Power tipped to lure Watts
PORT Adelaide expects contracted Melbourne key position player Jack Watts to join the rush to the Power this week but there is one uncertainty — the Demons’ asking price.
Port Adelaide — even after the free-agency gains on Brisbane midfielder Tom Rockliff and Geelong midfielder-forward Steven Motlop — can absorb Watts in its oncequestioned salary cap.
This is despite Watts, 26, carrying two years on his current contract at Melbourne.
The external expectation is the Power will have to offer a second-round draft pick to se- cure the 2008 No. 1 draftee. Port Adelaide has two secondround calls (Nos. 32 and 34 from Jarman Impey’s trade to Hawthorn) — but no firstround call at next month’s AFL national draft in Sydney.
Watts has three suitors — Port Adelaide, Sydney and Geelong.
The Cats’ claim last week that they could not close a deal for Watts might change by the No. 19 compensation draft pick Geelong was controversially handed at the weekend for conceding Motlop, a restricted free agent. The Cats also have no first-round draft pick next month, but they do have picks Nos. 19, 22 and 35 between the end of the first and second rounds.
Port Adelaide list manager Jason Cripps and Melbourne football chief Josh Mahoney — once clubmates at Alberton — did not meet at the start of trade talks at Etihad Stadium last Monday.
Cripps felt there was no need to put in place a trade until Watts made his call.
This did not change at the weekend when Watts was in Adelaide for teammate Bernie Vince’s wedding with increased speculation that he already has settled on the Power as his new club.
Port Adelaide’s trade talks yesterday turned to Brisbane with the Lions moving on contracted Power ruckman Matthew Lobbe.
So far, the Power has drawn in two players (Rockliff and Motlop) and ushered out four: Free-agent utility Jackson Trengove (Western Bulldogs), contracted forward Jarman Impey (Hawthorn) and retired pair Angus Monfries and Nathan Krakouer.
It has Watts as the third target of its trade strategy that was based on strengthening the Power’s midfield and adding scoreboard options around key forward Charlie Dixon.
There are three players still on the trade table — Lobbe (Brisbane), specialist forward Aaron Young (Gold Coast) and midfielder Brendon Ah Chee (West Coast).
The trade period closes at 1.30pm Thursday.