Early Trade talk - Anyone we want that may be available?

[bulldogtragic]

So I'm thinking two things. Raiding the expansion clubs who have so much talent to cover losing some as much conversation is on. Or the school of thought is looking at a club who needs to rebuild quickly and hasn't started the process yet, and that's Freo. I wonder if our first rounder and a player might buy Steven Hill to come to us and for him to Melbourne and live with his brother?

[Twodogs]

Expansion clubs. Don't their salary caps start to contract soon?

[bulldogtragic]

Time for the first unrealistic crazy scenario naming names. We know GWS are likely trading with Freo over McCarthy, and Freo & GWS have talent we could very well want. GWS have surplus guns and Freo need to rebuild. Can we get into the middle of it?

Freo: In: Roughead, McCarthy, Pick 14 - Out: Hill, Pick 19, Pick 37
GWS: In: Pick 19, Pick 32, Pick 37 (2,200 points & 1,800 points from their 3 rounders = 4,000+ points) - Out: WHE, McCarthy
Dogs: In: Hill, WHE - Out: Roughead, Pick 14 (or so) to Freo, Pick 32 to GWS

*WHE can also be substituted for Haynes or Tomlinson if the balance is out.

After:

Freo = Pick 1, Pick 14, McCarthy (mature FF), Roughead (mature FB/second ruck)
GWS = Picks 16, 19, 32, 34, 37 & 52 for 4,000+ war chest of points on academy players
Dogs = Hill, WHE (no picks in first two rounds, need to trade back in: Stevens maybe) & Crameri back. Free Agency for ruck support.

[EasternWest]

If we got those two I would concede your doyen status.

[hujsh]

I like your creativity but when's the last time we got involved in a trade between other clubs? There's usually speculation and interesting ideas thrown about and then someone else does it

[bulldogtragic]

I like your creativity but when's the last time we got involved in a trade between other clubs? There's usually speculation and interesting ideas thrown about and then someone else does it

True. But... The more I look at it, the more it looks like a start of something workable. Maybe a few tinkering changes of draft orders, maybe we throw in Jong etc. I'd like to see us be adventurous, especially since we know the McCarthy trade is happening, and GWS need to keep stock piling points. We would be letting talent and high picks go, but the pay off could be huge. Say Stevens or Hrovat gets us back into the second round, if we like Romero as a father/son and elevate Lynch or Smith then we don't need the spread of picks this year anyway. I'd still like another key forward and ruck, but see what happens with free agents (Bellchambers, Hurley, Watts, Vickery, Clarke etc). Then, I'm not a fan of trading future picks but I'm not the list manager either.

[comrade]

I'd be gutted if we gave up our first 2 picks and Roughead for an inconsistent runner and unproven kid.

You give up those assets, and deny Dalrymple a crack at the draft, you'd hope you get some genuine A-grade rolled gold talent that fills structural deficiencies on our list.

[bulldogtragic]

I'd be gutted if we gave up our first 2 picks and Roughead for an inconsistent runner and unproven kid.

You give up those assets, and deny Dalrymple a crack at the draft, you'd hope you get some genuine A-grade rolled gold talent that fills structural deficiencies on our list.

Appreciate your opinion, although I see them in a better light. For conversation sake, hypothetically take it up a notch to a Dangerfield type scenario and add in 2017 first rounder and Jong (pick 14, pick 18 2017, Roughead & Jong) for Nat Fyffe and WHE/Tomlinson/Haynes etc. That's pretty much the Dangerfield trade formula. That accelerates Freo's rebuild significantly. Trade into the second round with another player this year, and keep second rounder in 2017.

[Twodogs]

Dalrymple is picking good footballers at the moment. We should be getting him more draft picks instead of giving his best picks away.

[comrade]

For Fyfe and Haynes, you couldn't sign that deal fast enough.

Honestly, if that deal was orchestrated we'd be flag favourites for the next 3 years.

Sadly, the likelihood of Fyfe leaving is ultra slim and Haynes probably even less so. But it's nice to think about and those types of players are what you give up the big assets for.

Also, can anyone confirm if Gary Rohan is a free agent this year? If so I'd be chasing hard.

[1eyedog]

I'd be gutted if we gave up our first 2 picks and Roughead for an inconsistent runner and unproven kid.

