Trade HQ: Check out all the big list calls facing GWS this off-season
While all eyes are on Stephen Coniglio at GWS, he isn’t the only Giant whose future is up in the air. Former first round pick Aiden Bonar is being closely watched by a number of Victorian clubs.
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Stephen Coniglio is going to get paid. The only question is, who will be signing the cheques?
At the Giants, he is an integral part of a list capable of legitimately competing for premierships for years to come.
What Coniglio needs to weigh up when deciding his next move is whether a few extra hundred thousand dollars a year is worth it if he is further away from a flag.
There is no right or wrong answer. Every player is different in what drives them. My only advice to Stephen would be to do exactly what is best for him and his family.
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If he does leave, the Giants are as well setup as any club to replace an elite midfielder walking out the door.
I’ve watched Tim Taranto closely this year and I think he is ready to take his game to even greater heights.
Jacob Hopper is one level further back but with increased opportunity, he could join that A-grade bracket and cash in while Josh Kelly gets all the opposition attention.
The other move I could see the Giants potentially making is packaging their arsenal of top picks together to trade up in the draft and nab one of Matt Rowell or Noah Anderson — who are in contention to be the No. 1 pick.
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If Coniglio left, his free agency compensation coupled with the future pick from the Dylan Shiel trade and the Giants’ own pick would give them three first round picks to work with.
For a club within striking distance of a flag, that is a huge amount of additional young talent.
One other big name I will be watching closely this off-season is Jon Patton.
Since he went down with his second serious knee injury, the Giants’ forward line has completely changed.
With Jeremey Cameron, Harry Himmelberg and Jeremy Finlayson forming a solid three pronged attack, there really isn’t much room for another big body.
A host of Melbourne clubs would jump at the chance to land Patton.
LIAM TWOMEY BREAKS DOWN GWS’S BIGGEST TRADE QUESTIONS
THREE GIANTS RIVAL RECRUITERS ARE WATCHING
Stephen Coniglio
Get the cheque book out. Whoever lands the hottest free agent in the game is going to have to stump up some serious cash, with the latest offers from rival clubs expected to be around $1.4m. If he does leave the Giants, there are a host of suitors including the Blues, Hawks, Saints and Cats.
Aiden Bonar
A first-round pick in the 2017 draft, Aiden Bonar has looked good when he’s had his chances at senior level but the Giants’ immense depth has him languishing in the NEAFL. Any club looking for an injection of young talent with a side of x-factor will be in the mix. He’s a Melbourne boy out of the Dandenong Stingrays.
Jon Patton
He is closing in on a return from a knee injury but given how the Giants’ forward line has functioned without him, is Jon Patton still in the club’s long-term plans? Plenty of rival clubs would be interested in the former No. 1 draft pick.
THREE PLAYERS GIANTS RECRUITERS ARE WATCHING
Draft
The Giants may have their eyes locked on a player not even in the AFL yet. GWS will enter the draft with at least two and potentially three first round draft picks if Stephen Coniglio leaves as a free agent. They could easily package those up and try and jump up the draft order, adding Matt Rowell or Noah Anderson who are both top prospects.
Zak Jones
Heath Shaw is coming to the end of his career and a cross town rival could be the perfect replacement. While Jones isn’t the defender Shaw is, he does provide the same dash off the backline that that Leon Cameron loves. His ability to pinch hit in the midfield would give them some added explosiveness.
Paddy Ryder
Shane Mumford has been brilliant for the Giants this year. But at 33, they need to do everything they can to keep him in top form for as long as possible. That means they could potentially bring in Paddy Ryder to play the ruck-forward role vacated by Rory Lobb. It would more than likely require Jeremey Finlayson to return to the backline though.
RATE THE 2018 TRADE PERIOD
SCORE: 7/10
It was one of the biggest off-season cash dumps any club has ever completed. Despite winning a final in 2018, the Giants waved goodbye to Dylan Shiel, Rory Lobb, Tom Scully and Will Setterfield in a bid to get the club out of salary cap jail. But even with all those departures, the Giants have got better and are closing in on a return to the top four. The Giants appear to be set up for the future too.
They Giants made five picks in the top 35 at last year’s draft and have some of the best young talent in the game. Plus, the future pick they got from the Bombers for Shiel is looking like a top asset. The decision to re-draft Shane Mumford after a year out has been a stroke of genius, with the Giants now sporting a serious mean streak in the middle of the ground. He is ranked in the top five for hitouts per game and hitouts to advantage.
Originally published as Trade HQ: Check out all the big list calls facing GWS this off-season
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