Swans, Giants save pick for Kurt

Elite, elite, elite. It seems every expert throws the E word at Whitfield.

GWS plans to pick Kurt Tippett in the pre-season draft. Source: Herald Sun

SYDNEY and Greater Western Sydney will both save a pre-season pick for Kurt Tippett.

Giants recruiting manager Steve Silvagni said uncertainty over the Adelaide player won't alter his plans for Thursday's draft.

Once again Silvagni has the keys to the city in this week's upcoming national draft with the first three picks as well as selection 12 and 14.

The former Blues star said yesterday while he would keep the football world guessing, the privileged first three led by Lachie Whitfield would likely be informed on Thursday afternoon.

The candidates to follow Whitfield in the top three include South Australian midfielder Jimmy Toumpas, rebounding defender Lachie Plowman and slick midfielder Jono O'Rourke.

"We are in a position where we can get some good talent through the door, and having those early picks should almost, not guarantee us, but give us every chance in getting some real quality players,'' Silvagni said.

"We will inform (the top three players) just before the draft. I guess it is to keep them at ease. We are able to do that because we have the first three picks, but we haven't done it yet.''

The Giants are yet to pick an elite ruckman with early selections in the national draft, and are awaiting an AFL Commission decision on Tippett's availability.

Silvagni said the club had enough ruckmen not to have to recruit a young tall in case Tippett falls through its fingers.

"With the ruckmen situation, we have got Jonathan Giles, Andrew Phillips, Tom Downie, and Setanta (O'hAilpin) who can play that position so we feel as though we have enough ruckmen on our list,'' Silvagni said.

"The situation with Tippett is we have got an interest in him. We have to wait now and sit back and see what the outcome is in terms of the AFL Commission.''

Veteran ruckman Dean Brogan has been delisted and and will likely be re-drafted if Tippett is deregistered or not taken by GWS.

"We have the first pick in the pre-season draft, so certainly we have a spot available,'' Silvagni said.

Sydney's position on Tippett is unchanged - considerable interest but nervousness GWS will take him.

Silvagni says he feels the pressure to get his selections right given the importance of the GWS experiment.

"In a lot of ways it is a privilege. There is a fair bit of responsibility because as a club we want to be as competitive as possible. For the first 12-14 games this year we competed hard but then we got tired. We really want to win games next year and take it up to teams. We want to build the best possible list which gives us sustained success."

You're reading an article about
Swans, Giants save pick for Kurt
This article
Swans, Giants save pick for Kurt
can be opened in url
http://aflnewstop.blogspot.com/2012/11/swans-giants-save-pick-for-kurt.html
Swans, Giants save pick for Kurt