Geelong bolsters its draft position by completing pick swap with Gold Coast

Geelong has strengthened its position in this year’s draft after completing a deal with the Gold Coast. But the Cats have picks to make another move.

Geelong has bolstered its position in this year’s draft after securing pick No. 27 in a swap with Gold Coast.

The Cats off-loaded a future third-round pick (tied to Melbourne) from next year’s draft in exchange for No. 27 from the Suns which Gold Coast did not plan to use.

Gold Coast already has a full list and is planning to only take one player at the draft with pick No. 5.

The trade means the Cats will have picks No. 27, No. 51 and No. 96 in this year’s draft, giving Geelong a position in the second-round of the draft after trading out pick No. 30 for Shaun Higgins.

Geelong initially secured the future third-round pick in a deal with Brisbane for departed midfielder Nakia Cockatoo.

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Jeremy Cameron became a Cat during AFL trade period. Picture: AAP (digitally altered)

But their moves may not yet be finalised.

Geelong also has two extra second-round picks in next year’s draft which they obtained from GWS Giants and Essendon in the Jeremy Cameron deal.

The Cats could also swap those two picks to improve their position in this year’s draft, if it suits.

The Giants were adamant they wanted picks No. 13, No. 15 and No. 20 in the Cameron deal but the Cats only went ahead with it if they received two future second-rounders back.

Geelong will continue talks with rival clubs about those picks in the lead up to next Wednesday’s AFL draft.

BOMBERS’ PICK 2 TRADE OFF THE TABLE

Jon Ralph

North Melbourne is set to take its No. 2 overall selection to the draft and will leave two list spots vacant for the summer rookie period and 2021 mid-season draft.

The Roos were open to trading that selection to a club like Essendon or Gold Coast, which had been keen to secure one of the enticing key-position players at the top end of the draft.

North Melbourne would have required two top-10 selections or a top-five selection and another early pick to broker that trade.

But Essendon is unwilling to hand over two of its trio of highly-prized selections at six, seven and eight and Gold Coast’s next selection after No. 5 is in the second round at No. 27.

It means the Roos will take their best selection since No. 2 pick Daniel Wells where the cream of the crop reside, with one of key-position players Logan McDonald and Riley Thilthorpe or star midfielder Elijah Hollands to be available.

WA goalkicker McDonald would slot in alongside Nick Larkey and Cam Zurhaar, SANFL prodigy Thilthorpe would play forward and be Todd Goldstein’s eventual replacement, and Victorian Hollands is seen as a midfield star in the making.

The Roos will then have the No. 11 pick to secure another elite talent and will take five selections overall: 2, 11, 30, 39 and 71.

South Australian junior key-position star Riley Thilthorpe could be available at North Melbourne’s pick 2. Picture: Tricia Watkinson

They will add those picks to their trade and free agency haul which includes Jaidyn Stephenson, Atu Bosenavulagi, Aidan Corr and Lachie Young.

The Herald Sun understands the Roos will pay all of Stephenson’s contract despite speculation the Pies might be forced to hand over a portion of his wage in the same manner as the Adam Treloar trade.

The Roos were happy to be on the hook for his entire salary, renegotiated into a five-year $2.5 million deal, given they gave up a modest pick for Stephenson and Bosenavulagi.

The Pies received picks 26, 33 and a future fourth-round selection in exchange for the pair and pick 39.

Pundits wondered why the Roos had delisted 11 players early on but it has given them list room to bring in that quartet of players.

As a club likely to be in the bottom handful of clubs early in the year given their rebuild, the mid-season draft has massive appeal for the Roos.

They can secure a player overlooked in the draft due to the lack of exposure to Victorian teenagers this year in Round 4, 8 or 12 under rules that will be made official by the AFL in coming weeks.

The Roos will also clear a list spot to allow a player to train with them from January 6 onwards with a view to putting them onto their list by the start of the 2021 season.

Originally published as Geelong bolsters its draft position by completing pick swap with Gold Coast