Geelong trades to be in running
GEELONG has poached ruckman Jon Ceglar from Hawthorn to help address its greatest on-field weakness and stay in the premiership mix.
Despite calls to invest in more youth, the Cats showed their unwillingness to deviate from its list strategy as it welcomed 30-year-old Ceglar in exchange for a future thirdround draft pick on Wednesday night.
But Essendon and Collingwood’s bids for Greater Western Sydney forward Bobby Hill failed when the Giants refused to trade him.
GWS list boss Jason McCartney said it never entertained his trade request to Tullamarine despite attempts to prise out Chad Wingard and Luke Breust from Hawthorn.
Rhys Stanley has been Geelong’s No.1 ruckman with mixed results, but Ceglar will attempt to take over that mantle over pre-season after signing a two-year deal.
The Hawks will also chip in a significant part of his salary, believed to be worth more than $100,000 a season.
The Cats also secured pick No.22 and a future third-round selection for Jordan Clark who will sign a four-year deal at Fremantle.
In addition, the Dockers secured a fourth-round pick at the end of drawn-out negotiations that went down to the wire on the final day.
Clark, 20, was contracted for next season, and list manager Stephen Wells maintained the club would only release him for either pick No.19 or 22 and a third-round choice from the Dockers.
Geelong lost tall Darcy Fort to Brisbane Lions and will pick up livewire forward Tyson Stengle as a delisted free agent.
Geelong is facing a delicate list management balance with the oldest squad in the competition but is determined to remain in contention. Ceglar will turn 31 in February.
The Cats will have four picks in the first two rounds of the draft with 22, 30, 32 and 34.
Geelong is expected to try to package up some of those picks to try to advance in the draft order.