Cats in seven heaven
Bowes deal to give Geelong earliest pick since 2006
GEELONG has plans to take a top-end talent at the draft with the pick seven it will acquire from Gold Coast as part of the Jack Bowes deal.
The Cats hit the trade period jackpot on Wednesday when Bowes chose Geelong over Hawthorn, Essendon and St Kilda to continue his career next season.
Geelong want Bowes, 24, to push for an inside midfield berth as part of plans to replenish the engine room following Joel Selwood’s retirement.
But there is a significant sweetener in the two-for-one deal with the Suns set to hand over pick seven if, as expected, the Cats absorb Bowes’ $800,000 a year salary for 2023-24.
Geelong plans to hold on to the prized draft pick which will allow the club to take its earliest selection in the draft since Selwood at pick seven in 2006.
The Cats are eyeing Geelong Falcons’ hard nut midfielder Jhye Clark with the choice, if the Queenscliff product is not already taken earlier in the order.
It looms as a bumper trade period for the Cats who are also in talks with Collingwood over forward Ollie Henry and GWS for midfielder Tanner Bruhn. The club is also keen on ex-Essendon speedster Conor McKenna.
Geelong would be one of the major winners from the trade period if it can effectively pull off moves for four firstround talents plus McKenna on the back of a premiership.
Bruhn (pick 12) and Henry (pick 17) were both taken in the top-20 of the 2020 national draft, while Bowes was snared by the Suns with pick 10 in 2014.
Bowes was restricted to only five games this year because of a serious shoulder injury but drew strong interest from the Cats’ list boss Andrew Mackie months ago.
Geelong was eager to add more talent into its midfield mix for next season with Selwood hanging up the boots and Patrick Dangerfield a chance to spend more time forward.
Bowes met with Geelong on Tuesday morning and Essendon Wednesday afternoon but the controversy surrounding the resignation of the Bombers’ new chief executive Andrew Thorburn is unlikely to have helped Essendon’s cause.
Geelong will ramp up talks with Gold Coast on the Bowes’ trade deal which could cost them a future second-round pick to clinch the trade.
Smart management of the Cats’ salary cap means the reigning premier has significant salary cap room after missing out on the signature of GWS midfielder Jacob Hopper and moving on from Collingwood ruckman Brodie Grundy.
The Suns are keen to add picks in next year’s draft, but had to off-load Bowes as part of a massive salary dump to recalibrate their books.