How should Melbourne attack mid-season trade period if it was happening this year?
MELBOURNE has severely missed Jake Lever since his season-ending knee injury but if the AFL had have introduced a mid-season trade period how would the Demons replace him?
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FORGET the “if”, it is now a matter of when a mid-season trade period is introduced into the AFL season.
While it won’t be in 2018, there is no doubt clubs are already planning how they will wheel and deal their way through it.
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In anticipation of what will be one of the biggest changes in AFL history, the SuperFooty team are jumping on the front foot to analyse how all 18 clubs could hypothetically attack a mid-season trade period if it where to happen this year.
From the deals that could catapult your club up the ladder and into the finals to how strugglers can boost their rebuild and the players who could be shipped out.
WHERE ARE THE DEMONS AT?
Melbourne has its eyes set on a first finals campaign since 2006.
However after last year’s heartbreak, the Demons are again battling to make the top eight - sitting sixth on percentage - after disappointing losses to Collingwood, Port Adelaide and Essendon and a crucial win over Fremantle.
Surely, now is the time for Simon Goodwin’s men and he’d be looking to strengthen his team for the business end of the season.
While the Demons don’t have a current first-round pick - spent on Jake Lever - but do still have their full quota of 2019 picks to use to poach a star now rather than wait for free agency or end-of-season trade period.
WHAT DO DEMONS NEED TO GO TO NEXT LEVEL?
With Jake Lever going down with a season-ending knee injury in Round 11, a mid-season trade period is the perfect time for the Demons to deepen their key defender stocks. Tim Smith and Harrison Petty have been used in the past month but an upgrade would be a significant boost before finals.
Would a future first-round draft pick and player be enough for West Coast to part with Jeremy McGovern or does a short-term fix such as Michael Hartley (Essendon), Aliir Aliir (Sydney) or Lewis Young (Bulldogs) be tempting?
Further up the ground, some outside class would compliment the inside brutality of Clayton Oliver and Jack Viney nicely. Jordan Lewis has been solid off half-back but perhaps doesn’t have the engine to get up and down the ground any more while Dom Tyson has been in and out of the senior side.
IS A BIG FREE AGENT ON THE HORIZON?
Melbourne has spoken openly about luring another big fish through free agency or trade despite paying big bucks to pluck Lever out of Adelaide last year.
“We went after Jake Lever last year ... and certainly we are in the market for another one come the end of this year. You go out there with a rod and good bait and see what you land,” Demons football manager Josh Mahoney told Triple M earlier this year.
With his outside run and carry Eagle Andrew Gaff would be a key addition if he decides to leave Perth and return to Victoria.
Gaff’s West Coast teammate Jeremy McGovern might also appeal with his ability to play either end and Jake Lever to miss half of 2019 but the emergence of Tom McDonald as a strong marking forward makes securing Gold Coast captain Tom Lynch highly unlikely.
SHOULD THE DEMONS GIVE UP ANOTHER FIRST ROUNDER?
Arguably, the time is now for Melbourne.
Under the AFL’s trade rules, the Demons can give away another future first-round draft pick after using this year’s pick to secure Jake Lever last season. Obviously, it would have to be the right move with a star midfielder or defender high on the priority list.
However, with a deep draft, the Demons may well decide to hold on to its pick and bring in a talented youngster with several quality talls available.
COULD AARON HALL HELP INSIDE 50 DELIVERY?
Marc Murphy might have been the perfect addition but the Carlton captain is staying with the Blues. Instead, the Demons could turn their attention to wantaway Sun Aaron Hall.
Hall is 27 and showed he can be an effective attacking weapon with pace, something Melbourne lacks.
The Tasmanian is out of contract at the end of the year but isn’t a free agent meaning the Demons will have to trade or hope he survives in the pre-season draft.
Melbourne is +64 in inside 50s in the past five matches but has won just two of those games. Hall’s delivery to the likes of McDonald and Jesse Hogan could see the Demons turn frustrating losses into wins.
IS DOM TYSON SURPLUS TO REQUIREMENTS?
History might not look favourably on Melbourne’s trade for Tyson. The Demons gave up pick No.2 and 20 to GWS - the second pick securing Josh Kelly - and in return got Tyson and pick No.9, which was used on Christian Salem.
The classy midfielder has played eight AFL games this year, averaging 20 disposals and almost three tackles per game, as well as three in the VFL.
There would certainly be rivals interested in Tyson with a second-round pick enough to secure his services. The Demons could also package him up with picks to secure one of the year’s big fish.
WOULD RIVALS BE INTERESTED IN CAM PEDERSEN?
IS SAM WEIDEMAN BETTER OFF IN GREENER PASTURES?
Pedersen showcased himself as a strong-marking forward and pinch-hitting ruckman last year, playing 15 games and averaging 16 disposals and a goal a game.
However, this year has seen him feature at AFL level just three times, playing nine games in the VFL, as Tom McDonald and Sam Weideman were preferred as tall forwards.
Geelong would certainly be interested as they continue to chop and change ruckmen, while also providing a strong presence alongside Tom Hawkins. The Cats have two third-round picks at their disposal.
Meanwhile, Weideman only returned to AFL duties in Round 15 after a five-week absence, his fifth game of the year, kicking 0.2 from seven disposals and a loss to St Kilda.
The former No.10 draft pick hasn’t come on as the Demons might have liked and could be poached by a team with the time and inclination to develop a tall forward.
Brisbane could be a destination that would give Weideman time to develop while Gold Coast could look to restock with Tom Lynch’s future in doubt. Hawthorn could also be an interested party if they miss out on Lynch with Jarryd Roughead coming to the end of his career and a proven record of developing talent stagnated at rival clubs.
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