jason Akermanis and Peter Everitt respectively. The latter was finalised in the last few minutes before the Friday 2.00 pm deadline.

This year's worry is the possibility that, despite his manager's insistence that it be resolved by tomorrow, the Judd Saga might continue until deep into the week causing everything else to go into lockdown. In the past, player managers have complained that this presents a major barrier to consumating the lesser deals. Some never make it across the line; careers can be made or broken as a result. One of these days the AFL will wake up and do something.

One thing the AFL has done is that it has introduced an interesting adaptation to the father/son rule.

"Any clubs wishing to nominate eligible players as a father/son selection for this year's 2007 NAB AFL Draft must do so by 2.00pm Friday, 5 October 2007.

The bidding meeting for any nominated players will be at 10.00am on Monday, 8 October 2007.

Each other club in the competition has the option to bid, in reverse ladder order, for that nominated player. If a bid is made, the club that nominated the father/son player must use its next available selection if it wishes to retain hold on that player.

If the club nominating the father/son player declines to match the selection nominated, the club with the successful bid must use that selection at the Draft.

Any club that makes a successful bid on a father/son selection is bound to the pick they nominate. If no bid is made by another club, the club that nominated the father/son eligible player will forfeit its last selection in the draft to select the player" - AFL Exchange Period Rules and Regulations.

This year the sons of Ricky Barham (Jaxson to Collingwood), Larry Donohue (Adam to Geelong) and Anthony Daniher (Darcy to Essendon) have nominated under the rule. Previously clubs could use a third-round pick on their father/son selections but now, other clubs can bid for the players.

The new system is obviously in its embryonic stage and we don't yet know how things will pan out when put into practice. The main interest today will centre on Darcy Daniher, a tall key position player who starred for the Calder Cannons in the recent TAC Cup Under 18 Grand Final victory.

Once the father/son issue is out of the way, proceedings will start in earnest. The key rules to note in the trading/drafting process are

• A club may exchange a player or players on its primary list for a player or players on the primary list of another club;

• A club may exchange a player or players on its primary list for the draft selection or draft selections of another club;

• A club may exchange a player or players on its primary list for a combination of a player, players, draft selection or draft selection of another club;

• A club may exchange a draft selection or draft selections for a draft selection or draft selections of another club;

• No more than five players shall be exchanged by any one club.

• No more than three players shall be exchanged by any one club in any one transaction, or series of related or interdependent transactions.

• A club cannot on-trade a player received in any exchange until the following year.

• A club may exchange a draft selection it has received from another club, provided that the selection is not traded directly back to that club.

• Where the exchange of a player(s) and draft selection(s) involves more than two clubs, it is not a requirement that each club involved in the transaction make an exchange between each other.

• Any draft selection received in an exchange does not need to be exercised. However, any club that passes on a draft selection shall be excluded from exercising any remaining selections at that same meeting.

Each of the clubs will have its own priorities for the trade week and the recruiting managers have had their say on the AFL Website.

Melbourne's General manager recruiting and list manager Craig Cameron puts his aspirations for the week this way -

"We'll probably have a fairly low key approach and we'll look to trade, but we'll think we can build our team around our 23 and under players. We've still got a number of older players that we think can be really good contributors as well. We'd like to get some more draft picks in if we could – second- or third-round picks – and if we could trade in a player who is in that 23 or under age bracket that helps us in a specific area, then we'd like to do that too. Overall we'd like to get some more picks for November."

That position reflects the fact that Cameron has been building a list over the past four or five drafts and some of the youngsters selected are now closing in on their prime but have yet to reach their peak. At the same time, new coach Dean Bailey, has promised supporters that the emphasis will swing towards development of the club's youth stocks. The introduction of the right chemistry could see a massive improvement among this group as a whole in 2008.

Getting back to the trades and numerous players have already been mentioned in despatches for possible player swaps. Some are named because they happen to be out of contract, others because they may not be wanted by their own clubs or because they are wanted by others. Some are perennials in trade talk while others are speculative at best. Among the names that have come up are -

Adelaide - Matthew Bode, John Hinge, Ben Hudson, Luke Jericho, John Meeson, Luke Perrie.

