Bryce Gibbs makes emotional farewell to Carlton, as Blues add two young midfielders
NEW Crow Bryce Gibbs made emotional phone calls to his former Carlton teammates as his return to South Australia was confirmed. WHO WON THE DEAL?
BRYCE Gibbs tried to describe how much he loved the Carlton football club but the way his voice failed him said it all anyway.
The 231-game Carlton veteran was finally traded to Adelaide 11 years after they vowed to get him home and a season after an aborted trade.
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Gibbs admitted after last year’s trade failed he had believed he would never get back to be closer to family during his footy career.
Then as he spoke of his love for Carlton he was visibly emotional, admitting calls to teammates Marc Murphy and Kade Simpson had been torturous.
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It was a poignant note to depart on, and with the Blues having emerged as trade winners this week there will be few Blues fans angry with his loss.
“It’s been a big 24 hours, there have been a lot of mixed emotions. You can prepare as much as you want for the moment to happen but once it gets closer it certainly got a lot harder for me,’’ he said.
“Once it was done it hit home a little bit. I don’t usually get too emotional but it pulled on the heartstrings.
“I had a few phone calls to make. Back home with family and the hardest conversation was with a couple of teammates.
“I am starting to get emotional even now talking about it. Carlton is a very special place for me and I am forever grateful.”
Murphy says not only did he want to return home for family reasons, he was ready for fresh challenges at a club which will again be a premiership contender.
But if Carlton fans were worried they might be bereft of midfield talent without Gibbs, their fears were assuaged soon after.
Again list manager Steve Silvagni pulled off a complicated set of trades which on face value look to have moved Carlton closer to a premiership window.
For Gibbs the Blues received picks No. 10 and 16 and the Crows’ 2018 second-round pick but gave up their 2018 second and third-round picks.
Then the Blues traded pick No. 16 for No. 28, 40 and a future second rounder from the Dogs.
They secured GWS midfielder Matthew Kennedy, a former pick No. 13, for just selection No. 28 and picked up former Geelong first rounder Darcy Lang for pick No. 58.
Port Adelaide ruckman Matthew Lobbe was secured for ruck depth at just pick No. 95, with the Power to pay a chunk of his $500,000 salary.
So Lobbe effectively comes for free and both Kennedy and Lang were secured for under the odds.
Now the Blues go to the draft with picks No. 3, 10 and 30 this year and have an extra second-round pick next season.
Silvagni admitted he had been at the centre of a “misunderstanding” on Wednesday that saw an extra second-rounder inserted in the Gibbs deal, delaying the deal by nearly a day.
“I am happy to say I probably made a mistake but it wasn’t intentional.”
Silvagni said the Lobbe deal added ruck depth behind Matthew Kreuzer and Andrew Phillips, calling the salary deal was a “reasonable arrangement”.
But while Gibbs is gone Carlton believes it will help set up their next two drafts as they attempt to build a premiership list.
“We have had a lot of discussions but the reason behind it is we know we are going to bring youth into our club,’’ he said.
“We have got a road map, we want sustained success. We go to this draft with two first-round picks and pick 30.”
Originally published as Bryce Gibbs makes emotional farewell to Carlton, as Blues add two young midfielders