AFL Trades 2022: Liam Pickering’s warning to Western Bulldogs over Josh Dunkley trade

The Bulldogs’ threat to allow Josh Dunkley to slide into the pre-season draft is ‘ludicrous’ according to his manager.

Lloyd Meek of the Dockers and Rhys Stanley of the Cats in the boundary throw-in ruck contest. Picture: Michael Klein

Josh Dunkley’s manager has labelled as “ludicrous” the Western Bulldogs’ threat to let him slide through to the preseason draft if a trade with Brisbane cannot be reached.

Liam Pickering stressed on Saturday that the Bulldogs would be “cutting their nose off to spite their face” if they are not prepared to give ground on the current impasse between the clubs.

The Bulldogs are demanding two first round picks from the Lions in exchange for the 25-year-old Charlie Sutton Medal winner.

But Brisbane wants two mid-range picks back as part of the transaction, which the Bulldogs have so far resisted as the prospect of the preseason draft looms.

“That would be ludicrous … (if they do that) they get nothing for him,” Pickering said on SEN about the prospect of the Dogs letting Dunkley go through to the preseason draft.

“Now that’s just cutting off your nose to spite your face. You end up with nothing for him.

“They have a good relationship, Josh and the coach (Luke Beveridge), so you hope it wouldn’t end up with that situation as I think that would be a poor reflection …

“I don’t know whether they are bluffing or not. I know what they (the Bulldogs) want and I know what Brisbane has offered, so they need to work through it - the two of them.”

At the club’s best and fairest, Beveridge said the Lions would have to “pony up” if they wanted Dunkley.

Josh Dunkley is planning on moving to Queensland to further his football career. Picture: Getty Images

Pickering said his client fully intends to move to Brisbane to further his football next year and didn’t want to play for the Bulldogs.

“I think it should be getting done,” he said.

“I don’t think the Bulldogs fans would be all that thrilled if they let him go for nothing to make a point. You make a point that you are (actually) weakening your draft hand.”

Asked if he thought the deal could be finalised by Monday, Pickering said he doubted it.

“This will go the distance, I think,” Pickering said when asked if the Dunkley trade will likely push through to Wednesday night’s trade deadline.

“Unfortunately, I think it could all be knocked over on Monday, (but it won’t be).”

“It will all play out over the next few days.

“He wants to move to Queensland. He has said it publicly. Nothing can be done on the weekend anyway, no paperwork can go in until Monday.”

It is the second time in two years that Dunkley has requested a trade out of the Whitten Oval.

He sought a trade to Essendon at the end of 2020 when he still had two years remaining on a contract, but the Dogs slammed the door shut on the move.

Pickering said this was a totally different situation, given he is now out of contract and wanted to play for the Lions.

GIANTS UP ANTE IN BID TO SNARE PICK 1 FROM NORTH

- Jon Ralph

North Melbourne has been offered attractive trade proposals by Greater Western Sydney to secure the No. 1 overall pick in November’s national draft as the Giants’ draft hand grew to epic proportions on Friday.

After the trade for No. 12 draft pick Tanner Bruhn as the Giants secured pick 18 from Geelong means GWS now has picks 3, 12, 15, 18 and 19 and will secure pick 31 from Richmond as part of the Jacob Hopper trade.

The Herald Sun revealed on Friday the Giants were interested in securing the No. 1 overall pick to guarantee they could take a tall key forward like Vic Country’s Aaron Cadman.

That prospect grew even stronger on Friday with the Giants having told the Roos they would offer up a quality trade package to secure the No. 1 pick.

The Giants could end up offering the No. 3 selection and one of 12 or 15 to the Roos, who are likely to secure the first two selections of the draft in a multi-club trade for Jason Horne-Francis.

Aaron Cadman (centre) flies for a mark during the National Championships.

The Roos currently have pick one and West Coast selection two but the Eagles are prepared to push back in the draft order to eight to also secure a future first-rounder from Port Adelaide.

