Live pick trading during AFL Draft inevitable, say leading recruiters

THE AFL’S leading recruiters say live trading on draft night is inevitable, with Collingwood revealing it would have traded up 20 picks on Friday night to take slider Nathan Murphy.

THE AFL’S leading recruiters say live trading on draft night is inevitable, with Collingwood revealing it would have traded up 20 picks on Friday night to take slider Nathan Murphy.

The league seems certain to introduce the complex trading mechanism next year as part of a two-day draft.

The AFL will consider offers for states to host the 2018 national draft, with Perth an option given the unveiling of its new stadium next year.

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The Herald Sun revealed this week the league might conduct the first two rounds on one day, scrap the pre-season draft and roll the rookie draft into the second day’s proceedings.

Collingwood recruiter Derek Hine said the Magpies were on watch as cricket convert Murphy kept sliding into the teens.

Murphy eventually slid all the way to 39, with the standout junior cricketer now a 188cm forward.

Nathan Murphy playing cricket for East Sandringham.

Nathan Murphy playing Aussie Rules for Sandringham Dragons. Picture: Richard Serong

Asked whether the AFL should introduce pick swaps during the draft next year, Hine replied: “God, yeah”.

“It was funny, we were on the (recruiting) table and he got to pick 18 and we thought, “If future trades are in now, we are trading”.

“So 20 picks later we got him at 39. We are really looking forward to it, we were running a few scenarios for it as the night went on, things with Murphy and other players we ranked.

“We were thinking, “We could do this or that, what would we trade out at this point in time and what could we get in?”

Veteran Geelong recruiter Stephen Wells believes with growing interest in the AFL draft fans would understand why clubs were making moves to trade for players mid-draft.

“Fans today are more and more educated,” he said.

“I am not sure of the ratings for tonight but I am led to believe it’s one of the higher-rating shows for the year in terms of the AFL.

“There is that hunger for AFL and it will put a different slant on it.”

Geelong recruiter Stephen Wells. Picture: Nigel Hallett

Wells sits on the AFL’s player movement working party and says it will give clubs more flexibility.

“I think it is something we should bring in, there are still a lot of things to work out but the less restrictions there are on trading the better in my and our club’s opinion.

“Clubs will deal with it well, I can’t see any reason why it shouldn’t be something we don’t bring in soon.”

Melbourne recruiter Jason Taylor says scrapping the pre-season draft and going straight into the rookie draft makes sense.

“I am all for live trading. We will work within the system and do the best we can.

“The rookie draft is just an extension of the draft, it’s just another pick, so I think we could get it all done at once.”