Who will SA’s two AFL clubs Adelaide Crows and Port Adelaide Power bring in or let go this trade period?
Adelaide list manager Justin Reid says it is unlikely the Crows will be busy on the arrival front during trade period as they seek to bolster their draft hand. Find out the latest from the SA clubs.
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Crows list manager Justin Reid says the club will stick to its plan of going hard at the draft this off-season, saying Adelaide will only enter the trade market if special circumstances arrive.
Apart from luring Billy Frampton across Port Rd to West Lakes, making him the sixth player to move between Adelaide and Port Adelaide, the Crows are set to use the trade period to bolster its increasingly strong draft hand.
Reid told The Advertiser it was likely this would not change.
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“The focus on is on the draft and where we position ourselves, we will let the draft period play itself out,” he said.
“Obviously (Billy) Frampton has been the one that has been linked to us and that would help with our tall stocks but outside of that I’m not going to get dragged into others (such as Orazio Fantasia).
“Things can change pretty quickly (during trade period).”
The Crows currently have the No. 4 pick in the upcoming draft but Reid said they would be tempted to split it if the offer was right.
“We are open minded to it,” he said.
“We like pick 4 but we are open to conversations.”
Justin Reid answers questions on Eddie Betts, Josh Jenkins, Brad Crouch and more on the first day of what is set to be a busy trade period for @Adelaide_FC https://t.co/RmphzV8Cth pic.twitter.com/xmDScXbEFN
— The Advertiser Sport (@TheTiserSport) October 7, 2019
Reid said Eddie Betts was yet to directly tell the Crows that he wanted to return to Carlton, but the club, Betts’ management and the Blues were still working through a potential deal to allow Betts to go back to Melbourne.
Reid said the Crows was in discussions as to what they will get from the Gold Coast Suns and Western Bulldogs for Hugh Greenwood and Alex Keath respectively, while said he believed Josh Jenkins would find a new home despite little concrete interest so far.
At a media conference in Melbourne Reid said he was confident the club will be able to retain Brad Crouch, despite the Gold Coast Suns reiterating their interest in Adelaide’s club champion and flagging a move when he becomes a free agent in 12 months time.
And Reid has said while the Crows will not make a move for SA young gun Jack Lukosius this trade period, that could change next year as the 2018 No. 2 draft pick still holds off on a contract.
“Things are always happening,” he said when asked if a move could be made next year.
EARLIER
Port Adelaide will sound out Essendon as to the status of South Australian Orazio Fantasia today, as trade period kicks off.
But Port general manager of football Chris Davies says he isn’t expecting much from the inquiry to the Bombers, saying any Power pursuit of Fantasia is in a “holding pattern” until the Essendon livewire announces his intention.
The AFL trade period has officially began in Melbourne, with Davies and his industry counterparts all converging on Marvel Stadium.
In an exclusive interview with The Advertiser Davies said just how active Port would be in the Trade Period was dependent on any word from Fantasia.
“Right now I think our focus is on the players who are leaving more than anything,” he said. “There has been a lot about our interest in Orazio Fantasia but the reality is that’s our position across the board if a young South Australian player wants to come home we have some interest.
“Now we haven’t been told that that’s the case so I think for the moment we are in a bit of a holding pattern there.
“We will have a chat with Essendon today no doubt and we’ll get an indication of what their position is which I imagine is that he is a contracted player (for two more years).
“So I think it’s way too early, suggesting one way or another we’ll wait and see how the days play out.”
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After silence in recent weeks regarding speculation around his future, and parting ways with his manager, Fantasia is increasingly expected to spark an SA scramble for his services and ask to be traded to Adelaide.
Port is considered to be the frontrunner due to Fantasia’s links with Power co-captain Tom Jonas and assistant coach Nathan Bassett.
Essendon list manager Adrian Dodoro, who has a reputation as being notoriously difficult-to-deal with, on Monday morning said Fantasia had yet to inform him that he wanted out.
“Orazio hasn’t expressed any interest in leaving the club,” he said on AFL Trade Radio.
“We think Orazio will be at Essendon next year.”
Davies said he hadn’t spoken to Fantasia about a potential trade, but that didn’t mean people at the club had been in contact.
“That’s not to say there aren’t people at the club who he knows,” he said.
“So I don’t want to say that he hasn’t spoken to anyone from Port Adelaide, but he hasn’t spoken to anyone at Port Adelaide who are making these decisions.”
St Kilda legend Nick Riewoldt on Monday said Fantasia would be worth a second-round draft pick.
Key swingman Dougal Howard has been mentioned as a possible circuit breaker for a trade for Fantasia, with Essendon one of a number of clubs interested in his services.
North Melbourne coach Rhyce Shaw confirmed the Roos’ interest in Howard on Monday, while St Kilda is also keen on the talented tall.
Davies said Howard was still contracted to the Power.
He also said Port would soon find out what St Kilda might be willing to cough up to secure All-Australian ruck Paddy Ryder after he nominated the Saints as his club of choice.
“St Kilda have talked to Jason Cripps our list manager and I’m sure that we will get an indication over the next 24 to 48 hours as to what their position is and we’ll weigh that up and go from there,” he said.
St Kilda have the sixth pick of the 2019 draft but are then next on the board at 58.
Davies said future draft picks could be a way the Saints get the deal done.
“There are now a whole range of ways you can get a deal done and we will be looking forward to seeing how we can get a deal done,” he said.
