AFL trade news: Adam Cerra joins Carlton after deal struck with Fremantle
Carlton will hand a top-10 draft pick a one-year contract after making a big splash in week one of trades. Do the moves set up the Blues for finals in 2022? SEE THE BEST 22
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It was the 7am wake-up call that delivered Adam Cerra the 22nd birthday gift he craved the most — confirmation that a deal had been reached to make him a Carlton player.
Cerra had been sound asleep in Andrew Brayshaw’s spare bedroom when the call came from his manager Robbie D’Orazio. But the highly-rated young midfielder sprung out of bed with excitement at the news, sharing it with his family and friends back home in Melbourne.
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“I got a phone call from Robbie at 7am, which woke me up,” Cerra explained.
“I was still half asleep when I found out.
“There is definitely a sense of relief now that it has actually happened.
“I am really excited to look forward to the future and start working with the group in trying to build something.”
Cerra’s move to Carlton was completed in a deal that saw the Blues hand over pick six and a future third round selection in the 2022 national draft.
The Herald Sun revealed the deal on Thursday morning, brokered after weeks of intense discussion.
Under one scenario the Dockers could have accepted Carlton’s pick 6 and their future second-rounder and could have then on-traded one of those third-rounders.
But, instead, they were happy with the deal that will see them accept a future third-round pick, which could land at 40 or 45.
After completing the deal, Carlton opted to hand 2017 top-10 draft pick Lochie O’Brien a one-year lifeline to prove himself at AFL level.
The 22-year-old has played 46 senior games for the Blues, but only six in the past two seasons after falling out of favour.
O’Brien broke back into the senior side in the final month and was a solid performer, but faces a make-or-break 2022 campaign to save his career.
Cerra chose Carlton over his other main suitor Melbourne because he felt they were a better fit for his football progression.
“From when I first requested a trade, looking at Carlton from afar, I felt they were the best fit for me,” he said.
“They were my No.1 priority. I really liked all the changes (at the Blues) and the excitement of the group. The other party was Melbourne, who made a very impressive pitch and they did make it more difficult. But I couldn’t be happier where I have ended up.”
Several calls with new coach Michael Voss and a recent coffee and walk in Perth with Blues co-skipper Patrick Cripps convinced Cerra he was making the right decision.
“We have spoken about the midfield role I can play for the team, bringing my inside and outside abilities … to help complement the star players they have got in (Sam) Walsh and Cripps, and George Hewett has just come in as well as the other midfielders who have played massive roles.”
On a day when the Blues also secured Bulldog big man Lewis Young, Cerra revealed he will fly to Melbourne next week to get started on the next phase of his AFL career.
He conceded it had been a hard decision to leave the Dockers after four seasons, but said the Covid chaos of the past two seasons solidified a desire to be closer to family in Victoria.
“(Telling the Dockers) was very difficult as I have committed the last four years of my life to the club and I feel like I have everything I could,” he said.
“There is no bad blood from that end.
“When I requested the trade, I said to (his manager) ‘I want Freo to be looked after’.”
Cerra finished fifth in the Fremantle best-and-fairest this year and third in 2020 – tied with Brayshaw – so has the chance to round out the Blues midfield.
He has signed on a four-year deal that is understood to be below the $750,000 per season what the Dockers had offered when they attempted to keep him in West Australia.
Revealed: Blues’ next move in monster trade period
Carlton is looking to trade its way back into the first round of this year’s draft by offering up its 2022 future first round pick in an attempt to further boost its immediate playing stocks.
As the Blues double down in their quest to play finals in Michael Voss’ first season as coach, it is understood they have canvassed a few clubs about a potential top-end pick swap.
Carlton traded this year’s pick six – plus a future third round selection – to the Dockers in exchange for young midfield gun Adam Cerra – a deal that was sealed on Thursday morning.
That means the Blues’ first live pick in next month’s draft won’t come until selection 25 with further picks coming at 64 and 82.
The Blues are banking on moving swiftly up the ladder next year, which has seen the list management team willing to offload next year’s first selection in order to get one back this year.
This has been a strong acquisition period for Voss and the Blues with Cerra, former Sydney midfielder George Hewett and former Bulldogs big man Lewis Young all ready-made recruits for 2022 and beyond.
The Blues gave up the pick 52 they acquired from West Coast for Sam Petrevski-Seton to the Bulldogs in exchange for Young.
WHAT BLUES GAVE UP FOR CERRA
Adam Cerra’s move to Carlton has been completed in a deal that will see the Blues hand over pick six and a future third round selection in the 2022 national draft.
The Herald Sun revealed the deal on Thursday morning which was brokered after weeks of intense discussion.
TRADE TACKER: FOLLOW EVERY DEAL LIVE
Under one scenario the Dockers could have accepted Carlton’s pick six and their future second-rounder and could have then on-traded one of those third-rounders.
But instead, they were happy with the deal that will see them accept a future third rounder selection, which could land between pick 40 and 45.
The significant deal went through on Cerra’s 22nd birthday.
Cerra finished fifth in the Fremantle best-and-fairest this year and third in 2020 – tied with Andrew Brayshaw – so has the chance to round out the Blues midfield.
While he is not yet one of the premier midfielders in the competition he is only 21 and has a great balance of inside hardness and quality disposal on the outside.
He has signed on a four-year deal that is understood to be below the $750,000 per season mark that the Dockers had offered when they attempted to keep him in West Australia.
The Blues battled with contested numbers in the final six weeks of the season as a banged up Patrick Cripps struggled and Sam Walsh was left to do too much.
Now new coach Michael Voss will have Cerra pushing forward out of stoppages to deliver the “money” kick to Harry McKay, Charlie Curnow and Mitch McGovern.
And new free agency acquisition George Hewett can tag if needed but also become a hard-running defensive player who is prepared to run both ways.
The Blues will hope for another uptick in the performance of top-five draft pick Paddy Dow, who played 17 games this year and at times showed the reasons why he was taken off the draft board so early.
New football director Greg Williams took aim at Dow last year when he was dropped from the senior side after mentoring him the previous year.
He said Dow needed to toughen up, saying: “I thought just watching him, he’s just not desperate enough, not going hard enough and I’m pretty blunt, but I think you get what you deserve. You’ve got to toughen up.”
The Blues will play Ed Curnow forward as a pressuring player and will also hope Matt Kennedy can continue his strong form in the back half of 2021.
Will Setterfield only played eight games in 2021 after 16 the previous season so will be another player hoping to improve under coach Voss.
Voss can also call upon Zac Williams at times for midfield bursts, but the former GWS defender was not fit enough and had more injury issues in his first year at Carlton.
If he can put together a flawless pre-season he can at least provide midfield cover or play in bursts as a centre square midfielder to help improve the Blues’ midfield depth.
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