Gold Coast asking price for Charlie Dixon stalls Port Adelaide — and baffles experts
GOLD Coast’s asking price for key forward Charlie Dixon — two first-round draft picks — continues to stall Port Adelaide in the AFL trade market and baffle the game’s experts.
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GOLD Coast’s asking price for key forward Charlie Dixon — two first-round draft picks — continues to stall Port Adelaide in the AFL trade market and baffle the game’s experts.
The Power closed the first week of the 11-day trade period without a deal as it makes the 25-year-old Dixon its priority.
Port Adelaide’s offer to the Suns of the Power’s first-round draft pick (No. 10) for Dixon is considered more than fair in the market. But coach Ken Hinkley’s eagerness for the 65-game, 92-goal forward has made Gold Coast determined to maximise the trade, particularly with early draft picks the Suns can mortgage against its academy prospects.
The Suns are also seeking a “catch-up” trade with Dixon after selling sacked Gold Coast player Harley Bennell cheaply to Fremantle in this week’s player market.
Noted AFL list analyst — former Western Bulldogs and Richmond coach Terry Wallace — says Gold Coast’s demand for two first-round draft picks for Dixon is “ridiculous”.
“Pick No. 10 and something on the side, something later in the draft, is more than enough,” Wallace told advertiser.com.au. “Two first-round draft picks is too much.”
The last significant player to command two first-round draft picks in a trade was Shaun Burgoyne in his move from Port Adelaide to Hawthorn in 2009 for calls Nos. 9 and 16.
Former Adelaide recruiting manager and Western Bulldogs football chief James Fantasia this week told The Advertiser the Power’s offer of draft pick No. 10 for Dixon was “more than fair”.
Port Adelaide premiership captain and Australian Football Hall of Famer Warren Tredrea entered the debate on Dixon’s worth yesterday saying: “Hearing the Suns are still demanding two first-round picks for Charlie Dixon. Can’t believe it ... that’s more than (Patrick) Dangerfield.”
Crows club champion Dangerfield effectively cost Geelong one first-round (No. 9) and one second-round (No. 28) to secure his trade from Adelaide outside the free agency system.
The comparison between Dangerfield and Dixon — both aged 25 — suggests Gold Coast is certainly asking a high price for Dixon.
Port Adelaide has a five-year deal — said to be worth $3.1 million — before Dixon.
If there is no trade by Thursday’s deadline, Dixon could defect from the Suns in the draft. But that path runs the risk of being picked by Essendon which has an earlier call than Port Adelaide.
Gold Coast’s ability to block the Power in the trade market has stopped Melbourne midfielder Jimmy Toumpas’ hopes of making a homecoming move.
Port Adelaide may need its second-round draft pick — which was being assigned to a trade with the Demons for Toumpas — to close the Dixon deal by Thursday’s 1.30pm deadline.
The alternative for Port Adelaide is to find another second-round draft pick by trading a Power player to another club and on-trade the draft call, along with its own No. 10 pick, to the Suns for Dixon.
michelangelo.rucci@news.com.au
Originally published as Gold Coast asking price for Charlie Dixon stalls Port Adelaide — and baffles experts
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