You give up those assets, and deny Dalrymple a crack at the draft, you'd hope you get some genuine A-grade rolled gold talent that fills structural deficiencies on our list.

But surely our first two picks are unproven? Roughie as steak knives in that deal really. I'd do a deal like that in a heartbeat and would walk away sniggering. Hill and WHE in our side with Crammers next year would be massive.

You just know WHE is going to make it given his early form in a crap side and Hill is a gun in a good side that is capable of getting the ball to him. He's just what we need.

There comes a point where you have to balance your list and make a decision on one or two players when you're on the cusp of playing deep finals. Dal has been great but he is one bad decision away from a mistake. Generally speaking though he's built the foundation of a premiership team and if we are at 9 or 10 on the premiership clock as the other thread suggests then a player like Hill providing outside run and WHE who also runs outside and kicks goals may be the players that tip the scales.

A one year hiatus at the draft table outside the top 15 will not be the difference between a flag [read Hrovat who is on the trade table], but getting players like that in at the right time might be.

[comrade]

I have huge doubts on WHE and Stephen Hill's form is woeful. Right now, giving away our first 2 picks and denying the best recruiter in the game for 2 players with middling performances this year doesn't look like a productive move.

Much prefer to target out of contract players with less hype like Stewart and Rohan. They'll come much cheaper.

[GVGjr]

While I'm not against trading our first round pick or other picks for establish players we haven't selected a player in the first round of a draft since we selected Marcus Bontempelli. That's already two years without first round selections so for me any deal that has us out of the first round for the third consecutive year would need to be a great one.
I believe one of the reason Freo has struggled is their list just doesn't have enough top end talent and it's so easy for all clubs around the finals contention to think topping up will all of a sudden deliver them a deep finals run. More often than not it doesn't.

What exactly are our pressing needs for us to consider using a first round draft selection as a trade?
A skillful midfielder, a ruckman (like we tried 3 or 4 times last year to get a deal done) or a key forward or defender? Perhaps a hybrid player who can play a few positions or maybe spend some time in the ruck?

I think once we establish what type of player we need recruit it might help us identify some players that best fits our needs. There are likely to be many good players available given the nature of the trade period but I suspect there might only be a handful of players that would really make a difference for us.

[1eyedog]

Rohan is a great player and only 26 so he'll be more expensive than you think, plus he has high injury risk. When he plays though he's a star. Stewart I like as well. I'd be happy with both but I don't think they'll come cheaper at all. Sydney will put a massive premium on Rohan, he's not a restricted free agent until 2017 I think and my feeling is Sydney will attempt to match the offer. They'll have space McVeigh [34] and Richards [35] likely retiring at the end of next year.

I'd prefer Rohan to Hill but Freo are more likely than the Swans IMO. If we're really after Rohan we'll need to splurge and offer a long deal at the end of next year.

[1eyedog]

While I'm not against trading our first round pick or other picks for establish players we haven't selected a player in the first round of a draft since we selected Marcus Bontempelli. That's already two years without first round selections so for me any deal that has us out of the first round for the third consecutive year would need to be a great one.
I believe one of the reason Freo has struggled is their list just doesn't have enough top end talent and it's so easy for all clubs around the finals contention to think topping up will all of a sudden deliver them a deep finals run. More often than not it doesn't.

What exactly are our pressing needs for us to consider using a first round draft selection as a trade?
A skillful midfielder, a ruckman (like we tried 3 or 4 times last year to get a deal done) or a key forward or defender? Perhaps a hybrid player who can play a few positions or maybe spend some time in the ruck?

I think once we establish what type of player we need recruit it might help us identify some players that best fits our needs. There are likely to be many good players available given the nature of the trade period but I suspect there might only be a handful of players that would really make a difference for us.

Agreed. We have a number of requirements though don't we and trying to address them all in one trade period would be impossible. To me our needs are key back, outside run, key forward in that order. Rohan and Hill are unlikely so if we were to look at shoring up our outside run requirement relatively cheaply with a WHE type I think that would be a good result because my feeling is he will be a player. Our key back / key forward issue is more problematic, but if we were able to land a big fish like Hurley, who has the ability to play back and forward as needed, we may solve our bookend issues in one trade.

I know Hurley is not a true key back but he is an animal and given we seem to have made a methodological shift from big key backs [Roughie] to a more reflexive team defence, Hurley could be the player that provides the best outcome for us at the trade table.