Latest Richmond trade news - Thursdays papers

[One-eyed Tiger]

Brown gives ultimatum
16 October 2003 Herald Sun
Mark Robinson and Mark Stevens

NATHAN Brown has turned the screws on his former club, the Western Bulldogs, telling them: trade me to Richmond or I will go into the pre-season draft.

It almost certainly means the Doggies will be forced to deal or lose Brown to either Carlton, Melbourne or the Tigers for nothing.

The Tigers believe they would snare Brown with their No. 4 selection in the pre-season draft, fuelling speculation yesterday they were cooking deals with the Blues and Demons to overlook him in December.

"If he goes into the pre-season draft, I'm 99 per cent he'll get through to us," Tigers football director Greg Miller said yesterday.

It's believed, however, Carlton would pounce on Brown with its No. 2 selection if he was available. In a saga bordering Dean Solomon proportions, Brown, 25, is angry the Bulldogs are still trying to shuffle him to Hawthorn in a deal for Jade Rawlings.

The Hawks yesterday were told by Brown's management he was not interested in going to Glenferrie Oval.

On Monday, the Tigers offered the Western Bulldogs their first and second-round draft selections (No. 6 and No. 21), but the Dogs refused to budge.

"They're trying to get Brown to Hawthorn and Rawlings to them, it won't happen," Miller said.

"They've got to come to terms with the great offer I gave them or it's going to get worse.

"He'll go into the pre-season, he'll do that, he'll definitely do it.

"We've made a very good offer, very good. But when it gets closer to the moment, we've got an opportunity to get him for nothing."

The Bulldogs meanwhile remain furious at the Tigers' offer of No. 6 and No. 21.

Asked if he thought Brown would still end up at Punt Rd, Bulldogs football operations manager Stephen Newport said: "No. The way things are at the moment, I can't see that happening.

"We've got to agree to the deal and what's on the table, we're not going to agree to that.

"We're playing hardball. We're certainly not caving in to Richmond.

"If you asked anybody in football if those picks were adequate compensation for Brown, you'd be hard pressed to find anybody to say yes."

Newport said the club now had "something in mind" in the knowledge the Tigers were now attempting to snare Brown for nothing in December.

"We'll see how it unfolds," Newport said.

The Dogs' theory on the Brown trade is simple: Give us a quality player for a quality player.

And they believe they can still strike a deal before tomorrow's 2pm deadline that would land Jade Rawlings at Whitten Oval, although that appears extremely unlikely.

"We're still trying to get him. We have first pick in the pre-season draft, but we'd like to get him now," Newport said.

If Brown does land in the pre-season draft, Carlton, if it has signed Nick Stevens, has the money to also add Brown to its list.

The Blues confirmed yesterday they had not spoken to Richmond about Brown.

"We'll do what's best for Carlton," recruiting manager Shane O'Sullivan said. "We don't know who's going to be there."

IN keeping with the Croad homecoming theme, Corey McKernan looks certain to return to Kangaroos.

The Roos may give up a third-round draft pick to take him from the Blues.

And a deal could still be struck between St Kilda and Heath Black to send the former Fremantle Docker back to where he started.

[One-eyed Tiger]

Port, Blues close to deal
By Stephen Rielly, Jake Niall
The Age October 16, 2003

Port Adelaide and Carlton have all but agreed to a deal for Nick Stevens which, for the moment, is being resisted by the midfielder. Stevens is insisting on more time for Collingwood to produce an offer that will carry the day.

It is understood that Carlton has agreed to part with its priority pick in the national draft, No. 2, and a player to claim Stevens, a deal Port has indicated it will accept. The Carlton player is believed to be defender Simon Beaumont, who, given his reluctance to leave Victoria, could be on-traded.

Yesterday, Collingwood again refused interest from Port in Alan Didak and Simon Prestigiacomo as part of any Nick Stevens trade.

Port is interested in offering a player and the Carlton pick from the Stevens deal to the Western Bulldogs for their first draft selection, which would give them access to South Australian teenager Adam Cooney.

The Bulldogs, seemingly having lost out on Jade Rawlings, are expected to return to Richmond's offer of its first two picks, 6 and 21, for Nathan Brown.

After losing out on Dean Solomon, Richmond threatened to try to push Brown into the pre-season draft and leave the Dogs empty-handed. Brown, through his manager Jim Pana, has also suggested as much unless a deal is struck with Richmond.

[One-eyed Tiger]

Croad set for return to Hawthorn
By Jake Niall, Stephen Rielly
October 16, 2003

Trent Croad is set to return to Glenferrie.

The Hawks are also working hard to secure another tall defender, Essendon's Mark Bolton, in what would become their compensation for the loss of Jade Rawlings to the Kangaroos.

The Roos and Hawks have virtually agreed on their sides of the bargain - the Roos would part with their first and second draft choices for Rawlings - but Essendon is understood to be holding back on dealing Bolton.

Under the proposed trade, the Dons would receive the Roos' first two picks (9 and 24).

The Hawks are close to a deal that will send Daniel Harford and Brett Johnson to Carlton in exchange for a fourth-round pick; Harford's contract - which Hawthorn would pay part of - remains the only obstacle.

While several key deals made progress, there was little movement in the dealings between Richmond and the Western Bulldogs over Nathan Brown.

The Tigers have threatened to try to push Brown through to the pre-season draft, an outcome that would leave the Dogs empty-handed. Brown's manager Jim Pana has told the Dogs that his client is prepared to run the pre-season draft gauntlet unless a deal is struck with Richmond, which had offered its first two selections in the draft (6 and 21).

Port Adelaide and Carlton have all but agreed to a deal for Nick Stevens which, for the moment, is being resisted by Stevens, who is insisting on more time for Collingwood to produce an offer that will carry the day.

It is understood that Carlton has agreed to part with its priority pick in the national draft, selection two overall, and a player to claim Stevens, a deal Port will accept. The Carlton player is believed to be defender Simon Beaumont, who, given his reluctance to leave Victoria, may be on-traded in another deal.

Port are interested in offering a player and the Carlton pick from the Stevens deal to the Western Bulldogs for their first selection in the draft, which would give them access to standout South Australian teenager Adam Cooney.

Croad is only one of the players earmarked for returns to their original club. Heath Black may return to Fremantle, with the Dockers giving up their first choice to the Saints (pick 12).

Yesterday, Collingwood again refused interest from Port in Alan Didak and Simon Prestigiacomo. Heath Scotland is keen to continue his career at Carlton, although getting to Optus Oval will be difficult because Carlton is not allowed to be involved in three-way trades involving picks in the first two rounds.

Ray Hall, who was for several days the maligned offering in Richmond's bids to clinch deals for Dean Solomon and Nathan Brown, is being courted by Geelong and Sydney. Should he make his way to Geelong, the Cats are likely to agree to release Cameron Mooney to St Kilda for a third-round draft pick.

The Saints last night agreed to trade their second-round pick to Brisbane for Lion Jason Gram.

Geelong is also a strong chance to pick up David Haynes, a former Geelong Falcon, from West Coast in a swap for a second or third-round draft pick.

David Clarke is likely to switch from Geelong to Carlton for a third-round pick.