Greater Western Sydney does not need more midfielders given they have stars including Stephen Coniglio, Josh Kelly, Tom Green, Cal Ward and the emerging Lachie Ash.

So they would be prepared to offer the Roos a deal that secured them an extra pick within 15 but still allowed them to skim the cream of the draft crop with two elite midfielders.

There is little prospect of a club absorbing the salary of Nick Haynes, the GWS defender whose back-ended contract is in excess of $800,000 in the next two seasons.

And while clubs might make a late push to ask about the silky halfback Lachie Whitfield, he is signed to 2027 on a deal of around $1 million a season.

Whitfield had a poor season but was hampered by a serious ankle injury from the first months of the year, declining to have mid-season ankle surgery to instead keep playing.

The Giants still have a talented list and do not need to take six picks within 31 given they can apply a more targeted approach.

Securing a player like Cadman with the No. 1 overall pick would solve many of their key forward issues with 27-year-old Jesse Hogan talented but injury-prone.

Richmond ruckman Ivan Soldo has had a medical with the Giants and is a strong chance to be part of a deal for Jacob Hopper which could secure GWS the No. 31 pick and the Tigers’ future first-round selection.

Aaron Cadman marks in the NAB League.

DEES URGED TO SOFTEN JACKSON TRADE STANCE

Melbourne is being urged to accept Fremantle’s best offer of pick 13 and a future first-round pick for Luke Jackson and get on with the business of securing Brodie Grundy.

Fremantle has made clear its best offer of those two first-round picks will not improve as it attempts to hold its line and still secure the brilliant hybrid ruckman Jackson.

West Coast has publicly stated it is still in the race for Jackson as it moves towards splitting its No. 2 pick for the Power’s No. 8 selection and a future first-round pick but all roads point to Jackson arriving at Fremantle.

Fremantle’s view is that very few players are worth more than two first-round picks without a rival handing back a second or third-round selection.

Jeremy Cameron was the exception as a Coleman Medal-winning star but the Cats secured two second-rounders back when they outlaid three first-rounders for the game-changing tall.

Despite Melbourne wanting a pick within seven and another first-rounder for Jackson — or two top-10 picks — the Dockers want to keep their range of future selections.

They have secured North Melbourne’s second and third-round picks from the 2023 national draft and have their own picks from that draft.

But they will likely trade their future second-rounder to Gold Coast for wingman Jeremy Sharp.

Max Gawn and Brodie Grundy will play together next year.

Under the AFL’s rules, they would need to retain future second and third-round picks if they traded out their future second-rounder as part of the Jackson package.

It means the Demons could still secure two first-rounders and then still win from the Grundy deal.

Melbourne made a contentious pick swap that saw it trade picks 33, 43 and 53 to secure the Power’s No. 27 selection.

Those picks were worth 1174 draft points — equal to the No. 14 pick in the draft when they secured only pick 27 instead.

Max Gawn and Luke Jackson.

Collingwood had specifically asked for a pick between 20 and 25 for Brodie Grundy, so Melbourne could be asked to sweeten a deal that includes pick 27 with a back-end deal.

But Melbourne does have the leverage of Collingwood’s determination to move most of Grundy’s $5 million salary off its books.

So in coming days, the clubs will haggle over whether pick 27 will suffice for Grundy, with the Demons and Pies having agreed he will arrive at Melbourne.

If the Demons moved on Jackson and secured Grundy for selection 27, they could retain 12 and the Fremantle first-rounder having secured a dual All Australian in Grundy, albeit at 28 years of age.

The Pies will offer up a future third-rounder for Adelaide’s defensive back-up Billy Frampton but first have to acquire that pick by swapping one of this year’s late selections at 50 or 51.

Adelaide is keen for a future pick and while the Pies could play hard-ball football boss Graeme Wright is being commended for getting deals done with a minimum of fuss.

Originally published as AFL Trades 2022: Liam Pickering’s warning to Western Bulldogs over Josh Dunkley trade