Brisbane – Jed Adcock, Robert Copeland, Anthony Corrie, Richard Hadley, Beau McDonald, Troy Selwood, Justin Sherman, Cameron Wood,

Carlton – Adam Bentick, Paul Bower, Brendan Fevola, Adam Hartlett, Ryan Jackson, Josh Kennedy, Lance Whitnall.

Collingwood – Chris Bryan, Ben Davies, Alan Didak, Chris Egan, Josh Fraser, Guy Richards.

Essendon – Kepler Bradley, Ricky Dyson, Courtney Johns, Mark Johnson.

Fremantle – Ryley Dunn, Justin Longmuir, Ryan Murphy, Byron Schammer, James Walker, Robert Warnock.

Geelong – Mark Blake, Tim Callan, Steven King, Henry Playfair, Brent Prismall, Kane Tenace.

Hawthorn – Michael Osborne, Mark Williams.

Kangaroos – Leigh Brown, Matt Campbell, Brad Moran, David Trotter, Shannon Watt.

Melbourne – Aaron Davey, Ryan Ferguson, Chris Johnson, Travis Johnstone, Brad Miller.

Port Adelaide – Brad Symes, Damon White.

Richmond – Andrew Krakouer, Richard Tambling.

St. Kilda – Andrew McQualter, Steven Milne, Fergus Watts.

Sydney – Paul Bevan, Darren Jolly, Luke Vogels.

West Coast – Chris Judd, Ben McKinley, Mitch Morton, Mark Nicoski.

Western Bulldogs – Farren Ray, Jordan McMahon, Sam Power, Wayde Skipper.

You can bet that most of these names will come up for discussion during the week along with many others but only a small percentage will change clubs. That's the way of trade week.

Last year, the number of trades done across the board didn't even make double figures. That may have been partly due to the perception that the 2006 draft pool was strong. Conventional wisdom this year is that it's not as deep as last year.

Draft picks are the other bargaining chips of trade week. This is how they line up before the exchange period starts –

Priority –

1 Carlton

Round One:

2 Richmond 3 Carlton 4 Melbourne 5 Western Bulldogs 6 Essendon 7 Fremantle 8 Brisbane 9 St. Kilda 10 Adelaide 11 Sydney 12 Hawthorn 13 West Coast 14 Collingwood 15 Kangaroos 16 Port Adelaide 17 Geelong

Priority -

18 Richmond

Round Two -

19 Richmond 20 Carlton 21 Melbourne 22 Western Bulldogs 23 Essendon 24 Fremantle 25 Brisbane 26 St. Kilda 27 Adelaide 28 Sydney 29 Hawthorn 30 West Coast 31 Collingwood 32 Kangaroos 33 Port Adelaide 34 Geelong

Round Three -

35 Richmond 36 Carlton 37 Melbourne 38 Western Bulldogs 39 Essendon 40 Fremantle 41 Brisbane 42 St. Kilda 43 Adelaide 44 Sydney 45 Hawthorn 46 West Coast 47 Collingwood 48 Kangaroos 49 Port Adelaide 50 Geelong

Round Four -

51 Richmond 52 Carlton 53 Melbourne 54 Western Bulldogs 55 Essendon 56 Fremantle 57 Brisbane 58 St. Kilda 59 Adelaide 60 Sydney 61 Hawthorn 62 West Coast 63 Collingwood 64 Kangaroos 65 Port Adelaide 66 Geelong

Round Five -

67 Richmond 68 Carlton 69 Melbourne 70 Western Bulldogs 71 Essendon 72 Fremantle 73 Brisbane 74 St. Kilda 75 Adelaide 76 Sydney 77 Hawthorn 78 West Coast 79 Collingwood 80 Kangaroos 81 Port Adelaide 82 Geelong

The draft will go to further rounds as required to fulfil each club's quota of players.

And so the week begins ...

[Jumping Jack Clennett 1,791]

Does this excellent article make it clear how naive we were to play Johnstone and Robertson in round 22?

[alpha33 311]

The father/son bidding has landed Darcy Daniher to Essendon for its third round draft pick (currently pick No.39) - Daniher goes to Bombers

There were no bids for Adam Donohue and Jaxson Barham so they will be picked up with their respective clubs' last draft selection.

