Adelaide in line to give Carlton the blues over historic draft swap

Adelaide at the moment has one hand on the prized No. 1 draft pick and looks set to cash in on its blockbuster draft day trade with Carlton.

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Resurgent Adelaide appears poised to cash in on its blockbuster draft day trade with Carlton, with Don Pyke’s outfit currently having one hand on the prized No. 1 draft pick and almost certain to secure its highest ever selection.

After eight rounds, the Crows, who in a historic move swapped 2019 first-round draft picks with the Blues at last year’s draft, have recovered from a troubled 1-3 start to win four consecutive games and surge to third on the ladder while Carlton has slumped to bottom.

Carlton rookie Liam Stocker in his second game after the Blues’ controversial draft trade last year. Picture: Quinn Rooney/Getty Images

If the draft was held this week, Adelaide would have pick No.1 and the Blues pick 16.

While there is still much of the season to play out, the Crows’ controversial trade is on track to prove a stroke of genius, with former St Kilda star Leigh Montagna declaring there are two standouts in this year’s draft pool — Victorian midfielders Matthew Rowell and Noah Anderson.

Montagna, who works as an opposition analyst for Fremantle, said recruiters had told him that the Oakleigh Chargers under-18 pair have been rated ‘better than Sam Walsh’ by some recruiters.

Walsh was taken at No. 1 by Carlton at last year’s draft and is hot favourite to win this year’s AFL Rising Star award.

“My understanding, speaking to recruiters, is that picks one and two in this year’s draft, they are both better than Sam Walsh,” Montagna told Triple M last month.

“Then there’s a bit of a gap. So you want to be finishing bottom-two and get that pick, as opposed to the rest.

“That’s how big a pick it could be for a club that finishes bottom two this year.”

Adelaide’s highest draft selection was No. 7 in 2000 when it selected Victorian ruckman/forward Laurence Angwin, who was a bust, failing to play an AFL game for the club in two years before being released.

He was later rookie-listed by Carlton, where he played four games in two seasons.

With live trading in effect for the first time at last year’s draft, Adelaide pulled the trigger on a “potentially risky’’ trade with the Blues when it gave up pick No. 19 and its own 2019 first-round selection for Carlton’s first-round pick this year.

The Blues used No. 19 to secure strong midfielder Liam Stocker, who has played the past two AFL games and averaged 13 disposals.

Former Hawthorn recruiter Gary Buckenara has urged Carlton fans to be patient over the Stocker trade, saying the winner of the deal will not be known for “two to three years”.

But — while the Blues appear to have improved this season despite winning just one game — Adelaide is on track to pull off a steal.

Chargers Matthew Rowell looks upfield during the 2018 TAC Cup Grand Final. Picture: Michael Dodge/Getty

Oakleigh Noah Anderson runs with the ball AFL NAB league against the Eastern Ranges. Picture: Scott Barbour/AFL

Rowell has been likened to star Geelong captain Joel Selwood while Anderson has drawn comparisons to Collingwood star Jordan De Goey.

Anderson — the son of dual premiership Hawk Dean Anderson but not eligible to be taken as a father-son pick — has averaged a remarkable 185 SuperCoach points in three under-18 NAB League games this year.

His statistical line includes averages of 32 disposals, six clearances, eight score involvements and four tackles.

Rowell has averaged 159 SuperCoach points, along with 28 disposals, seven clearances, five score involvements and 10 tackles.

After signing off on the bombshell trade in November, Crows general manager list management and strategy Justin Reid said: “There’s always a bit of risk but with that also comes reward.

“I guess you can’t (judge it) until you get to 12 months time and we know what positions we sit in the draft. Time will tell.”

Adelaide is the early clubhouse leader.