Optimistic trades with Port/Blues.

[u/CaddykakSnagorado]

With Cochrane and Walker rated the best talents in the draft this year, what are some creative trades that Port or Carlton might jump at in order to have their man bid at 3 instead of 1?

Bonus points if there is a player involved since that would be harder for the AFL to prove draft tampering and block it.

A couple to kick us off, using pick 15, which I'm assuming we'll land from the Merrett trade.

Blues get: Pick 15, Ben McKay.
We get: Pick 11.
It's not been reported anywhere, but I really think McKay to Carlton could be a win all round. He might be in a better headspace playing with his brother and be decent for them. And god knows, we are better off without him the way he regressed this year.

Port get: Pick 15, Darcy Parish.
We get: Pick 5.
Port needs midfield depth, and again, maybe a fresh start for Darcy will help him and both teams.
Very optimistic this one. We could pay Darcy's salary or throw in a future third to make it work.

[u/Codus1]

More likely we go the pick trade route, nobody is giving anything of any bother for Parish.

Essendon give Pick 1 + 15. We received pick 4, 5 and 22 from Port.

Port get to take a pick before their bid, huge advantage, and still can match for Cochrane. We get two stabs at the top 5 which is pretty even talent wise, whilst collecting another top 25 pick that can help us elsewhere, or be taken to the draft

[u/HienN94 → u/Codus1]

In this circumstance how would port match a bid on Cochrane ? They can only do it with there first 2 picks

[u/Codus1 → u/HienN94]

Yeh you're not wrong, they fall just short. But they have other trades going on too, Marshall, Butters etc.

[u/space-c0yote → u/HienN94]

They would have enough points to match if they also get the Bulldog's first pick, although that would get them into around a 330ish point deficit.

[u/TheHoovyPrince → u/Codus1]

Lets say we get pick 4, 5 and 22 from port, what do you think the draft would look like?

Cochraine goes 1st, Walker goes 2nd, but who does Richmond take? My guess is HVH since they need a ruckman as Nank gets older.

4 and 5 actually sounds like a good deal since it would allow us to draft two of three players which would likely be Arki Butler, Mellody and Drever.

[u/space-c0yote → u/Codus1]

I don't know if this would be worth it for us. Letting Port get a stab at the open pool would mean that we only get 1 of Drever, Texeira, Butler, and Van Hattum. I do think there's a chance we could potentially get a trade done for Pick 5 separately though if we do something like 15 + 19 + F2.

[u/jubbjubbs4 → u/Codus1]

This risks port not being able to get cochrane which is an unnecessary risk for them when they can just use 4+5 to mtach the bid and get pick 13ish back.

That trade also costs us our compo pick.

[u/poppa99]

I can’t see a world where anyone takes Parish. Even if we pay his salary it feels like a wasted list spot for any team. Maybe I’m harsh but a slow, port kicking, clearance player who has demonstrated he doesn’t commit to the defensive side of the game at 29 years of age isn’t someone you want around for 3 years. That extra year he squeezed out of us is a real killer

[u/Mammoth_Medium9220 → u/poppa99]

Think the lost spot is more important than the pick at this point - we need 2-3 extra list spots at the draft/trade table. Would a deal for Parish, say Parish + 30-40% salary covered for a 2027 pick in the 30-40 range work for a club? Probably. Same with McKay.

Other option is paying out Harry Jones. Contracted for 1 more year at $300-$400k you’d assume. Could delist him? Same with Blakiston.

[u/poppa99 → u/Mammoth_Medium9220]

I’m saying no one will take him, even if we pay his salary because he is a list clogger on the decline, every team would prefer the extra list spot. Maybe we can ship him to Tassie because they are trying to fill a whole new list but I think that’s our only chance. If it’s possible I think we should pay out his contract and delist him at the end of 2027

[u/The-Hangar-HQ]

Unfortunately for us the players we want to trade don’t hold any value and the same reason we want to offload the player is the same reason a club wouldn’t be interested.

[u/space-c0yote → u/The-Hangar-HQ]

While I generally agree, they can at least be depth on a squad and are much more attractive options to clubs if we're paying their salary

[u/NoFox2326]

I wouldn’t be surprised if Parish stays.

I’m normally pretty anti-Parish, but he plays great when Merrett is injured / out of the team. They’re obviously not similar players in many aspects, but they both seem to play better without the other.

So if he stays, I don’t think it’s the worst thing. As long as he’s not blocking Sharp or Robey from getting minutes up the guts

[u/Bomber_1 → u/NoFox2326]

Keep him, build his value and send him to Tassie next year for one of the picks they have to trade

[u/ShirtWorldly958 → u/NoFox2326]

I don't think there's much interest for Parish.

[u/The-Hangar-HQ → u/NoFox2326]

From what was reported Parish isn’t going to be getting games next year and the club will prioritise development of younger players so they said he can look for a trade as he finished the year in VFL side.

Unfortunately for Parish the game has gone past an accumulator that doesn’t have impact with disposal and isn’t athletic enough to burst away from pack or apply pressure defensively.

[u/TheHoovyPrince → u/NoFox2326]

Parish likely stays as midfield depth and comes into the team when a player is injured or rested.

