AFL trade news: Joe Daniher deal with Brisbane Lions looks set to leave Essendon with a first-round compensation pick
Joe Daniher appears on his way to the Brisbane Lions and destined for his much-craved fresh start. With the tall forward expected to get more $700,000 a season, Essendon’s compensation just went up a notch.
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Essendon looks set to receive the first-round compensation pick it craves to release spearhead Joe Daniher to Brisbane.
More than 12 months after Daniher tried to move to Sydney Swans, the goalkicker will secure the fresh start he wanted under coach Chris Fagan at the Lions.
Importantly, the Lions look set to pay him in excess of $700,000 a season which will net the Bombers pick No. 7 in the draft under free agency compensation rules.
If the salary does not meet the first-round compensation trigger, Essendon will match the free agency bid which will force a trade.
Brisbane will lodge its bid on Friday when free agency opens.
The Lions are in a great spot to challenge for a premiership next year after list manager Dom Ambrogio has helped spearhead deals for Brownlow medallist Lachie Neale and now Daniher.
While the Bombers have three days to match, they will not match if the compensation nets them a first-round pick.
First-round compensation is a huge result for the Bombers and list manager Adrian Dodoro who would have picks No. 6 and No. 7 (compensation selection) and Carlton’s first-round choice for Adam Saad.
It is also a great result for Daniher’s management company TLA after hitting a snag in negotiations between the Swans and the Bombers last year.
The Bombers are adamant Saad, who has been a top-three player at Essendon in recent seasons, commands a first-round pick.
But Carlton may ask for a later pick back from Essendon to smooth out the deal.
With three first-round picks in hand, Essendon would be in a strong position to hand one of them back to Western Bulldogs for gun clearance-winner Josh Dunkley in a trade.
Adelaide is locked in talks with St Kilda about a deal for free agent Brad Crouch with the Crows adamant they will also match a free agency bid for Crouch unless St Kilda pay a first round compensation salary in excess of $700,000 a year.
Currently the Saints have indicated they will pay significantly less than $700,000 a year for the midfielder who finished outside the top-10 of the best and fairest this year.
LONG RIDE TO SORT OUT TRADE
Bitter rivals Carlton and Essendon will dig in for a fortnight of tough negotiations on Adam Saad despite the Blues’ willingness to include their No. 7 selection in a trade.
Essendon’s initial ambit claim for Saad included a wish list of stars including Sam Walsh or Charlie Curnow, but now believes he is worthy of a straight swap for that prized early selection.
Carlton is willing to use that selection but would want a later draft pick back given the high worth of a top-10 pick.
Carlton is aware it could attempt to secure Saad in the pre-season draft for nothing by putting an astronomical price on his head in the first year of his deal but it would be a last resort.
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It could also attempt to split that pick No. 7 by trading it to a club like Geelong for pick 11 and 18 and hand No. 11 to the Dons.
But Essendon is adamant it needs that top-10 selection.
If the Bombers secured that selection they would have their own pick six, Carlton’s pick seven, could secure pick 26 for departing forward Orazio Fantasia, and might get an end-of-first-round compensation pick for Joe Daniher.
Brisbane has been strong that it will not trade for Daniher given his nine years of service at Essendon and free agency rights.
It believes Essendon would accept an end-of-first round selection for Daniher rather than the risk of losing him into the pre-season draft, where Sydney has the third selection.
The Swans were still keen on Daniher this year despite a lower profile, with Daniher’s deal not expected to reach first-round compensation levels.
Carlton and Essendon are expected to haggle for some time on the Saad deal, which is complicated by the long list of father-son and NGA selections which will dilute the Blues’ pick seven.
Jamar Ugle-Hagan (Bulldogs), Braeden Campbell (Sydney) and Lachie Jones (Port Adelaide) could all attract bids before that No. 7 pick, while Adelaide could still secure the No. 2 overall selection as compensation for losing free agent Brad Crouch.
St Kilda has privately suggested it has secured Crouch on a modest salary but Adelaide has not lost hope his five-year deal could still secure it pick two.
Port Adelaide-linked Jones is the kind of dynamic half-back that would be perfect as the Saad replacement at Essendon but the Power are sure to match a bid for him.
Jones played the year at senior SANFL level for Woodville-West Torrens and looked extremely comfortable at the level.
Four bids for players of that calibre would eventually push that Blues No. 7 selection down to No. 11 by the time it was used on draft night, which is a more reasonable pick swap for Saad.
