Collingwood parts way with future second-round draft pick for Sydney rookie Sam Murray

COLLINGWOOD has moved to defend its trade for little-known Sydney rookie Sam Murray, saying there is a ‘method to the madness’.

Sam Edmund and Al Paton

2 min read

October 19, 2017 - 5:00PM

Sam Murray in action for Sydney’s NEAFL team.

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COLLINGWOOD has moved to defend its trade for little-known Sydney rookie Sam Murray, saying there is a ‘method to the madness’.

The Magpies sprung one of the surprises of the trade period, giving up a second-round pick in next year’s highly-rated draft in exchange for Murray, pick 70 this year and the Swans’ third-round pick next year.

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Murray, taken by the Swans with pick 66 in the 2015 rookie draft, is yet to play an AFL game and has been plying his trade in the NEAFL where he’s transitioned from a midfielder to a defender.

Collingwood fans hit social media to criticise the deal, but recruiting boss Derek Hine asked: “Have they seen Sammy play?

I'm getting the impression the Pies trading a future 2nd round pick for a Swans rookie was not a work of unequalled list management genius?
â€” Richard Hinds (@rdhinds) October 19, 2017

“Everyone can smash it, but they don’t know him. They’ve got no understanding of the player or the rules.

“The difficult thing we had in this particular trade is that the rules state the player, as a second year rookie, has only got three avenues. He can take a contract to join Sydney’s primary list, he gets traded as has happened here, or he has to sit out of footy for 12 months. He can’t go into the national draft.”

The fan backlash is unlikely to worry the Pies given the stick they got for taking five-time All-Australian and Norm Smith medallist Scott Pendlebury at pick No.5 in the 2005 national draft.

Sam Murray in action for Sydney’s NEAFL team.

Hine was confident the pacy 187cm, 88kg Murray will thrive with opportunity at Collingwood after struggling to break into a Swans backline containing Callum Mills, Nick Smith, Jake Lloyd and Dane Rampe.

“He was identified pretty early in the piece by us as a player of need,” Hine said.

“Everything was around opportunity because while he enjoyed his time at the Swans, it was going to be another 18-24 months before he got a taste of senior footy.

“Sydney, to their credit, the stuff they’ve done with him has been fantastic, particularly Rhyce Shaw in transitioning him from a midfielder to a defender.

“Both us and Sydney are very mindful on the points equation. It will average out to a late 40s pick ... but our second round pick more than likely won’t be there anyway because we’ve got an academy player ... and another father-son in Will Kelly who’s starting to trend north in his development as well.”