Gibbs - The plot thickens

[dom_105]

http://www.news.com.au/adelaidenow/stor ... 44,00.html

Out of the Adelaide Advertiser today:

ADELAIDE ruckman Rhett Biglands' season-costing knee injury has hurt the Crows more than first imagined. It has sunk an audacious bid to prise the No. 1 national draft pick from Carlton to secure Glenelg teenager Bryce Gibbs.

Adelaide's obsessive chase of 17-year-old Gibbs manifested recently with the Crows offering Carlton its first-round draft pick (No. 14 overall) and two of its recent first-round draft picks from Victoria.
They are 20-year-old ruckman John Meesen (No. 8 in the 2004 national draft) and 22-year-old midfielder Brent Reilly (No. 12 in 2001).

Port Adelaide also has strived to deal for the No. 1 draft pick from Carlton to claim Gibbs. It put before the Blues its No. 5 draft pick and an undisclosed player or perhaps a choice of players.

Carlton's temptation to consider the No. 14 pick and Meesen - who last month was signed to a 12-month contract extension at West Lakes - and Reilly has been cooled by the reaction the Blues expect if they trade away early draft picks.

Considering Carlton - which was stripped of draft picks in 2002 for its salary cap rorting in the late 1990s - has long lamented its lock out from recruiting the nation's best young talent, trading away early draft picks ahead of the most-anticipated draft in a decade would bring dismay.

Questionable now is whether Adelaide - after losing Biglands to injury and Matthew Clarke to retirement - can afford to put up Meesen for any trade. The Crows' ruck battery next season begins with Ben Hudson returning after missing all of the 2006 AFL season while recuperating from reconstructive knee surgery with the untried Meesen and 20-year-old Ivan Maric as his back-up.

While Adelaide coach Neil Craig has repeatedly dismissed the notion of the Crows trading away players for the chance to get Gibbs, club chief executive Steven Trigg yesterday was not discounting recruiting manager James Fantasia has sought to broker a deal with Carlton.

"I can't say that has not been discussed," Trigg said in Melbourne yesterday.

"But there has been no formal . . . no formality in going through that exercise with Carlton. If James has tested the market, I would not be surprised."

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Makes for interesting reading.

Gibbs really is the pride of South Australia, and both SA clubs want him at any cost. Really though, if Carlton gives up their first pick they would be as stupid as they look.

Just on a sidetrack here for a second, is it possible for clubs to "sell" their draft picks in trade week, or must trades either be for players, picks or a combination of both??

[jimmyc1985]

Carlton would never trade away their first pick, not even if Adelaide offered half their team up for trade. The entire club would by lynched. Pagan would be shot. They can't and won't.

Just on a sidetrack here for a second, is it possible for clubs to "sell" their draft picks in trade week, or must trades either be for players, picks or a combination of both??

My understanding is that the AFL changed the rule this year so that draft picks can now be directly traded without the need for the implication of a player. Previously, situations like the "Veale deal" led to clubs abusing the need to implicate a player anyway, so the AFL changed the rule for pragmatic reasons. I stand to be corrected, however - i just remember reading something along those lines a few months ago.

[dom_105]

I know for sure that picks can be traded for other picks.

[Jazz_84]

Take the #1 pick and use it wisely Carlton, dont help out Adelaide or Port

[tom9779]

damn.

there sure is going to be a lot of pressure on bryce gibbs to play well no matter where he ends up.

[antcl]

If Meesen looks any good, given Reilly looks good and Pick #14 should still be a good player, hell I would have thought that Carlton would have to think damn hard about that.

If they picked up a defender with #14, they could have helped fix their defense, midfield and ruck with the use of one pick!

[Boyler_Room]

Reilly isn't the midfielder that Carlton are looking for. He's more of a defender who can float forward. Bit of a flanker.

Carlton are desperate for a partner in crimer for Marc Murphy. Yes, Nick Stevens is there but they need someone else and all the talk from their camp is that they're looking to pick up a ready made midfielder in the draft. They have a lot of other problems too, of course, but that seems to be their #1 priority as far as I can tell.