Gold Coast rumoured to be eyeing Carlton’s No.1 pick or St Kilda’s No.4, would you make the deal?
Would you make the deal? Gold Coast is rumoured to be sizing up a move for St Kilda’s No.4 pick ahead of next week’s AFL draft. Would the Saints accept a trade for what could be next year’s No.1?
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If you believe the rumours, Gold Coast is attempting to add another top five draft pick to its arsenal.
The Suns are eyeing off Carlton’s No.1 pick or St Kilda’s pick No.4 in what would be the biggest draft pick trade since Hawthorn secured Fremantle’s No.1 in 2001.
To secure the Blues’ top pick - and you would assume Sam Walsh - the Suns would have to give up picks No.2 and 6.
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While pick No.6 would also be involved in any trade with the Saints.
Hindsight is a wonderful thing and looking back at past drafts, the Blues could be tempted to secure two young guns but history tells us potential is also fraught with danger.
Taking last year’s draft as an example, would you be happy to give up Cam Rayner, knowing you’d secure Andrew Brayshaw and Jaidyn Stephenson?
Carlton fans might be disappointed to miss out on Walsh but the addition of Izak Rankine and Bailey Smith, or perhaps Ben or Max King, would certainly ease the pain.
Gold Coast’s pursuit of St Kilda’s No.4 draft pick looks a little harder to accomplish.
However, the pay-off for the Suns would be immense given they would then own picks No.2, 3 and 4.
Hypothetically, the Suns could then draft South Australian trio Jack Lukosius, Izak Rankine and Connor Rozee
The three are all childhood friends and moving to Queensland together would certainly help reduce the go-home risk with Port Adelaide already announcing its plans to poach them in the coming years.
Brisbane had a similar draft strategy when it drafted Hugh McCluggage, Jarrod Berry and Cedric Cox from TAC Cup side Ballarat Rebels.
McCluggage and Berry have become key parts of the Lions’ promising rebuild.
St Kilda would demand a treasure chest of picks in return with pick No.6 and possibly the Suns’ 2019 pick, the likely No.1 selection given the Suns rock bottom rebuild.
The Suns might ask for the Saints’ 2019 first-round pick in return but Alan Richardson would back his club to far outperform the Suns next season.
Would Saints fans be happy moving back just two picks this year, knowing pick No.1 next year is a big possibility?
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