Gold Coast’s GM – List & Strategy Craig Cameron has endorsed what Adelaide midfielder Hugh Greenwood could bring to the SUNS after the 27-year-old requested a trade from the Crows on Tuesday.
Greenwood has nominated Gold Coast as his preferred destination after playing 51 games in the last three seasons at Adelaide.
When asked on AFL Trade Radio about what attributes he liked about the 27-year-old, Cameron said it was his versatility which would be an asset should he make his way to the SUNS.
“We’re a young team as everyone knows and he’s a mature big-bodied mid,” Cameron said.
“He’s a really defensively minded mid, a strong tackler and can also slide forward and play as a third tall forward.
“It just gives us an ability to have a hard big-bodied mid inside for us and protect some of our younger guys but also a little bit of flexibility with him sliding forward and giving us another avenue to goal.
“It’s important to get some maturity in the door.”
Greenwood’s nomination comes after the AFL Commission granted the SUNS an assistance package which included the top two picks in the draft, pick 20 and further draft assistance for the following two years.
Cameron was staunch on keeping the opening two picks of the draft and declared it would take “something extraordinary” to prise either of the top two picks from the club’s hands.
READ: SUNS welcome AFL assistance package
“They’re not off the table,” Cameron said of picks 1 and 2.
“The players at the top of this year’s draft I think are exceptional players.
“So it would take something extraordinary to move those selections but it would be silly for us to say they’re off the table.
“We’ve got to look at all ways we can to improve our football club.
“I haven’t had too many calls on them as yet but they’re not strictly off the table.”
Cameron also addressed the rumours restricted free agent Brandon Ellis would join the SUNS, saying it was in line with the club’s strategy to pursue the Richmond premiership midfielder.
But with an arsenal of first-round draft picks, Cameron said the club would need to balance its needs for youth and experience this trade and draft period.
“It’s a really important as part of our strategy that we bring in the top-end young talent but we have to ensure that we don’t get too young.
“So having the ability to use some of those picks to get in some senior players that help us, they’ve got to come in and play in our 22.
“Last year we went down a different path to make sure we just had a little bit more maturity around the group, but this year we’d be looking for guys who are going to be certain players to come in and play in our 22 which we believe Greenwood and Ellis would be.
“If we found those players and they were happy to come then we’d certainly look to use some of those other selections on them.”
