Essendon champion Matthew Lloyd isn’t completely sold about his old club trading defender Jordan Ridley to Geelong for their current offer, which includes a 2027 first round pick, another late pick and fringe player Jack Bowes.
That 2027 first round pick could effectively land the Bombers the 30th best player in the draft, thanks to Tassie taking seven players off the board this year, plus having another handful of first-round picks in the draft itself, plus father-son and academy players tied elsewhere.
It will be the single most compromised draft in AFL history, making those future picks significantly less valuable, particularly given the Cats will finish higher up on the ladder in all likelihood.
“You’d love a top pick, but you know Geelong will finish high next year, they’ll finish top five again, and then that pick gets pushed back with academy and father-son … I’m sure they know what they’re doing in regards to what’s right or what’s not, but I think it’s pretty close,” Lloyd told 3AW.
Geelong great Jimmy Bartel agrees, saying those future firsts are not moving the needle.
“Even if that pick is 15, Tassie have already taken the best seven kids off the table,” Bartel said.
“You’ve taken the best players out of the draft. By the time we get to pick one, we’re already eight picks down. It’s basically a pick in the 20s.”
The Ridley trade is expected to happen today.
Despite his injury-interrupted run, Jordan Ridley finds himself with a number of suitors. AFL Photos