Fremantle completes crucial pick swap which can help it secure Jesse Hogan and Rory Lobb
FREMANTLE has completed the crucial pick swap which can help it secure twin towers Jesse Hogan and Rory Lobb. JAY CLARK looks at the deal and the massive implications it has for a number of other clubs.
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FREMANTLE has completed the crucial pick swap which can help it secure twin towers Jesse Hogan and Rory Lobb.
The Dockers this morning traded pick No. 6 and a future third-round pick to Port Adelaide in return for pick No. 11, No. 23, No. 30 and No. 49.
It sets Fremantle up to give pick No. 5 (from Brisbane in return for Lachie Neale) and pick No. 23 to Melbourne for Hogan.
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The Dockers can then also off-load pick No. 11 to Greater Western Sydney as part of a deal for versatile ruckman Rory Lobb.
The deal is also beneficial for Port Adelaide because it moves the Power up the order to pick No. 6 where it will be in range to land one of three highly-talented South Australian draft prospects Jack Lukosius, Izak Rankine and Connor Rozee.
The Power also have pick No. 10, but their work may not yet be complete.
If Port can receive pick No. 7 from Western Bulldogs for Chad Wingard, it can look to potentially swap picks No. 6, No. 7 and No. 10 to Gold Coast for No. 2 and No. 3.
Lukosius and Rankinre are both rated top-three talents.
Fremantle’s Hogan deal still hinges on the Dockers swapping Neale to Brisbane in return for pick No. 5.
Power livewire Jake Neade could be delisted. Collingwood is circling the small forward, while North Melbourne’s interest in Neade has cooled.
Port Adelaide list chief Jason Cripps said this year’s draft pool was a bumper crop.
“Our objective was to improve our position in this draft, in particular the top end as we believe it to be the strongest group seen for many years,” Cripps said.
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“The picks that we used to assist in improving our position will be diluted with the number of Father/Son, NGA and Northern Academy players that are expected to be selected by the clubs that they are aligned to.
“A lot of planning, discussion and strategy goes into how we approach each trade period to ultimately achieve our objectives and secure talented players that improve our list.
“This trade gives us another top 10 pick, the highest since we selected Ollie Wines in the 2012 draft, allowing us to bring in two high quality players.
“We also have an eye to the future and receiving a future third round pick gives us further flexibility for potential deals both this year, and into the future.”
The swap delivers Fremantle a huge win based on the draft value index points comparison.
Fremantle receives Pick No. 11 (1329 points), No. 23 (815), No. 30 (629), No. 49 (287), which equals 3060 points.
Port nets Pick No. 6 (1751) and next year’s third-rounder, which is pick No. 42 (395) based on this year’s ladder positions.
It leaves the Power with 2146 points in total, or 914 less than Fremantle in that deal.
The Herald Sun reported yesterday that Jesse Hogan had passed a medical examination at Fremantle but will not be released unless the Dockers stump up two first-round picks for him.
Speculation that Hogan, 23, had failed medical tests held in Perth last week were on Wednesday night dismissed, with his camp adamant the spearhead will be fit to play for the Demons or the Dockers in Round 1 next year.
The goal kicker is currently holidaying in Bali, but was fully assessed by Fremantle medicos during a tour of the Dockers’ headquarters last week.
He is recovering from a stress fracture in his navicular bone and missed Melbourne’s deep run into September.
Fremantle is feeling pressure to rise up the ladder next season and has targeted Hogan and Lobb to fill key voids down its spine.
But Melbourne will keep Hogan to his contract next season unless it secures two early picks for him from Fremantle.
Once a Hogan deal is completed, the Demons will be able to make a move on Gold Coast co-captain and star fullback Steven May.
The Suns would almost certainly ask Melbourne for pick No.5 (via Fremantle) to release May from his contract for next season.
The Gold Coast stopper would significantly bolster Melbourne’s backline and help prime the Demons for a shot at a drought-breaking premiership next year.
Melbourne has also progressed in talks to secure Gold Coast rebounding defender Kade Kolodjashnij in a deal involving a future third-round pick.
But this transaction may have to wait until next week following talks between Brisbane and Fremantle on the Neale deal and other trades.
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