Archives

SEE ARCHIVES FOR MORE LINKS & LEADERS

2004 DRAFT - page 2

Saints make late call on Fiora
. . . The Saints had contemplated sending the out-of-contract Black through to the pre-season draft to try his luck, but decided to take a crack at rejuvenating the career of the under-achieving Fiora. It was good news for the Dockers, who won compensation for Simmonds rather than losing him to the Tigers in the pre-season draft. "We didn't want to make asses of ourselves with Fremantle. They were very professional with the way they handled us all week and we respected that," St Kilda coach Grant Thomas said . . . "He's very keen," Thomas said. "He's told us if he had to leave Richmond he couldn't have a better option to fall into. We didn't get the best out of Heath Black and I'm sure we'll get the best out of Aaron Fiora."
The Article - Mark Stevens and Damian Barrett - HeraldSun - 09Oct04
Clubs leave trades to last minute - Emma Quayle - TheAge - 09Oct04
Callaghan, Moyle, Wulf, Stone, Houlihan, Peckett - saintsational

Saints make late call on Fiora
. . . The Saints had contemplated sending the out-of-contract Black through to the pre-season draft to try his luck, but decided to take a crack at rejuvenating the career of the under-achieving Fiora. It was good news for the Dockers, who won compensation for Simmonds rather than losing him to the Tigers in the pre-season draft. "We didn't want to make asses of ourselves with Fremantle. They were very professional with the way they handled us all week and we respected that," St Kilda coach Grant Thomas said . . . "He's very keen," Thomas said. "He's told us if he had to leave Richmond he couldn't have a better option to fall into. We didn't get the best out of Heath Black and I'm sure we'll get the best out of Aaron Fiora."
The Article - Mark Stevens and Damian Barrett - HeraldSun - 09Oct04

Fiora now Saint
St Kilda has secured Richmond midfielder Aaron Fiora in a three-way deal which also involved Fremantle. The exchange, signed on Friday, the last day of the AFL trading period, sees the Saints give up Heath Black to the Dockers. Completing the trade is the movement of Troy Simmonds from Fremantle to Richmond. The 23-year-old left-footer, the number three selection in the 1999 National AFL Draft, has played 78 games for Richmond. He received a National AFL Rising Star nomination in 2001.
The Article - Sportal - saints.com.au - 08Oct04
2004 Trade Summary - Sportal - afl.com.au - 08Oct04
Fiora for Black??? - saintsational

How all of the clubs fared in the AFL trades
RICHMOND
In: Troy Simmonds from Fremantle, picks 12 and 16
Out: Brad Ottens to Geelong, Aaron Fiora to St Kilda
Wanted a single-figure pick in the Ottens trade but had to make do with two late first-rounders. Four first-round picks, plus the top pick in the pre-season draft lays foundations for the Wallace era. Simmonds next best big-man to Ottens. Lost patience with the talented but inconsistent Fiora.
ST KILDA
In: Aaron Fiora from Richmond
Out: Heath Black to Fremantle
Straight like-for-like trade a decent result. Grant Thomas believes there is still upside in Fiora who will replace Black as the quick goalkicking wingman. Still no immediate answer to the ruck question-mark. Many Saints fans will be thankful the Whitnall trade did not come off . . .
The full list - HeraldSun - 09Oct04

Black happy to go back
You look at Fremantle's list and with the up and coming players they've got, there is no reason why the Fremantle Footy Club can't win a premiership. I'm just happy to be a part of that young group," Black said after the deal was signed on Friday. "The three years I've had (at St Kilda) have, I suppose, been a bit up and down, but to be in the leadership group this year and to have a consistent year footy-wise, it was an extremely tough decision to make. (It) was fantastic, obviously with the success we had this year."
The Article - Sportal - 10Oct04