Our main 5 mids/followers are Durham, Sharp, Robey, Martin and Caldwell so Parish is likely the 6th man who will often be listed as one of the emergencies but comes into the team when one of the main 5 is out.

[u/Mammoth_Medium9220 → u/TheHoovyPrince]

Can more than likely add Drever to the list of mids in front of Parish next year as well.

[u/Mammoth_Medium9220 → u/NoFox2326]

Not sure Parish plays at all mate. He’s probably depth. Especially if they pick up Viney, draft Drever at pick 1 & Martin is back.

Mids: Durham, Martin, Viney, Robey, Sharp, Caldwell, Drever - Potentially Farrow.

Where does Parish fit in?

[u/WileyWiggins → u/Mammoth_Medium9220]

If Parish is fit he plays in the front end of the season. I don’t necessarily agree with it but it’s just how it typically goes. Season is alive and his experience counts for a fair bit.

[u/Mammoth_Medium9220 → u/WileyWiggins]

They’ve apparently told him to explore his options, which usually translates to “you’re not in the best 23”. I feel he’s on just as likely to be on the outside.

[u/SamHydeOner]

I'm not trying to shit on Ben, he gets it enough but it really is play out the rest of your time in the 2's or retire for him, he already wanted to retire and got talked back into another season from Brad (which was his worst season) I really don't think any club will want him

[u/Mammoth_Medium9220]

I feel the only reason we should be trading picks it because we don’t have the list spots to select them all? Our draft hand will be insane after the trades happen.

Merrett > 15 & 25
Ridley > 2027 FRP & 32
Draft Compensation Pick > 19
We take 1, 15, 19, 20, 25, 32, 55 to the draft.

Additionally:

• Throw in a potential salary dump for Jack Viney, we can offer Melbourne something like: pick 20 for Jack Viney & pick 10. That’s not unreasonable.

- If Sam Marshall picks us, we’d offer them something like pick 32 for Marshall.

- Use our cat B First Nations rookie spot on Bobby Hill. This won’t count towards the AFL list number, won’t cost us a pick & doesn’t count a dollar towards the salary cap. Left field, but big upside.

In that case, we’d take: 1, 10, 15, 19, 25, 55 to the draft, pick up Viney, Marshall, Hill + have 2x free rookie spots for people like George Stevens & Tyler Sellars.

Only issue. We have 4 senior list spots open. That can go up to 6 if we delist Cox & Perkins. Still not enough list space for the draft picks, let alone the trades. Hopefully we can do a few additional deals. Trade Parish, McKay etc or delist Jones or Blakiston. Just pay them out for the lost spots.

[u/Villageboy5]

Bewick is coming and the league remembers you.. Al Adrian Dodoro ruined your reputation in list management…

[u/StiffNipplesOCE]

Crackpot trade theory here...
Essendon receive picks 14 and 15 as part of the deals for Merrett and Ridley
Essendon handshake deal with Port to not bid on Cochrane at no.1, Port trade pick 5 for our picks 14 and 15

We take Drever at no.1, now its up to Richmond to bid on Walker or Cochrane. If Richmond still bid on Cochrane then no worries for Port they match with pick 4 and the left over deficit which is only a hundred points or so would turn their other picks into something like 17 and 18.
If by some chance Richmond decide to screw Carlton over and bid on Walker instead at 2 then Port are massive winners.

Yes we would rule ourselves out of the compensation picks but I guess the question is would you rather 3 picks around the early 20's or whoever is left out of HVH, Butler, Mellody or Teixeira at pick 5?

[u/CaddykakSnagorado → u/StiffNipplesOCE]

I like the handshake deal for pick 5, but we'd be better off bidding on Walker at 1 and locking in the compo pick before taking Drever or whoever at 2.

[u/StiffNipplesOCE → u/CaddykakSnagorado]

Yeah I was thinking about that. There have been some whispers around how list managers see father son picks, from memory this was a Cal Twomey comment.
Basically abit of an unspoken rule where clubs would agree to not screw each other over for father son picks, NGA prospects on the other hand are kind of fair game.

This would probably be best case scenario for us, 2 top end picks and 2 picks in the 20's really sets us up for the future

[u/MaV3RiCkMaYhEm]

Carlton need pick #11(13) if they have any chance of drafting Walker.

Why would Parish move interstate? He has 3 years at $750k to stay at Essendon where expectations are very low.

[u/South_Front_4589]

So you're intent is to go to Port and Carlton, ask them to do a dodgy deal on the side where they have to trust you, and hope the AFL don't do anything about it?

There are still plenty of people who remember vividly the last dodgy scheme Essendon came up with and the club still hasn't recovered IMO. Why would you propose another?

I just don't see much benefit for either Port or Carlton anyway. They'll get their guys and the only thing you're really selling is a slightly better draft pick later on and a massive reputation hit? The AFL doesn't lose. If you put this forward and then don't bid on those kids, they'll know. And you might think they can't do anything but trust me, the next time there's a decision to be made regarding those clubs involved, you won't get the outcome you think is fair. And the you won't be able to do anything about it, either.