This was published 4 years ago
Giants keen to use record-breaking draft haul to move up the order
By Vince Rugari
Greater Western Sydney could use the record-breaking bounty of first-round picks they received from Geelong for Jeremy Cameron to propel themselves towards the pointy end of the order on AFL draft night.
The Giants believe they have come out of a disastrous year as well as is possible, after holding firm on their demands for three first-round selections in their negotiations with Geelong over Cameron - the first time an AFL club has parted with that many picks of that calibre.
Jeremy Cameron's departure has netted the Giants one of the biggest trade packages in AFL history.Credit: Getty
After weeks of posturing, the Cats finally blinked just before the AFL trade period deadline on Thursday night, sending picks 13, 15 and 20 to the Giants for the 2019 Coleman Medallist and a future second-round pick, which they received as part of the deal that took Jye Caldwell to Essendon.
Clubs have the ability to trade picks up until draft night on December 7, and GWS general manager Jason McCartney said they would consider all options to use their hand - currently selections 10, 13, 15, 20, 29, 52 and 88 - to move further ahead in the order and gain improved access to what they believe is a quality pool of players.
"We've got great confidence in that early part of the draft - that top 15, top 20, they've generally announced themselves at 16 or 17-year-olds. Our team's got a really good handle on those guys," McCartney said.
"We'll assess and evaluate over the coming days with strategy moving into draft and whether there are opportunities to move around and we'll do a little work with our recruiting team around that.
GWS Giants general manager Jason McCartney is optimistic about the club's future.Credit: Getty
"We walk away really comfortable and happy with what we've been able to secure, but [on] the other side, you would rather that Jeremy was still playing with us."
After missing the finals this season, the Giants have suffered some significant losses with first-choice players Cameron, Zac Williams (Carlton) and Aidan Corr (North Melbourne) moving on, while talented youngers Caldwell and Jackson Hately will also find new homes.
No deal was completed for Hately - who will instead walk to his preferred destination Adelaide through the pre-season draft, where they have the first pick - with the Giants left frustrated by their discussions both with the Crows and the Bombers over Caldwell.
"Each club's got to do the best thing by their club. But you've got to find a way to do it in a respectful manner," McCartney said.
"The reality was what Adelaide was putting forward was not good enough. Pick 40, for a pick 14 [player] two years earlier, is not cutting the mustard.
"We don't want to be walking people to the draft but ... when it's that far off the mark, we're not doing it.
"And the Caldwell one was a millimetre away from not getting done either. That's Essendon: target a player, high quality, get him in the door, and then not [be] prepared to stump up the price to actually facilitate the deal."
Despite suggestions from many pundits that the Giants' premiership window has slammed shut, McCartney is optimistic about what lies ahead for GWS, who were also able to bring in a much-needed ruckman in Braydon Preuss and a replacement for Cameron in ex-Melbourne and Fremantle forward Jesse Hogan.
"I only have to go back to 2018 when [Rory] Lobb, [Will] Setterfield, [Dylan] Shiel, [Tom] Scully - out they go, everyone is questioning 'what is going on at the Giants? You can't lose that quality,'" he said.
"We played off in a grand final within 12 months. We've got a lot of quality still here, there'll be more quality coming in over the next month.
"There's some very hungry and eager players to right some wrongs in 2021. We've just got to get to work now and let everyone else talk about the doom and gloom."