Fox Footy Jury Trade Edition: Could Ben Brown move to Melbourne? And can Jared Polec find a fourth AFL club?
He’s fallen out of favour at three clubs but can out-of-favour Roo Jared Polec revive his career at a fourth? And could his run and gun game suit the reining premier? The jury delivers its verdict on the big trade questions.
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The AFL trade period is just around the corner and is now a key focus for the 12 teams out of finals contention.
We asked two Fox Footy expert commentators in St Kilda champion Leigh Montagna and Hawthorn legend Jason Dunstall for their takes on five of the hottest trade topics.
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WHICH CLUB MOST NEEDS NORTH MELBOURNE KEY FORWARD BEN BROWN?
Leigh Montagna: Melbourne. With the list they’ve got, they should be pushing for a top-four, top-six spot next year. They’re really settled down back, I like their midfield, but I think they’re just missing another key forward to help our Sam Weideman and Luke Jackson. So, I think Ben Brown would be a good fit.
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Jason Dunstall: There’s a few options. Melbourne definitely need forwards. They’ve got to get Sam Weideman some help up there. I think the Bulldogs are an option. Even, as funny as it sounds, West Coast might be an option given the age of Josh Kennedy. Given that he’s 33 years old now, it might just be a little bit of insurance for West Coast.
IS BRISBANE A GOOD FIT FOR ESSENDON FORWARD JOE DANIHER?
LM: I think Brisbane’s the right club. They still might win it this year, but if they are one piece away it’s maybe just another key forward.
JD: I think Brisbane’s a very good fit. It takes the heat off Eric Hipwood, Dan McStay hasn’t quite turned into what they want yet. There’s certainly a good spot there for Joe Daniher.
WHICH CLUB SHOULD GO HARDEST FOR MELBOURNE RUCKMAN BRAYDON PREUSS IF HE DECIDES TO SEEK GREATER OPPORTUNITY ELSEWHERE?
LM: Certainly the Western Bulldogs. I’m pretty bullish that they can bounce back pretty quickly next year, but I think the Bulldogs should take a leaf out of what St Kilda has done. They could have thrown the keys to Rowan Marshall and got him to shoulder the load, but they felt they needed another ruckman to support him for a couple of years and I reckon Preuss can do that for Tim English and English can play as that forward/ruck and help fix two parts of their game – their forward line and their ruck situation. I think that’s a team where you can play two rucks in tandem. It would be a great bonus for the Western Bulldogs.
JD: GWS. I think they’re desperate for a ruckman like that. Sam Jacobs has just finished. Shane Mumford is 34. He’s a good, aggressive 25-year-old. I think he’s the perfect fit for their style of play as well. I think GWS would be No. 1 and maybe Essendon might be a No. 2. Now that Tom Bellchambers has gone, if they’re not sure about Sam Draper being able to carry the mantle yet, Preuss might be a good fit there.
IS IT A WORRY FOR GREATER WESTERN SYDNEY THAT JEREMY CAMERON STILL HAS NOT SIGNED A NEW DEAL?
LM: I don’t think so, just because of the salary cap situation which we’re still a bit unsure on. I think we’re going to see players take more time post-season to weigh up their options and meet clubs. I think we’ve got to be a bit more accepting as an industry that this is going to be a little bit more the norm. I think we’re going down the path a little bit more now where the reality is players have a choice if they want to look around and assess their options and meet other clubs before they make a decision. We’re seeing it with Adam Saad and a few others. So I’ve got no issues with Jeremy Cameron taking his time either because he’s meeting other clubs or because he’s just waiting to get an accurate view of the lay of the land. He’s got every right to do that.
JD: I think there’s definitely cause for concern. The Giants just aren’t in a good place right now. There’s not enough things going right up there at the minute. It’s a pretty tough time for them. I hope he stays. They need all their players to recommit. It was a really tough year for the first-year skipper (Stephen Coniglio), they disappointed on-field as a general rule. With the amount of talent they have, too many players just haven’t performed. So next year is an absolutely critical year for the Giants and I would be very concerned if I was GWS and Jeremy Cameron hasn’t committed yet.
HAS JARED POLEC GOT A FUTURE AT A FOURTH AFL CLUB?
LM: I think he does, but only just. He’s certainly on his last life and he has to be accepting of how long his AFL career goes for. I think a fourth club will take him, but it would be a tenuous sort of situation I would have thought.
JD: I think he probably does. He’s only 28 years old. I suspect he would fit in best at a team that’s competing in the finals that needs outside run and ball use. I think the Richmond game style would suit him and I could also see Geelong and West Coast fitting him into the mix. You’ve got a guy that runs hard and uses the ball pretty well. Maybe he’s not going to win enough of his own ball for a lot of people’s liking, but those sort of players exist in every team. The good teams have them and they use them to the best possible benefit.
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Originally published as Fox Footy Jury Trade Edition: Could Ben Brown move to Melbourne? And can Jared Polec find a fourth AFL club?