NO GO ON JOE DEAL
Final trades day and Daniher looks like staying
JOE Daniher’s requested move to Sydney is practically dead in the water as the trade period lurches into its last day.
The Swans and Essendon are so far apart on a Daniher deal it would take an extraordinary change of principle from either team for the trade to go through by the 7.30pm deadline. It is understood Sydney’s No.5 pick has not been offered to Essendon in any potential deal, despite reports it has.
The Swans’ best offer is pick No.9, which they hope to secure for Tom Papley in a swap with Carlton, and its second-round pick No.25.
Essendon’s asking price is believed to be two first-round selections as well as a star such as Luke Parker, Nick Blakey or Isaac Heeney, which the Swans will not consider.
The Bombers point blank refuse to weaken their playing list by trading 25-year-old Daniher for draft picks.
Essendon chief executive Xavier Campbell, who is understood to have spoken to Daniher since his request for a trade, said yesterday the club was not “prepared to undermine” it’s list management.
“We understand and respect Joe’s position, but we are not prepared to undermine our list management strategy and will not be trading a player and person of Joe’s quality unless we are satisfied the club is not in a worse position,” Campbell said. “We don’t think that is an unreasonable position for the club to take with a contracted player.”
Today will be a watershed day for both the Swans and the Bombers. The Swans rarely fail to secure a targeted player and presumably have offered Daniher a long-term deal. But their commitment to the big forward would be seen as a huge embarrassment if they could not close a deal.
Essendon’s list build following the drugs supplement scandal has been co-ordinated by Campbell and Adrian Dodoro, the general manager of list and recruiting, and has centred around Daniher as the key forward. He was one of several players who helped entice Dylan Shiel to the club at the end of 2018.
They can’t now allow him to walk away fully fit with a year to run on his contract for a trade that weakens their chances of playing finals football next year.
Dodoro, the long-time Bombers deal maker, will be central to talks and will refuse to yield on Daniher unless the Swans come with a deal to “knock your socks off”. He believes that if they keep a fit Daniher and he produces next year, the club can sway him to sign a long-term contract.