[titan_uranus 25,016]

A summary of Monday's progressions for the MFC:

MELBOURNE

General manager recruiting and list manager Craig Cameron:

On Travis Johnstone: "Nothing has happened with Travis today. There hasn't been a lot [of interest in him]. There hasn't been many offers. It's a strange week, trade week. We don't use our players as bait but Travis' name is out there."

On Brad Miller: "There's been a little bit of interest from Sydney. We'd like to keep Brad, so that's where we're at. It would have to be [a good offer].

On Crows ruckman John Meesen: "I think by the end of the week [a trade] should happen. At this stage, we haven't gone too far with it. It will probably be draft picks, but it's only Monday and by the time we get to Friday, or even by Wednesday, we'll have a better idea. I wouldn't have thought [we would trade] a second round [pick]."

Adelaide says:

On John Meesen: "Once again, we want [Melbourne's] pick 21 so we're just negotiating that. I want their second round pick and they've offered their third."

From http://www.afl.com.au/Default.aspx?tabid=2...mp;newsId=52298

Like we're gonna give them pick 21...

[Yze_Magic 3]

Adelaide says:

On John Meesen: "Once again, we want [Melbourne's] pick 21 so we're just negotiating that. I want their second round pick and they've offered their third."

LOL

HAHAHAHA

Craig must have laughed in their faces

[Diablo 1]

I get the feeling we're going to take a cut-price, last minute offer for Travis. The club really do not want him, and it's painfully obvious. I just have a hunch that in the last few hours on Friday, some mugs will approach CAC and offer something balls like a 3rd rounder. I could deal, I suppose, as long as we don't wind up paying half of his wages.

[Jaded No More 68,915]

Trade week really is a meat market.

End of the week you get half-price meat that's 3 days old and a bit smelly. The butcher loses money but at least he doesn't have to keep the stinky produce.

If Adelaide think they are getting pick 21 for a ruckman who has done absolutely nothing at AFL level, they are seriously kidding themselves.

Check back on Friday at 1.30pm when about 10 deals will get done after a week of donut eating, coffee drinking, and poker playing.

[deanox 9,915]

no. keep trapper unless its a high pick. he is worth more to us than that. unless of course there is something we obviously dont know about.

regarding meesan, they can have the 3rd or nothing. we will take him in the psd.

[Goodvibes 3,596]

If Adelaide think they are getting pick 21 for a ruckman who has done absolutely nothing at AFL level, they are seriously kidding themselves.

Carlton is about to use pick 1 on a ruckman who has done absolutely nothing at AFL level. As a ruckman who you'd expect to take anywhere between 2 - 5 years to mature, taken as a pick 8 a couple of years ago, he's certainly worth pick 21 or higher. The only reason we should get him cheaper is the fact he's out of contract and we have a pick 3 is the PSD. McIntosh and Hale are good examples of highly credentially junior ruckmen like Meesen who took a little while. Patience is needed. Adelaide will be spewing.

[Jaded No More 68,915]

Carlton is about to use pick 1 on a ruckman who has done absolutely nothing at AFL level. As a ruckman who you'd expect to take anywhere between 2 - 5 years to mature, taken as a pick 8 a couple of years ago, he's certainly worth pick 21 or higher. The only reason we should get him cheaper is the fact he's out of contract and we have a pick 3 is the PSD. McIntosh and Hale are good examples of highly credentially junior ruckmen like Meesen who took a little while. Patience is needed. Adelaide will be spewing.

They got a gun midfielder off us a few years back. Time to get one back.

The kid wants out, he has proven nothing even if he has scope for improvement.

Pick 21 is too high given the circumstances. We're actually being nice by offering them something. We could easily say "not interested" then pick him up in the PSD. Bastard clubs would have done that a week ago already, in fact, Carlton is trying to get the best player in the AFL for nothing.

Besides, if he was so highly rated more clubs would show interest.

[Gorgoroth 12,950]

Well it really looks like Trapper is on the way out, if he goes for anything higher than a top 10 pick we have been done over.

I hope we do not give the cows anything higher than pick 37.

[Diablo 1]

Well it really looks like Trapper is on the way out, if he goes for anything higher than a top 10 pick we have been done over.

I hope we do not give the cows anything higher than pick 37.

