Senior AFL clubs clear the decks - The Canberra Times (ACT : 1926 - 1995) - 5 Nov 1992 (original) (raw)
Thu 5 Nov 1992 - The Canberra Times (ACT : 1926 - 1995)
Page 29 - Senior AFL clubs clear the decks
Senior AFL clubs
clear the decks
MELBOURNE: A North
Melbourne clean-out and the
axing of a former Brownlow
medallist were the shocks yes-
terday as AFL clubs declared
their senior lists before next
Wednesday's national player
draft.
Struggling North dumped or trad-
ed 14 players while Collingwood
gave 1985 Brownlow medallist Brad
Hardie his marching orders from a
third league club.
In other highlights:
Carlton de-listed two former pre-
miership players, dumping 158-
gamer Paul Meldrum and trading
defender Ian Aitkcn to St Kilda
for the Saints' fourth-round
choice in the draft.
Disgruntled Sydney rover Barry Mit-
chell is still on the Swans list after
a swap with classy St Kilda de-
fender David Grant was rejected.
Adelaide axed veterans Darrel Hart
and David Marshall while pre-
miers West Coast Eagles lost
patience with injury-plagued ruck-
man Laurie Keene.
Footscray cleared ruck-rover Darren
Baxter and the versatile Adrian
Campbell to Hawthorn and Mel-
bourne respectively.
Brad Hardie Help
Brad Hardie
North Melbourne, arguably the
most disappointing team in the com-
petition, de-listed 14 senior players.
Quality players like John McCarthy,
Paul Spargo, Darren Steele and Jeff
Chandler were among those either
dropped or traded.
The Roos had only 38 players on
their books yesterday but will pick
up former Fitzroy winger John Blak-
cy and Eagle Dean Laidley over
summer.
The controversial career of Brad
Hardie took another turn when he
found himself one of 12 players de-
listed by the Magpies.
The 30-year-old former Western
Australian played only two games
with Collingwood this year after
transferring from Brisbane. His fu-
ture is now uncertain although he
looks certain to stay in Victoria.
Days of frantic trading came to an
end at 2pm yesterday when clubs had
to submit their lists to the AFL.
A late Essendon attempt to lure
Fitzroy full-forward Richard Os-
borne was nipped in the bud while
Sydney defender Ben Doolan reject-
ed interest from the Bombers.
Wednesday's draft is shaping up as
one of the best yet after several quali-
ty players were left off lists yesterday.
Dumped Blues defender Steven
Da Rui, former Melbourne utility
Simon Eishold, former St Kilda tag-
ger Stephen Newport and former
Sydney duo Jason Love and Terry
Thripp are just some of those on the
market.
Champion South Australian play-
er Greg Anderson was on both Ade-
laide and Essendon's senior lists last
night but will play with the Crows in
1993 after his Bombers contract ex-
pires at the end of next month.