bornadog
17-09-2011, 12:40 AM
By Tim Clarke (http://www.sportsnewsfirst.com.au/articles/2011/09/16/suns-ready-to-trade-top-pick-for-forward/)
GOLD Coast appear set to trade their fourth pick in the upcoming draft in order to get a desperately needed key forward, following the failed attempt to revive Nathan Ablett’s footballing career.
Ablett was delisted last week after failing to impress the Suns’ hierarchy, leaving the Gold Coast club short of experienced key forwards to aid the development of Luke Russell and Brandon Matera.
And Guy McKenna has floated very early the possibility of giving up the first pick after the GWS Giants in the 2011 draft order, with a spearhead the obvious target.
"We've got a fairly skewed list at the moment. I'd think for any mature player that wants to come to the GC SUNS we'd certainly look at that," McKenna told the club website.
"I think we've got enough good, young kids, very happy with the kids we've got, we can see them developing into bona fide AFL players.
"What would help? Danny Stanley helped in our forward line taking the hits, which helped Luke Russell and Brandon Matera late in the season, no different to (Campbell) Brown and (Nathan) Bock down back helping our young defenders get through.
"The balance of youth versus maturity, I would think out of the trade slash draft period we'd be looking for some more mature players."
As the fledgling AFL club investigates the alleged fight between Suns players, an off-duty policeman and an Australian tourist on the Thai island of Ko Phangan, McKenna was weighing up his development options.
With GWS owning picks one, two, three and five, the currency for the fourth pick on what is believed to be a potentially thin draft becomes greater – which McKenna appears keen to cash in on.
"You've got to weigh up what you can get at pick four versus that mature body," McKenna said.
"I have no doubt that if the players are saying that, they would have felt they had a load-and-a-half go through them this season because they had so many kids they were carrying.
"It's important we balance the list and there's an opportunity through the draft and trade that we can do that. We'll sit down with (list manager) Scott (Clayton) and the footy club and work out our best strategy."
GOLD Coast appear set to trade their fourth pick in the upcoming draft in order to get a desperately needed key forward, following the failed attempt to revive Nathan Ablett’s footballing career.
Ablett was delisted last week after failing to impress the Suns’ hierarchy, leaving the Gold Coast club short of experienced key forwards to aid the development of Luke Russell and Brandon Matera.
And Guy McKenna has floated very early the possibility of giving up the first pick after the GWS Giants in the 2011 draft order, with a spearhead the obvious target.
"We've got a fairly skewed list at the moment. I'd think for any mature player that wants to come to the GC SUNS we'd certainly look at that," McKenna told the club website.
"I think we've got enough good, young kids, very happy with the kids we've got, we can see them developing into bona fide AFL players.
"What would help? Danny Stanley helped in our forward line taking the hits, which helped Luke Russell and Brandon Matera late in the season, no different to (Campbell) Brown and (Nathan) Bock down back helping our young defenders get through.
"The balance of youth versus maturity, I would think out of the trade slash draft period we'd be looking for some more mature players."
As the fledgling AFL club investigates the alleged fight between Suns players, an off-duty policeman and an Australian tourist on the Thai island of Ko Phangan, McKenna was weighing up his development options.
With GWS owning picks one, two, three and five, the currency for the fourth pick on what is believed to be a potentially thin draft becomes greater – which McKenna appears keen to cash in on.
"You've got to weigh up what you can get at pick four versus that mature body," McKenna said.
"I have no doubt that if the players are saying that, they would have felt they had a load-and-a-half go through them this season because they had so many kids they were carrying.
"It's important we balance the list and there's an opportunity through the draft and trade that we can do that. We'll sit down with (list manager) Scott (Clayton) and the footy club and work out our best strategy."