Over the past two days Greater Western Sydney managed to trade its way into poll position for the 2012 AFL Draft. After a week and a half of the AFL Trade Period they now possess five first round draft picks- including the first three selections and they didn’t have to give up anything from their 2012 list.
How did this happen?
The AFL created a trade incentive scheme known as the mini draft, this scheme allows clubs to draft prospects who previously would not have been obtainable due to their age.
Players eligible for the mini draft are those born between January 1 and April 30, 1995.
At the start of the AFL Trade Period GWS held all the draft picks for this mini draft but are not permitted to use them. This forces GWS to trade them and gives them picks of real value to trade with other clubs.
The trades that have been done
Trade 1- Greater Western Sydney and Gold Coast
Greater Western Sydney Gave
Selection 1 in the mini draft and 2011 end of round 1 compensation pick
Gold Coast Gave
Pick 2, pick 63 and 2010 end of round one compensation pick
Why
For Greater Western Sydney the motive is obvious- they need to trade the mini draft selection and pick 2 will allow them to pick up one of the best AFL Draft Prospects in the land this year.
Gold Coast have indicated they will be selecting promising young ball winner Jack Martin, they like most clubs obviously rate Martin as a better talent than any player who could have been selected at number 2 in this years draft.
Trade 2- Greater Western Sydney and St Kilda
Greater Western Sydney Gave
Tom Lee, pick 24 and pick 43
St Kilda Gave
Pick 12
Why
The other trade incentive which was developed to assist GWS is the ability to trade players who are not currently on an AFL list but have been previously. In this case they used that ability to get Tom Lee to St Kilda, like the mini draft they are unable to list Lee themselves so obviously sought the most value and St Kilda came to the party with draft pick 12.
St Kilda gain a talented key forward from this arrangement and one who at 21 fills an obvious age gap in the list. Lee is capable of playing senior football next year and with the two later picks thrown in from GWS St Kilda haven’t lost too much to get him.
Trade 3- Greater Western Sydney and Melbourne
Greater Western Sydney Gave
Dominic Barry, selection 2 in the mini draft and pick 20 in the regular draft
Melbourne Gave
Pick 3 and pick 13
Why
Dominic Barry was a Northern Territory Zone selection for GWS and the opportunity to pick up two more picks in the first 13 selections would have been extremely enticing when the only true possession they needed to give up was pick 20.
Melbourne have already announced they will be picking up young key forward Jesse Hogan. The 195cm forward is an extremely promising prospect who has already been compared to Jonathan Brown, if that is even close to accurate Melbourne will be extremely happy with this trade for years to come.
The Wash Up
With plenty of time to run in the AFL Trade Period we know there are four extremely happy clubs to date but none more so than GWS who currently possess draft picks 1, 2, 3, 12, 13, 62, 63, 80, 98 and 116.
Amassing these draft picks wasn’t the intention of the trade incentive rules, they were designed to assist GWS in obtaining some mature talent from other clubs. GWS instead have opted for a long term strategy which ensures they have the best young talent from both last years and this years draft.
Tags: 2012 AFL Draft, 2012 AFL Trade Period, AFL Draft, Jack Martin, Jesse Hogan, Trade Week
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