Essendon holds firm with Sydney on Joe Daniher as Carlton waits nervously on Tom Papley
Essendon genuinely wants to retain Joe Daniher, adamant its current position with Sydney isn’t posturing or a negotiating tactic. Jon Ralph and Jay Clark on why that’s bad news for Carlton.
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Essendon could knock back one of the richest offers in trade history, even if Sydney Swans offer two top-10 picks for spearhead Joe Daniher.
The Swans are mulling over a decision to offer picks No.5 and No.9 (from Carlton for Tom Papley) to secure Daniher, 25, despite his recurring groin problems.
But the Bombers’ current position is to knock back that massive haul because of the lack of genuine A-Grade key forward replacement options available.
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The Herald Sun understands Essendon keeping Daniher would also dash Carlton’s hopes of securing Tom Papley, with Sydney unwilling to lose their contracted goalsneak without acquiring the Dons spearhead.
Essendon genuinely believes Daniher would quickly fall in love with the Bombers again next year, with one insider saying yesterday “nothing has been fractured or broken” in the relationship.
Daniher’s delay in seeking a trade request until this month has made it almost impossible to find another linchpin forward to spearhead the attack.
Essendon has made clear in its three meetings with the Swans it will only do the Daniher deal if the return allows them to secure a genuine star ball winner or top-line key forward to help keep the Bombers in the top-four hunt.
It means the Bombers are happy to keep Daniher at the club knowing he will front for the first day of pre-season and likely restore his trade worth next year, once his groin problems are behind him.
Essendon believes it will secure Brisbane wingman Tom Cutler and Carlton ruckman Andrew Phillips this week, putting it further in the premiership window if Daniher remains.
In 12 months’ time the Bombers will have more scope to target a gun replacement such as Gold Coast’s Ben King, Gold Coast’s Peter Wright or Greater Western Sydney’s Jeremy Cameron.
Essendon can match any Daniher free agency bid next year, following Adelaide’s path in securing picks No.9, 28 and Dean Gore for brilliant midfielder Patrick Dangerfield in 2015.
For the second straight year, player management giant TLA is being forced to help broker a deal for a string of players including Daniher.
Last year, TLA supremo Tom Petroro was hailed after brokering a complicated deal that saw TLA clients Lachie Neale and Jesse Hogan get to their preferred homes.
At the end of a full week of haggling — with months of discussions before that — all of the main names, apart from new West Coast midfielder Tim Kelly, are yet to be traded.
So far only three players have found new homes with the futures of more than 30 players potentially looking to be traded still up for grabs.
It sets the scene for tense discussions between clubs over the next 72 hours amid strong suggestions the trade period is unnecessary bloated.
Fremantle and St Kilda must recommence dealings after their midweek meeting over Brad Hill’s future lasted less than three minutes.
Fremantle knocked back pick six and St Kilda’s future second round pick for contracted star Hill before St Kilda sensationally traded it away for 12 and 18.
It seems the Dockers’ best case scenario is now to target pick 12 and St Kilda’s future first-rounder.
But the Saints are adamant it is too much for the 26-year-old.
The Saints have a detailed battle plan to secure a swag of mature-age stars including Hill, Zak Jones, Dougal Howard, Paddy Ryder and Dan Butler.
Western Bulldogs may have to pair pick No. 32 with something juicer to land Saints’ forward Josh Bruce, while Adelaide won’t release Alex Keath for No. 45, adamant he is worth an earlier pick as part of the Crows’ rebuild.
Gold Coast and Carlton believe they can get a deal done for Jack Martin, with the Suns also considering a pick swap to move further up the draft.
They have picks 15 and 20 — two prized picks for clubs in the top 10 that want to “split” their selections to get other deals done.
It means Carlton, with pick nine, could consider splitting that pick with a club with multiple later picks like Gold Coast.
It would give the Suns a superb draft hand given they already have picks one and two and believe the top 10 is stacked with quality midfielders.