Kane Cornes says Melbourne is missing out on a prime opportunity to set themselves up for years to come if Harrison Petty remains a Demon at the trade period's conclusion.
Multiple reports have stipulated that Petty is open to a move home to South Australia, with Adelaide coming hard for his services.
So keen are the Crows reported to be, that Seven’s Theo Doropoulos confirmed Adelaide offered pick 14 and wantaway forward Shane McAdam for Petty.
It’s an offer that was rejected.
Cornes sees a big opportunity for Melbourne, especially with Brisbane forward Jack Gunston requesting a trade, and urged the Demons to get creative.
“If Gunston’s motivation is to get back to Victoria, get Gunston and trade out Petty for a huge bounty from Adelaide,” he began on AFL Trade Radio’s The Early Trade.
“You know I’m big on this… I’m not letting Melbourne’s opportunity with Petty go. He’s not going to be there (after) 2025… he will go home. So do you want one more year of Petty or do you want to get Adelaide’s pick 10, and then you’ve got picks six, 10 and 11.
“You go to West Coast, say, ‘here are six and 10 for (pick one and then) Harley Reid’. Get Gunston for nothing, so in comes Reid and Gunston, out goes Petty, you’ve still got a top 10 draft pick and Harley Reid for 15 years versus Harrison Petty for one.
“This is a great opportunity for Melbourne. Gunston is not the perfect forward but he’s a better forward than Petty.”
Gunston has requested a trade back to Hawthorn after one year at the Lions but the Hawks have given no guarantees the deal will get done.
Meanwhile, 23-year-old Petty is already a premiership player and showed plenty of promise forward of the ball in 2023.
He won Melbourne the Round 20 clash against Richmond with a career-high six goals and his influence was sorely missed in the finals with a foot injury.
Petty becomes a restricted free agent in 2025.
Melbourne already has a strong draft hand this year after Luke Jackson’s trade to Fremantle in 2022 and has the potential to enjoy a trade period to remember given they’re also chasing pick 1 to snare future star Harley Reid.
“By the end of the trade period if they get in Gunston, a future 2nd from Adelaide, pick 10, McAdam and Harley Reid and out goes Petty and a few draft picks, you would do that deal in a heartbeat,” Cornes continued.
“It’s a big if. You wouldn’t trade out Petty unless you have a guarantee from West Coast - who should do that deal, picks 6 and 10 for Harley Reid, that’s a pretty good deal – if you said that Melbourne would be able to achieve that… it’s a pretty good result.”
Melbourne has already received a future second and two third-round picks for Brodie Grundy and James Harmes, while James Jordon’s departure as a free agent netted a second-round draft pick as compensation.