To be fair condemned, Travis isn't worth that. His potential certainly is, but 10 years on and a minimal showing of it has severely impaired that value. I would be delighted with a top 20 pick, but am positive that he will fetch an early 3rd round choice, at best.

[Goodvibes 3,596]

Besides, if he was so highly rated more clubs would show interest.

This is what I can't quite get my head around. All the talk at the moment is about ruckmen. Why wouldn't other clubs be making a play at Meesen? Unless I've missed something, nothing has been revealed about why he chose us. Can't remember that happening before. I would have thought this to be significant. Maybe after the Judd fiasco, what would in the past be considered significant just seems mundane.

[deanox 9,915]

i think we spoke to him and offered him a contract. he said sounds great, told adelaide he wants to go to the mfc. since that is public no one else has really bothered to chase him...

[Goodvibes 3,596]

no one else has really bothered to chase him...

That's the part that worries me. Everything else says great pick-up.

[deanox 9,915]

but i mean if he has come out publicly and said 'i want to go to melbourne'. we have pick 3 in the psd, we said we were gonna get him. it makes sense that no one has made a big play for him, because they would have to be paying over the odds for him. they would have to pay more than he is worth...

[grazman 7,432]

That's the part that worries me. Everything else says great pick-up.

He was playing SANFL reserves for most of the year after he injured his knee. Adelaide supporters think he's lazy and ungrateful, but then say that Maric and Griffen are better ruck prospects anyway. Still they're bitter because they don't see a third round pick as fair... whether that's because Adelaide used a first round pick to get him or they think he's actually worth more is unknown. I think Bailey must have seen something that he liked about him whilst he was in SA, I don't know how many other clubs recruiters would know much more about him than half the [censored] that's written on BF because he wouldn't have been high on their radar. It's clear that he never wanted to be in SA anyway and I hope whatever motivation or attitude issues are overcome by the time he starts preseason training.

[Jaded No More 68,915]

It's because he was a Melbourne supporter growing up, and Gary was his hero.

He heard the number 3 was up for grabs, and thought he was more worthy of it than Judd. We dropped the Judd deal to get him!

Third round pick > Sweet f*** all

[Goodvibes 3,596]

It's because he was a Melbourne supporter growing up, and Gary was his hero.

He heard the number 3 was up for grabs, and thought he was more worthy of it than Judd. We dropped the Judd deal to get him!

I heard his parents wanted him to escape the bright lights and every-days-a-party adelaide lifestyle.

[Nasher 33,616]

He was playing SANFL reserves for most of the year after he injured his knee. Adelaide supporters think he's lazy and ungrateful, but then say that Maric and Griffen are better ruck prospects anyway. Still they're bitter because they don't see a third round pick as fair... whether that's because Adelaide used a first round pick to get him or they think he's actually worth more is unknown. I think Bailey must have seen something that he liked about him whilst he was in SA, I don't know how many other clubs recruiters would know much more about him than half the shit that's written on BF because he wouldn't have been high on their radar. It's clear that he never wanted to be in SA anyway and I hope whatever motivation or attitude issues are overcome by the time he starts preseason training.

I got confused about that too graz, reading the Adelaide BF forum. People were calling him a lazy, useless dud and demanding a second round pick in the same sentence. Which is it? Is he a dud, or is he worth a second round pick?

[Juice Newton 0]

i heard on sen that we were looking to get rid of nathan carrol. Why??? he's our best full back.

[Juice Newton 0]

The reason why nobody else has chased meesen is because he specified to go to us. if that is the case, then of coarse nobody else would want him, because he's not commited. i think he'll be good, especially considering that he only has to beat jamar and johnson into the side. By the way, does anybody know why we got rid of neaves, i thought he showed some promise in the sandringham side.

[Guest bored]

The reason why nobody else has chased meesen is because he specified to go to us. if that is the case, then of coarse nobody else would want him, because he's not commited. i think he'll be good, especially considering that he only has to beat jamar and johnson into the side. By the way, does anybody know why we got rid of neaves, i thought he showed some promise in the sandringham side.

Neaves has not necessarily been disposed of just yet. Simply on the back burner. It was either elevate him or delist him as he had been rookied for 2 years. Delisting was a better option while we look at the options during trade week. My guess is he will be picked up again by either Melb or another club.