Bulldogs reflective - The Trade Period

[bornadog]

The Hun

The Dogs have secured three top-30 selections and will add four senior players to their list at the draft – picks 20, 21, 30 and 51.


They traded No.11 to Carlton for 20 and 21 and will back gun recruiter Simon Dalrymple to deliver more draft gold.


McCartney revealed the Dogs began trade period trying to convert their first pick into a top-10 selection but when they couldn’t their draft analysis showed a pair of picks would hold more value.


“We looked at many options where we could move up the draft and once that strategy was exhausted it was then in-depth analysis of the pool,” he said.


“The last couple of years have been really fruitful and the rebuilding of our side has been around draft and development.”


McCartney confirmed the Dogs made a late play for Port Adelaide ruckman Matthew Lobbe but said they didn’t target Gold Coast full-back Steven May.


Lobbe, 26, is holidaying in Vietnam – making it harder to strike a trade quickly – while McCartney said with so much young quality the Dogs’ focus was on retention.


“To get the quality we’d like to come in you’ve generally got to give up something with it,” he said.


“We’re reluctant to give up the young talent we’ve nurtured over the last couple of years.”


In the last completed trade, the Bulldogs sent unwanted defender Michael Talia and pick 69 to Sydney for the Swans’ 2016 fourth-round pick.


The Dogs would have passed on pick 69 but will use the future pick. The Crows and Essendon were linked to Talia — the grandson of Bulldogs premiership player Harvey Stevens — but McCartney said only the Swans wanted him.


“In the end we were probably going to get nothing, so we got a future pick which we’ll use,” he said.


Talia, 22, agreed to a Swans contract on Wednesday after 30 games in four years at Whitten Oval.

[Remi Moses]

I agree in theory we made need to trade in key backs to fill needs, but if we fill needs let's bring in quality and not just fill it for the sake of it.
Hawthorn probably the best example of bringing in quality needs and sacrificing a few along the way .

[GVGjr]

I agree in theory we made need to trade in key backs to fill needs, but if we fill needs let's bring in quality and not just fill it for the sake of it.
Hawthorn probably the best example of bringing in quality needs and sacrificing a few along the way .

I don't believe that is correct. The Hawks do that via trades not just the draft but when you see them making a low end trade for someone like Jack Fitzpatrick to give them some coverage in the ruck and as a key defender because that is what their list needs it shows that they take a practical point of view when they see the need to balance the list.

The aim is not to necessarily have 42 players commanding a senior spot but to have a few players that can provide some coverage in spots they might be lacking some depth in. There is nothing wrong with having a couple of players like Fitzpatrick on the list who will never command a spot for 20 games in a season. Even if they only play 5 to 7 games they probably can come in and do a reasonable job and have earned their spots.

[Dry Rot]

I think we've been clever to save our powder for next year re delistings.

It's a better draft, and we'll need to fill 6 spots then (4 retirements: Morris, Minson, Smith and Boyd; and at least two departing: Prudden and probably Hrovat)