After Adelaide reportedly offered two first round picks for Harrison Petty in last year’s trade period, would they be breathing a sigh of relief right now?
The Melbourne forward had a dirty night against Brisbane on Thursday, failing to register a disposal until late in the fourth quarter.
He has been forced to play a few different roles, but has only kicked the one goal so far this season.
Kane Cornes and David King discussed the offer on SEN Breakfast and their general philosophies around trading multiple first round picks.
Players traded for two first round picks in the last five years include: Lachie Neale, Dylan Shiel, Dayne Beams, Tim Kelly, Jeremy Cameron, Tim Taranto, Luke Jackson, Jason Horne-Francis and Josh Dunkley.
Cornes: “Did Adelaide dodge a bullet by not trading for Harrison Petty? Did you see what they offered up for him? I’m led to believe it was two first round draft picks.”
“Granted he’s had a disrupted pre-season and all that, but after seeing him in action recently, do you think that offer should be off the table?
“There’s no way I’d be giving two first round picks, with where Adelaide are at and their desperate need to bring fresh talent to that squad, that I’m giving up two first round picks for a player like Petty.”
King: “The amount of players that I would give up two first round picks for would be one in every five years. Jeremy Cameron would be the only one of the current batch that I would have ever given up two first round draft picks or more for.
Cornes: “Of the ones that have left (for two first round picks) in recent years?”
King: “Yeah.”
Cornes: “What about Jason Horne-Francis?”
King: “I wouldn’t have given up two (for him), no.”
Cornes: “Oh, come on.”
King: “Not for a midfielder. You just go get another one. You just draft George Wardlaw. You would give up two for him, would you?”
Cornes: “Yes. 100 per cent.”
King: “I wouldn’t. Not for a midfielder. I think you can still find them. They might not be 9.8/10, they might be 9/10…”
Cornes: “What about Errol Gulden? Would you have given up two for him?
King: “No. I don’t think you do. I don’t think that helps your list build in the long run. Tell me a team that’s done that and got through it well.”
Cornes: “So, what we’re agreeing on is after Petty hasn’t touched the footy for three quarters, and I’m not sure he’s a forward, I think he’s a better defender clearly, but they have a need for him to play forward.
“If I’m Adelaide list manager Justin Reid I’m sitting back going ‘jeez we’ve made some errors with our list management, it’s probably not wise to go back to the well and give two first round picks for Petty’.”
Petty finished with two disposals in his side’s 22-point loss to Brisbane at the MCG.
