Kevin Bartlett believes the Western Bulldogs only have themselves to blame if they're unable to secure a trade deal for Jake Stringer that satisfies them.
The 2016 premiers are in a precarious situation regarding the future of the 23-year-old, with the club digging their heels in on a trade deal with Stringer’s nominated destination Essendon, despite making it clear that the forward was no longer wanted at the Whitten Oval.
The Bombers have already traded away the first-round draft pick the Dogs initially sought for Stringer, pick 11, and do not currently hold a pick earlier than 25 in the draft – likely forcing the Dogs to accept a number of second round picks in return for the forward instead.
Despite the Dogs remaining adamant that they would keep the contracted forward at the club in 2018 if a deal cannot be reached before the NAB AFL Trade Period closes on Thursday, Bartlett believes this “backflip” to be a bluff that is trying in vain to cover the mistake they made by publicly expressing their desire to trade Stringer last month.
“If you don’t want somebody, you devalue his worth,” the Richmond great said on SEN’s Hungry For Sport.
“If Jake Stringer had of gone to the Bulldogs and said, I want to leave the Bulldogs, the Bulldogs are in a very strong position.
“When you turn around and say, we don’t want this player because he is not good for our club, we don’t like his attitude, the way that he trains, we don’t like the way he goes about his job anymore and we want him out the joint, then you devalue him.
“It’s very hard to demand top dollar for someone you don’t want.”
Bartlett believes that the Bulldogs could have demanded a high first-round pick for the 160-goal forward should they have kept their true intentions regarding Stringer vague.