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.