Bulldogs' Giant punt
The Western Bulldogs have taken a $7 million punt on unproven key forward Tom Boyd - who has played just nine games and kicked eight goals - after a stunning backflip from Greater Western Sydney yesterday.
On a dramatic day of trading when 11 players switched between eight clubs, the spotlight was on the Bulldogs, who gave up their captain Ryan Griffen and pick No.6 to secure Boyd on a seven-year deal.
The Giants agreed to release 19-year-old Boyd - who was contracted for 2015 - a day after declaring him off limits. After the day's trading, GWS now have picks four, six and seven in next month's national draft and could secure the No.1 pick for the fourth year in a row today.
Boyd's lucrative deal comes a year after superstar Lance Franklin was prised out of Hawthorn by a nine-year, $10 million contract offer from Sydney.
Franklin, a two-times premiership player with 204 games and 659 goals to his name, is widely regarded as the second-best player in the AFL, behind Gold Coast skipper Gary Ablett.
Despite Boyd's promise, he remains unproven. To sweeten the deal for the Giants, the Bulldogs will pay nearly $1 million of Griffen's four-year contract.
Giants chief executive David Matthews said Boyd's position had become untenable as the players no longer wanted him.
Matthews said Giants coach Leon Cameron had consulted the leadership group about Boyd's intentions.
"We are proud to represent western Sydney and Canberra and it's critical that our players share that value," Matthews said.
"Clearly Tom doesn't and the best course of action is for him to leave the club."
The Giants also traded Kristian Jaksch, Mark Whiley and pick 19 to Carlton for pick seven, having previously recruited Brisbane defender Joel Patfull.
Matthews said the club was ready to make further moves before today's 11am deadline to either improve its draft position or recruit another experienced player.
St Kilda are prepared to trade their No.1 draft pick and have already knocked back four offers which weren't strong enough.
The Saints are also determined to get as many first-round selections as possible and yesterday traded athletic forward Rhys Stanley to Geelong for pick 21.
St Kilda list manager Ameet Bains confirmed the Saints received a couple of enticing offers yesterday and expected more this morning.
"Neither of those were attractive enough to do something," Bains said. "(The club was) not very close (to agreeing to a trade)."
Bains said the Saints were keeping an open mind but, given the talent on offer in the draft, it would need to be a "very compelling" offer.
Saints head of football Chris Pelchen tipped there would be a "bidding frenzy" for the No.1 pick in the final hours of the trade period.
"I'd say the interest is growing," Pelchen told radio station SEN yesterday.
Geelong, Melbourne and Collingwood completed a deal in which Mitch Clark joined the Cats, Travis Varcoe became a Magpie and Heritier Lumumba switched to Melbourne.
Clark hasn't played since round four in 2013 due to a foot injury and depression.
Cats football manager Neil Balme admitted the club had taken a risk but knew Clark could be a key recruit.
Brisbane were big trade winners after finalising a deal for Collingwood's Dayne Beams.
The Lions gave Collingwood picks five, 25 and Jack Crisp, then received pick 67.
The Lions lost five players just weeks after sacking coach Michael Voss in 2013, but they have now recruited Beams and Geelong's Allen Christensen.
"We have made a real effort to attract A-grade talent to our football club and with both Dayne and Allen coming on board this week I think we have been successful," Lions talent acquisition and retention manager Peter Schwab said.
Collingwood sent pick 25 to North Melbourne in exchange for Levi Greenwood.
Recruiting manager Derek Hine said adding Greenwood, Varcoe and Crisp while getting high draft picks gave the club a strong platform for the future.
·West Coast games record holder Dean Cox will continue his long association with the Eagles after signing on as the team's full-time ruck coach.
The 33-year-old, who retired this year after 290 AFL games, will also fill a marketing role.
·Richmond re-signed six players yesterday. Jake Batch-elor secured a two-year deal while Matt Dea, Ricky Petterd, Matt McDonough and Todd Elton got one-year contracts.
Former Port Adelaide midfielder Matt Thomas will also be back on the rookie list.
