AFL player manager Scott Lucas has endorsed Carlton’s decision to trade away star Bryce Gibbs to Adelaide, believing it has helped the team’s future hopes considerably.
The Blues received picks 10, 16 and 73 in this year’s NAB AFL National Draft, along with the Crows’ 2018 second round selection, for the loss of Gibbs, pick 77 and their second and third round picks next year.
They then on-traded 16 and pick 40 to the Western Bulldogs for picks 28, 30 and the Dogs’ second round pick next year, and then moved 28 to the GWS Giants for 20-year-old midfielder Matthew Kennedy.
These trades also freed them to pick up Darcy Lang from Geelong while only losing pick 58, with a swap of fourth round 2018 selections also taking place in the deal.
The former Essendon player gave a thumbs up to the Blues’ work in the trade period, saying that while the club’s decision to trade away the 28-year-old former number one pick to the Crows will hurt them in the short term, what they received in return has set them up for the future.
“What it did was that it allowed them to bring Kennedy and Lang in,” Lucas told SEN’s Inside TradeSENtral.
“They’ve lost Gibbs, but both those players were first round picks when drafted. That’s in front of them to deliver on that, but it’s also given them an extra pick to play with. To build a real density of quality players that gives them a chance.
“They will be a weaker side for Bryce Gibbs going out, no doubt, but the trade allows them to be a better side in three, four, five years.
“I think that’s really important. That’s Carlton identifying where they’re at, where they want to get to and how they can best achieve that.
“They would be thankful for the Lever deal because it presented Adelaide with a number of picks and flexibility to get the deal done with Carlton.”
Along with bringing in two youngsters from other clubs via trade, Carlton now hold two top 10 picks in this year’s draft and have added an additional second round pick in the 2018 draft, widely tipped to be one of the deepest in years.
The Blues also brought in out-of-favour Port Adelaide ruckman Matthew Lobbe to the club in the trade period, with only pick 95 heading back the Power's way.