AFL trade 2021: Follow the latest trade and list updates for the Adelaide Crows
Adelaide might seem the logical home for Jordan Dawson, but Port Adelaide is confident it can gazump the Crows during the trade period. Here’s why.
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Sydney wingman Jordan Dawson has told the Swans he is heading home, which will pit the South Australian sides into another trade war over the emerging star.
The Herald Sun understands the Swans offered Dawson a deal of up to five seasons and had the cap space to make an extremely generous offer to the long-kicking wingman.
But he told them he was intent on moving home, with both the Power and Adelaide very keen on the 24-year-old.
Port Adelaide won the battle over Orazio Fantasia last year when he moved home from Essendon, and are confident Dawson would want to join them given their premiership window.
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They also have pick 17, which is about what it would take to secure a player third in this year’s best-and-fairest at the Swans.
But Adelaide is likely to put in a more significant offer and has cap space after losing Jake Kelly to Essendon on Friday and having retired Tom Lynch and Daniel Talia.
Adelaide also has the lure of dragging him through the pre-season draft as it did with GWS midfielder Jackson Hately last year.
But Adelaide would not offer their No. 4 pick for Dawson, with their second-rounder at pick 23.
Sydney made clear despite perceptions of a cap crunch they made a generous offer, with the Swans also likely to lose George Hewett to Carlton this off-season.
“Jordan has indicated to the club his desire to return to South Australia to be closer to family,” Sydney football boss Charlie Gardiner said.
“Jordan has been weighing up this decision for some time and despite there being an attractive long-term deal on offer with the Swans, he has arrived at the decision that he would like to return home.
“The news is obviously disappointing for the club. Jordan is a young, hugely talented player who is coming off a breakout season in 2021, which only adds to the disappointment.
“Given we have only learned the news this afternoon, we will take some time to work through the Club’s options leading into the trade period,” Gardiner said.
Trade shock: Bombers snare lockdown Crow
Essendon has netted one of the best lockdown defenders in the league snaring Adelaide Crows‘ backman Jake Kelly.
The Bombers on Friday beat another club for Kelly’s services and are set to secure his signature on the opening day of the free agency period on October 1.
Kelly, who is the son of former Magpie and management kingpin Craig Kelly, is set to play a key shut down role on some dangerous small forwards which have troubled the Bombers’ defence at times.
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According to Champion Data, Kelly is the second-best player in the competition for defending one-on-one contests over the past four years.
The 26-year-old has lost only 35 (18 per cent) of his 193 one-one contests since the start of 2018.
The Bombers beat North Melbourne to Kelly in a further sign Tullamarine has become an appealing trade destination.
Snaring the no-frills stopper was another shrewd move from the Bombers as Kelly is a flexible team-first defender who can handle talls and smalls in the back line.
The Bombers also don’t have to give up anything for him in a trade as Kelly is an unrestricted free agent.
The reliable Crow finished seventh in the club’s best and fairest this year and expressed a desire to head home to Victoria to continue his AFL career.
Crows’ football manager Adam Kelly said the club understood the backman’s wish to return home.
“Jake has made a great contribution to our Club over the past eight seasons,” Adam Kelly said.
“He has consistently set high standards on and off the field with his training and preparation.
“We thank him for his service and wish him all the best as he embarks on the next stage of his career.“
Kelly was initially overlooked by Collingwood as a father-son prospect and headed to Adelaide as a rookie pick where the hardworking backman quickly earned his teammates‘ respect, playing 10 games in 2015.
He has become a regular cog in the defence ever since and attracted interest from the Bulldogs and the Kangaroos throughout the 2021 season.
Kelly’s arrival was a targeted move from the Bombers who want to improve their defensive work for 2022 and beyond.
He will also give Essendon the flexibility to release Jordan Ridley and Dyson Heppell into more attacking roles if required next year.
Essendon had an enormously successful trade period last year when list manager Adrian Dodoro picked up former Gold Coast forward Peter Wright and ex-Saints’ speedster Nick Hind cheaply.
Wright had a strong year including a seven-goal haul in the late-season win over Western Bulldogs while Hind was in All-Australian contention for his drive off half back.
Kelly could be the Bombers’ only significant move in this year’s exchange period with the club determined to keep its top pick (No. 11) in this year’s draft.
It is expected to make a big move to land Gold Coast spearhead Ben King next year.
Essendon was thrilled with its returns in last year’s draft nabbing Archie Perkins, Nick Cox and Zach Reid as the club started a new chapter and made finals in Ben Rutten’s first year in charge.
DOCKERS IDENTIFY SUN AS CERRA REPLACEMENT
Mark Duffield
Fremantle has expressed some preliminary interest in big-bodied Gold Coast midfielder Will Brodie as the Dockers start exploring short and long-term replacements for the soon-to-depart Adam Cerra.
Brodie, a top-10 draft pick in 2016, has found opportunities hard to come by in the last couple of seasons with the Suns.
Brodie, a 190cm, 89kg inside ball-winner from the Murray Bushrangers, has played 25 games in his five seasons with Gold Coast but only six in the past two seasons.
He played in round one of 2020 but didn’t find his way back into the team after the COVID-19 enforced shutdown. He made five appearances this year, with his best effort 20 disposals and four tackles against Brisbane in round 19.
Brodie is regarded as a ball magnet who has worked hard to build his running capacity to get to AFL standard.
The problem at Gold Coast is that there are several inside midfielders ahead of him in the queue, with Touk Miller and David Swallow automatic selections and Brayden Fiorini pushing into the team later in the year.
Youngsters Matt Rowell and Noah Anderson are also considered automatic selections when fit.
Fremantle must not only look to cover the loss of Cerra in the short term but will also be trying to develop succession planning for veteran David Mundy, who is playing on next season but is now 36.
Brodie has just recently turned 23 and was considered one of the best ball-winners of his draft class.
Meanwhile the assistant coaching merry-go-round continues, with speculation mounting that Fremantle assistant David Hale will join former premiership teammate Sam Mitchell at Hawthorn and coach the Hawks’ VFL affiliate at Box Hill.
West Coast appears resigned to losing Jaymie Graham, who was a candidate for the Collingwood senior coach’s position.
Fremantle are said to be interested in Graham.
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Originally published as AFL trade 2021: Follow the latest trade and list updates for the Adelaide Crows
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