A priority to gain draft picks inside the top-30, and address an area of needs on the list, was behind the Bulldogs’ trade period moves says List Manager Jason McCartney.
Welcoming All Australian forward Travis Cloke from Collingwood, the Bulldogs were also able to enhance their draft position in the exchange for departing players Joel Hamling, Koby Stevens and Nathan Hrovat.
“The assessment from the recruiting team…was to try and get a couple of picks inside the [top] 30, based on the assessment of the talent pool,” List Manager Jason McCartney told westernbulldogs.com.au.
The Bulldogs will take three picks inside the top 50, but more importantly, two picks inside the top-30 to the 2016 NAB AFL Draft next month.
Joel Hamling’s decision to return home to Western Australia sparked the trade that helped the Bulldogs to a second top-30 pick.
The Dogs were able to on-trade pick 35 - which they received for Hamling from Fremantle - along with a third round selection to the Gold Coast Suns, for pick 26.
Hrovat and Stevens were the only other Bulldogs to look for new homes during the trade period.
“We were trying to do the best thing by the Club, but also try and look after those guys, because they were in a situation where they were looking for opportunities but we were not in a position to contract them,” McCartney said.
“The reason around that is that we have to go to the draft with three picks every year.”
“It was difficult to identify who was going off this year.”
Stevens played 12 games, while Hrovat only had four senior outings in 2016.
“We were trying to find ways, knowing that we weren’t going to use a lot picks, how do we get some value from them,” McCartney said.
“I think every club encountered some challenges, with some of those types of players [such as Hrovat and Stevens] who we definitely think have got value in the AFL system, but there wasn’t a strong market.
“Clubs weren’t prepared to give up too much for those types of players, and we saw that today with some very late picks going for players who you think can have reasonable AFL careers.”
The Bulldogs gained pick 50 from St Kilda in return for Stevens and pick 61, along with swapping the Dogs’ future fourth round selection for the Saints' fifth round selection.
Hrovat was exchanged to North Melbourne, in return for a swap of their future third and fourth round selections, with the Bulldogs banking on a 'pick slide' based on predictions of where their ladder position will be in 2017 relative to the Kangaroos.
Meanwhile, the much-discussed move of Travis Cloke to the Kennel ensured the Club added depth in the key forward ranks.
“Our key forward stocks, when you lock at our list profile, we haven’t got a lot in that area of the ground.
“We have Tommy Boyd, who’s now playing a bit more in the ruck, supported by Roughy.
“But with Jack Redpath going down last year, [he’ll be back] mid to later stages of the year, we just need some more support in that area.”
The Western Bulldogs will head to the 2016 NAB AFL Draft in Sydney on Friday 25 November with selections 18, 26, 50, 75 and 80 overall.
