If Kane Cornes was at GWS, he would not be trading Ian ‘Bobby’ Hill to Essendon.
The 21-year-old Giants small forward has reportedly requested a trade to a Victorian club having expressed his desire to play in the state on compassionate grounds.
It is understood that Essendon is a club that Hill would like to join, but plenty of water would have to pass under the bridge between now and Wednesday night’s trade period deadline in order for that to occur.
Cornes considered all parties involved and wondered why the Giants would allow a contracted player to walk out the door under these circumstances.
“So Bobby Hill wants to be traded on compassionate grounds,” he said on AFL Trade Radio’s The Early Trade.
“Now that is fine, I don’t know his family circumstances, but he wants to go back to Victoria.
“If that is the case and you are still contracted and about a month ago you said how happy you were at the Giants and you wanted to recommit, you can’t then go and give them one club to deal with with three days left in the trade period.
“If Bobby Hill wants to go to Victoria, you’ve got to open it up to 10 clubs.
“I’m really strong (on this). If I’m the Giants, there’s no way I’m trading him. There is no way, because I’m looking at Essendon. If that’s his preferred home, well (picks) 11 and 51 aren’t going to get it done.
“I read a third-round pick for a 21-year-old small forward. I don’t know where the value lies, a lot of clubs see it differently, but just hold him.”
Cornes feels the fact there is basically one team in the mix could hurt GWS’ chances of getting a fair and equitable trade done.
“There is no way with three days out from the (end of the) trade period that I’m trading him now that he’s just said Essendon,” he added.
“If he had have said, ‘Look, I’m happy to go to North, I’m happy to go to Hawthorn, I’m happy to go to any of the 10 Victorian teams’, then you can work the best deal you can for your footy club.
“But he’s just said the Bombers, they’ve given them three days and he’s contracted.
“Deal off, no deal. We’ll discuss this in 12 months’ time.”
Matthew Lloyd was also critical of the scenario the Giants find themselves in.
He is unsure of Hill’s ability at this early stage of his career and wondered what would be enough to get the deal done.
“We’ve seen it a lot of times before when players say they are leaving wth a year to go and just nominate the club,” the Bombers great said.
“I think a second rounder (is enough). I don’t think he’s that good. He’s a solid player, he’s got pace, he’s got skill, but he hasn’t really shown a lot at AFL level. He’s not the type of person I’d want on my list, I wouldn’t have thought, if he didn’t want to be there.
“If Essendon aren’t coming to the party, then say, ‘Bobby, you’re either staying here or start finding another club or two that we’ll open up with’, but I wouldn’t want to keep him on my list if he doesn’t want to be there.”
Cornes continued, referencing similar situations where Swans duo Tom Papley and Ryan O’Keefe both remained with their club after seeking a shift elsewhere.
“It’s frustrating and the clubs just don’t have a lot of power in this situation,” he said.
“It’s been done before with Tom Papley and Ryan O’Keefe at Sydney. I’m just saying, ‘We’ll assess it 12 months’ time, Bobby’.
“It’s not going to make or break the Giants if it’s a third-round pick for Bobby Hill. I’d much rather Bobby Hill on my list than a third-round pick.”
To which Lloyd replied: “I agree with that, but I also think they’ve got three days to see if they can get a better player than Bobby Hill in.
“If they don’t get the deal they want, I’m with you, I’d say, ‘No, no, you’re staying’, but I’d also get other clubs in involved.
“I just wonder whether a future second-round pick is what seals the deal for Bobby Hill to the Bombers.”
In further Giants news, it has been reported in the Herald Sun that the club is interested in Hawthorn’s Chad Wingard.
The report indicates that GWS is “contemplating making a shock move” for Wingard with his name emerging on their radar following Hill’s trade request.
It is understood that the Giants would only allow Hill to depart if they can bring in a replacement in his small forward role.