Black bound for Freo
This time last year, Heath Black provided the hard-luck story of the trade week, missing out on a move back to his first club, Fremantle, when the Dockers' deal with St Kilda did not meet the deadline. Yesterday, an unfussed Black was "cruising around the shopping centre doing my own thing" when news came through that he would, again, get to wear a purple guernsey. Black, 25, will take his young family back to Perth, where he had played 69 games before crossing to Moorabbin three years ago, while Richmond flanker Aaron Fiora becomes a Saint and Fremantle ruckman Troy Simmonds moves to Tigerland. Black was, he said, less sure he wanted to leave St Kilda this year than at the end of last year. There was a temptation, he said, to stick around and see if the Saints could get a flag; that said, the Dockers had promise, too. But it was for his wife, Sam, and two young children that Black needed to get out. "The thing I want to stress to everyone is that family was far more important than any success at St Kilda. It was a necessity to get back to Perth," he said.
The Article - Emma Quayle - TheAge - 09Oct04

Saints give up on Whitnall
St Kilda coach Grant Thomas last night said he had not spoken with Whitnall or Carlton since meeting the out-of-favour 25-year-old on Monday night. "Based on that, the chances of him coming here are extremely thin," Thomas said. "All we did on Monday night was sit down, have a talk and see where he was at. It was more media momentum than anything." Whitnall, who met Thomas and former Blues teammate Aaron Hamill at the start of trade week, was understood to be keen to make a fresh start at Moorabbin. But his pay packet -- believed to be about $500,000 a season -- has been a major sticking point with rival clubs.
The Article - Mark Stevens - HeraldSun - 09Oct04

Dons too slow in draft
Essendon emerged yesterday as the big loser at the conclusion of the AFL's annual five-day player exchange period after the Bombers failed to successfully negotiate any trades. An 11th-hour bid to hijack the Western Bulldogs with an attempted trade of Scott West amounted to nothing. And the Bombers could not even land a small fish when paperwork for Richmond's Ty Zantuck was not completed in time to beat the 2pm deadline.
The Article - Greg Denham - TheAustralian - 09Oct04

Moran Flies In AFL Test at Draft Camp
Recent convert to the AFL game Brad Moran from Southport in Queensland this week set a new benchmark for the AFL speed test with a flying 2.78 second record for the 20 metre speed test as the AFL's screening of talent continued around Australia. Moran only picked up on AFL football 12 months ago after his family shifted to Queensland from Stratford in England in search of a warmer climate with a strong sporting culture. With a soccer, rugby union and rowing background the 200cm Moran has made rapid progress in AFL representing Queensland in the National Bank's AFL Under 18 Championships this year and last month won Best on the Ground honours for Southport at Reserve level in the AFL Queensland grand final. The time of 2.78 seconds for 20 metres surpassed the previous best 2.79 second record held by Western Bulldogs Steven Koops (1995) and young Sturt midfielder Danyle Pearce who equalled the long standing record at the National Bank's AFL Draft Camp last week.
The Article - Kevin Sheehan - afl.com.au - 09Oct04

Matt Rendell Chat Transcript
lovin_luke_ball: Hey Matt, is Heath Black going to Freo and, if he is, what are we getting for him?
Matt Rendell: We don't know what is happening at the moment ... most clubs are tied up with the Ottens' deal. It's been a very slow day!
kickz101: Hey Matty, what's the latest on Lance Whitnall?
Matt Rendell: Nothing to report at this stage ... we've spoken to him a couple of days ago and nothing has happened since then.
st-cat: Is there any reason why we don't seem to be trying to do a deal for Simmonds?
Matt Rendell: We offered Freo Black for Simmonds and they knocked us back . . .
The Article - saints.com.au - 06Oct04

CONTRACTS St Kilda Players
Now we will see Bevo's true value - Saintsational

Saints in bid for Whitnall
In the first big surprise of the trading period, St Kilda has made a play for Carlton centre half-forward Lance Whitnall, who has expressed interest in joining friend and former teammate Aaron Hamill at Moorabbin. Whitnall met with St Kilda coach Grant Thomas on Monday night, while the Blues yesterday requested St Kilda's first two draft choices, No. 17 and 33, in any exchange for the talented, but struggling, key forward . . . The Saints' tight salary cap is likely to ease slightly by the trading of Heath Black, who was paid in excess of $300,000 this year, back to Fremantle.
The Article - Jake Niall, Stephen Rielly - TheAge - 06Oct04
The truth about Lance - saintsational
Whitnall to the Saints - saintsational
Whitnall set for Saints - FoxSports - 06Oct04
Whitnall's keen to join St Kilda - Mark Robinson - HeraldSun - 06Oct04

HOME l GO BACK