Trade talk: Could Bombers give up ruckman to enhance draft hand?

With Essendon reportedly hitting rebuild mode, all priorities will turn to building on their young guns and stocking up for the club’s future.

After a run of missed opportunities at the draft, the Bombers have a significant opportunity to stockpile a collection of top-end picks for next season’s crop of elite talent.

Former AFL player Josh Jenkins devised a plan that the Bombers could deploy to accrue three top 10 picks, revolved around a potential exit of a fan favourite.

As rumours swarm over Sam Draper’s expiring contract situation, the ruckman is destined to land himself a handsome cheque, and with interest from South Australia, a return home could help to fast-track Essendon’s course to success.

Although all reports suggest the 26-year-old intends on staying put, could the Bombers make a ruthless play to further enhance their hand at the national draft?

“Last trade period, Essendon engaged in a pick swap with Melbourne,” Jenkins told SEN’s Crunch Time.

“Essendon are in possession of Melbourne’s first round pick for this year.

“Based on the current situation, that is going to be a very nice pick, and they will have their own first round draft pick of course.

“Sam Draper, he is a free agent. Adelaide are very keen on him.

“They have made a lot of noise, this would be one of the first examples where a club needs to say ‘we accept and really appreciate the fact that you want to stay, but we are going to get pick eight, as it currently stands, for you… sayonara (goodbye).

“We’d love you to stay, but the straight-up swap is pick eight for Sam Draper or pick six if Essendon fall further down the ladder.

“We need to trigger the Band 1 compensation, which I think Adelaide’s (predicted) contract offer would do.

“The challenge is for our competition; we are not yet ruthless enough to make these calls. We have not done it yet.

“North Melbourne made a lot of noise about ‘centre half-backs are hard to find, of course we wanted Ben McKay to stay.’

“But in the end, they got pick three for Ben McKay. You are making that trade every day of the week.

“If this is a trade, 100 people out of 100 people are making it. If Sam Draper is available for pick six or pick eight, 100 of people out of 100 are making that trade.

“They have got Nick Bryan, who looks to me to be a very competent ruckman. Not as good as Sam Draper, but competent, and he costs maybe 400-500 thousand dollars a year less.

“I can’t see a world where you don’t allow Sam Draper, perhaps even coerce Sam Draper to go and take that deal at Adelaide and end up with three picks inside the top 10, potentially three in the top eight, which is desperately what Essendon need.

“That is an opportunity to catapult your next five years with three young stars.”

Sam Draper and the Bombers have a bye in Round 4 before taking on the Demons in Gather Round.