Essendon remains in the hunt for Dogs midfielder Josh Dunkley and will need to satisfy the Giants on a likely late first-round pick for Jye Caldwell, who has nominated the Dons as his preferred home.
List boss Adrian Dodoro will have to navigate that difficult trade picture, having landed some complicated deals including Devon Smith and Jake Stringer in the past.
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Josh Dunkley’s diminishing on-ball time, including an elimination final playing only 30 per cent in the midfield this year, is a key aspect of his dalliance with Essendon.
Western Bulldogs mid-forward Dunkley has been in Noosa over the weekend considering his future, with the Dogs emphatic they will not trade him under any circumstances.
Chief executive Ameet Bains has made it clear the Dogs will hold Dunkley to his contract, even if he officially declares a trade in coming days.
Over the entire season Dunkley played 14 per cent on the wing, 43 per cent in the midfield and 43 per cent as a small-forward.
But in the final he played 70 per cent forward and attended only five centre-bounces in a 13-possession, one-goal performance.
Dunkley was in the All-Australian squad of 40 and was the vice-captain of the AFLPA Under-22 side last year but missed the top-10 in the club’s best-and-fairest this season after only playing 12 games because of injury.
He also recorded hit-outs in seven of his dozen games as coach Luke Beveridge often played him as a ruckman while Tim English pushed forward.
Those kind of tactical tweaks are why Beveridge is renowned as a quality match-day coach but not all players want to be pushed from the midfield when their form there is so strong.
Dunkley is still rated elite for disposals, contested possessions, scoreboard impact and pressure but averaged only 18 possessions this year, down from 28 in 2019.
His brother Kyle could be part of a package deal at Essendon after being delisted by the Demons, who took him last year as a mid-season draft selection.
A five-season offer from Essendon has given him much to consider as the trade period approaches next Wednesday.
If he did officially ask for a trade, the Dogs would need to consider the ramifications of holding him against his contract and what it did for player morale.
Essendon yesterday confirmed 2020 AFLCA assistant coach of the year Daniel Giansiracusa will move from the Dogs to the Bombers.
It is a coup for the club which is determined to give coach Ben Rutten considerable support after the teething issues of the 2019 season.
At the Dogs he worked in the club’s forward line before taking the club’s VFL team to the Grand Final.
Blake Caracella, James Kelly, Dan Jordan, Leigh Tudor and Cameron Roberts will join him on the coaching panel.
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YOUNG CAT CLARK WANTS TO STICK AROUND
Geelong first-round pick Jordan Clark is keen to remain at the Cats despite Fremantle’s interest, as the Dockers prepare to make a decision this week on Jesse Hogan’s future.
The pacy Cats half back has met with list manager Stephen Wells over Zoom in recent weeks, with both parties keen for him to remain at the club.
West Australian 20-year-old Clark was frustrated with the lack of opportunities in the backline this year as the Cats marched all the way to a Grand Final.
But with Geelong’s key backs looking top-heavy in the Grand Final and lacking dare with their kicking, he shapes as a natural solution if he can find a space in the team.
Fremantle has selection 10 in the national draft and has an interest in securing him but it would need to be an exceptional deal for the Cats to consider letting him go.
The Dockers have decisions to make on whether to consider offers for Hogan, who has some interest from Sydney but no concrete offers from rival clubs.
The Herald Sun understands Fremantle will meet with his management this week ahead of next Wednesday‘s trade period kick-off.
The Dockers are adamant they have not actively shopped him around, despite reports, but it is no secret he would consider offers that would give him more contract security.
He has one season left on his initial deal and is unlikely to meet a trigger clause that would hand him two extra seasons.
Despite a raft of speculation about clubs including Collingwood registering its interest, he has no official offer.
But Sydney has made contact with Fremantle, with Hogan feeling his strong pre-season leading into 2020 gave him the best chance to succeed.
He played seven games and kicked four goals in Round 17 against North Melbourne and was mostly fit to play.
He finished the season with a COVID breach after asking a female into his quarantine in a decision that saw him fined $8000.
But at 25, and having kicked 47 goals in 2018, he still has high-end talent which means clubs will be interested in his services.
Sydney is desperate for more tall players, including ruck back-up, given this season’s spate of injuries, and there is doubt about the capacity of Lance Franklin to throw off his hamstring issues.
Former key-forward Tom McCartin now looks more suited to key-defensive post, while intercept marker Aliir Aliir has been offered a four-year deal at Port Adelaide.
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Originally published as AFL trade news: Joe Daniher deal with Brisbane Lions looks set to leave Essendon with a first-round compensation pick