All the latest moves and news around the two SA AFL clubs this trade period
The Crows have been forced to defend their management of Alex Keath’s injury as they try to negotiate a trade with the Western Bulldogs. Plus the latest on Sam Jacobs and Travis Boak reveals the cheeky on-field chat he had with Orazio Fantasia.
Crows
Don't miss out on the headlines from Crows. Followed categories will be added to My News.
The Western Bulldogs could now seek to drive down the price for Alex Keath after his prospective new club insisted he had to have surgery on the injury that kept him out of much of the Crows’ run home.
But Crows list manager Justin Reid says that is just “a little bit of posturing” and the key defender was happy with how Adelaide handled his injury towards the end of the season.
Keath has nominated the Bulldogs as the club he wants to play for in 2020, with the Dogs likely to give him a three-year deal with a trigger for a fourth.
Crows list manager Justin Reid told The Advertiser on Monday the two clubs last week kicked off negotiations as to what the Bulldogs will give up to secure the signing of the former Category B Rookie who had a breakout year in 2019.
Replay the 2019 Toyota AFL Grand Final in full on KAYO SPORTS. Get your 14-day free trial and start streaming instantly >
But during Keath’s medical at the Bulldogs, and at St Kilda, it was discovered the 27-year-old had a stress fracture in his shin — which the Crows first uncovered after their loss to Essendon in Round 18.
Despite being “managed” for the Crows next game against Carlton, and now departed Adelaide coach Don Pyke saying he could have faced the Blues at the MCG, Keath missed the next three games for the club only returning for the last game of the season against the Bulldogs.
Keath has had surgery on the leg and is expected to be in full training before Christmas, but this could result in the draft pick the Crows get for the key defender being reduced from a potential second round selection to a third round one.
While the Bulldogs were insistent on Keath going in for surgery the Crows are comfortable with how they managed his injury — on Tuesday saying it was a case of different medical opinions between the two clubs.
Reid on Tuesday said he was “100 per cent” satisfied with the Crows approach, and said he believed it should not impact on what Keath is worth.
“(I think it’s) a little bit over cautious … he is going to be back in full training by Christmas,” he said.
“Alex is really clear and happy with the advice he was getting from the Adelaide Football Club so I think that is a little bit of posturing by others.”
Sam Jacobs is expected to officially become a GWS Giant any day now, after Melbourne signed Adam Tomlinson to pave the way for the Giants to complete their quest for the veteran Adelaide ruckman.
But the Giants could now end up having to do a trade with the Crows to secure Jacobs, because signing the 201-gamer as a free agent could reduce the compensation GWS received for Tomlinson.
Jacobs will join the Giants on a two-year contract.
The Crows had only offered him a modest one-year deal, after the veteran ruck fell behind former understudy Reilly O’Brien in the pecking order.
A deal had been expected to be finalised and announced on Monday’s day one of the AFL trade period.
But Crows list manager Justin Reid told The Advertiser on Monday the progress of Jacobs’ deal would speed up after Tomlinson’s move to Melbourne.
“(It’s) still to be confirmed to be honest,” he said.
“So possibly in the next 24 to 48 hours and there is obviously a bit of compensation involved with the Tomlinson deal for GWS, which makes the whole transaction interesting, so I think they are just going through their process at the moment.”
MORE NEWS
Buckenara: trade Crows should offer for Grundy
Ellis-Yolmen doubles down on training camp
Despite plenty of speculation there was little movement on the first and second days of the trade period.
Joe Daniher requesting a trade to the Sydney Swans and his Essendon teammate Orazio Fantasia potentially asking for a trade back to South Australia have been two of the dominant storylines from the trade period so far.
Port Adelaide are the frontrunners for Fantasia should he ask for a move to SA, with general manager of football Chris Davies saying if the livewire forward does request a trade then his club would be interested.
Former captain and 2019 John Cahill Medallist Travis Boak on Tuesday delivered a glowing endorsement of the Norwood product.
“I think he will add so much to our forward group,” Boak said.
“He’s obviously a beautiful finisher and really highly skilled. I think that would add so much to our forward group.
“This year if you look at where we let ourselves down, we did have a lot of entries inside 50 and held the ball in there but we just weren’t able to finish as well as we would have liked.
“For a player like that (to come) he would add so much in that space.”
And Boak said while he hadn’t had a chat with Fantasia recently, he did broach the subject with him when Port and the Bombers played at Marvel Stadium towards the end of the season — asking him if he would be joining the Power.
“I haven’t heard from him … when we played him I asked him the question there if he was coming over,” Boak said on SEN.
“He said there was still a bit to play out.
“He didn’t say no, so we’ll wait and see how it sort of plays out.”
And a move looks well and truly on the cards with Fantasia picking SA-based Michael Doughty as his new manager.
Also on radio on Tuesday, Crows list manager Justin Reid said Fantasia was contracted for two more years and Adelaide’s focus was on the draft when asked if his club would be in for the 24-year-old.
One deal that is set to be completed shortly is Trent McKenzie going again at Port Adelaide with his manager Liam Pickering saying he was “locked and loaded” with the Power.