Fremantle footy boss reveals why the Dockers refused to trade “valuable” pick 19 for new recruit
Fremantle footy boss Peter Bell has revealed why the Dockers were so keen to keep pick 19 in negotiations with Geelong for new recruit Jordan Clark.
After weeks of negotiations, the Cats accepted pick 22 and a future third-round selection from Fremantle and sent Jordan Clark and a future fourth-round pick west in return.
The Cats were reportedly holding out hope of prizing pick 19 from the Fremantle, however eventually settled for the later pick.
The AFL draft will be held over two days this year on November 24 and 25, and only the first round of the draft will be selected on the first night.
That means Fremantle will have the first selection on the second night, giving the Dockers a “valuable pick.”
“There’s a bit to play out now before the draft obviously, but it is a valuable pick with the day between the first round and the second round, all the clubs will be able to reassess and look at the players that slipped a little bit,” Bell told AFL Trade Radio.
“We’re assuming some clubs will come and present some offers to us, that’s not to say that we wouldn’t be comfortable using it ourselves, if there’s a player there that we really love we’d have no hesitation in using pick 19, but you have a bit of flexibility there.
“I’m pretty confident there will be a number of proposals thrown up by other clubs.”
As for the deal for Clark, Bell says he doesn’t know why the talented youngster struggled to play consistent AFL football at Geelong.
He says Fremantle envision the 20-year-old playing in the backline and on the wing with plenty of “opportunity”.
“I know that he was desperately looking for opportunity, for whatever reason in the backline he didn’t get a lot of it after his first year at the Cats,” Bell said.
“We think there will be an opportunity for him with us for many years to come.”
The Dockers were major players in the AFL Trade Period and emerge with a strong draft hand, holding picks 6, 8, 19, 61, 69 and 84 in the AFL National Draft.