Kane Cornes has named his top seven figures that must perform in the upcoming trade period and in season 2024.
Cornes discussed his list with Brad Johnson on AFL Trade Radio’s The Early Trade, explaining that it revolves around who is “under the most pressure to achieve something in this trade period or into next season”.
See his list below:
7 – Robbie D’Orazio (player manager, Connors Sports)
“(After the failed Brodie Grundy experiment), Robbie’s under pressure now to orchestrate a deal with Sydney and to land his client at a home that satisfies everyone, and most importantly where he is going to play in the position that he’s always played, (which) is in the ruck.
“I’m sure he will be capable of doing that.”
6 – Brodie Grundy (Melbourne)
“At some point, (he’s) going to have to take responsibility for his own career and his lack of form.
“He’s about to join his third club in three years and it’s over to him to salvage his career, because pretty quickly things can go south and he could be out of the system before he even knows it if he doesn’t do something significant to get himself into form.”
5 – Brady Rawlings (North Melbourne list manager)
“No club has had more assets in a three-year window than North.
“How they go about moving those into the best scenario for the club (is crucial) and then most importantly, whatever picks they do have, nailing those selections.
“If North get this right, they are set, if they get it wrong, we’re going to be talking about (them) in not a great light for the next five, six years.”
4 – Jason Cripps (Port Adelaide list manager)
“It is up to (recruiting manager) Geoff Parker and Jason Cripps to really improve Port Adelaide’s list, because that hurt them badly in the back half of (this) year.”
3 – Ben McKay (North Melbourne)
“If you sign a long-term deal to be one of the highest paid key defenders in the league, you’d want to play better.
“To this point, he’s had an underwhelming career.”
2 – Melbourne
“They’ve gone out in straight sets the last couple of years.
“What can they turn (their) picks into to get them another premiership (is very important). This group is good enough to win another premiership and they’re far too good to be going out in straight sets and kicking 60 points in the last four finals.
“There’s certainly some pressure at the Melbourne Football Club.”
1 – West Coast
“They’ve already been linked to multiple experienced players which I like and that is part of the puzzle, but it’s secondary to the vital call that they’re going to have to make with Pick 1.
“In terms of a pivotal moment in the history of that club, I think for the Eagles this is clearly a (key) moment in time.”