Giants to profit from Dees’ work

GREATER Western Sydney is seriously considering using its first selection in November’s National Draft on Melbourne’s Sudanese Next Generation Academy player Mac Andrew in what is shaping as the Demons’ gift to the competition.

But the Giants could end up trading their No.2 overall pick to a rival to shuffle several spots back down the order if they’re confident they could still secure Andrew, with Richmond and Geelong chasing an early draft pick.

The Demons remain furious that they cannot pick 200cm ruck-forward Andrew despite a massive investment in a player rivals concede has only been fast-tracked because of Melbourne’s investment.

As an athletic tall who is still several years from emerging as a regular senior player, clubs believe he has the same repeat efforts and sparkling gifts that Melbourne big man Luke

Jackson has brought to the league.

The Dandenong Stingrays ruckman was born in Egypt to South Sudanese parents and before this year was not part of the Vic Country teams.

As part of new rule tweaks, clubs cannot match bids for NGA players if rivals bid on them within the first 20 selections of the draft, with that rule to be expanded to the first 40 selections next year. Jamarra Ugle-Hagan, who was an NGA product last year, was always going to be a star of the competition despite the Dogs’ support but rivals say the Demons’ work on Andrew since he was 14 has made him the player he will become.

GWS traded for Collingwood’s first-round pick last year and thought the selection could be about No.10.

Instead, the Giants pulled off one of the great trade heists to secure the No. 2 overall pick, which will shuffle to pick four after a pair of father-sons are taken off the board.