The Collingwood Magpies add some much needed depth to their forward line on Monday by acquiring Jesse White while simultaneously landing a lucrative draft pick.
As part of a three-team deal, Collingwood sent away pick 44 to Sydney in exchange for White before dealing picks 11, 31 and 49 to West Coast for selections six and 44, slotting in nicely alongside the pick 10 the club already possessed.
White emerged as a key forward for Sydney in 2013 after injuries and suspensions to the Swans’ loaded frontline created some extra opportunity for the 25-year-old. He kicked 20 goals from 15 games, after playing just three the season before, and averaged 12.7 possessions and 4.8 marks per contest.
The Magpies have high hopes for White alongside the highly paid Travis Cloke.
“Jesse has a combination of speed, power and height,” Collingwood recruiting manager Derek Hine said.
“His versatility was also a factor. Jesse has played key forward, third forward, in the ruck and, with his pace, up on a wing. At 25 he has lots of football ahead of him, he is seasoned so he helps us straight away and, in our view, the best of Jesse White is yet to be seen.”
Heath Shaw is still waiting for his ticket out of Collingwood as the Magpies and Greater Western Sydney bicker over second round draft selections.
The Magpies are supposedly keen on a straight swap of Shaw for the young Taylor Adams, however the Giants are after a sweetener in the form of a second round pick.
“One player is a proven player, a premiership payer, at the peak of his powers,” Hine told AFL Trade Week radio. “The other boy is a first-round draft choice, a 20-year-old who potentially has plenty of scope (to improve).
“Both parties have really strong opinions on their relevant player and they’re both consistent and both on the right track … I’m really confident we’ll be able to get something sorted out in the not-too-distant future,”
Collingwood has opted for some significant list changes this off-season, pushing veterans Darren Jolly and Alan Didak out the door before allowing Dale Thomas to walk to Carlton.
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Photo: Ryan Pierse, Getty Images.
