The Crows were the only team not to take part in last year’s exchange period, with their last major trade-week involvement coming in 2007 when they successfully bargained for both midfielder Brad Symes and ruckman Brad Moran.
The club has already expressed interest in Western Bulldogs onballer Ryan Griffen, but the out-of-contract South Australian’s manager has told Crow officials the 23-year-old is not interested in moving back to Adelaide.
Adelaide could have some bargaining power with Victorian-born midfielder Chris Knights, who is yet to sign a new deal, rumoured to be seeking a return to Melbourne.
There’s an expectation trading will play a big part in a club’s recruiting over the next two years, with the draft concessions awarded to the new Gold Coast and Greater Western Sydney teams, but Craig said the Crows would only trade for players that could add value to the list.
“Right now, we’d have six picks tomorrow without any delistings and I could argue that we’d have four draft picks and elevate two rookies and that would fix up the six positions, but we certainly need to be actively involved in the trade week,” Craig said.
“I know there’s a bit of a groundswell at the moment, that Adelaide has never traded before, or don’t trade much and this is the year they have to do it. We could satisfy that [demand] tomorrow and go and trade, but we’re not going to do that.
“We won’t just trade for the sake of trading.”
Adelaide has struggled to entice big-name players to West Lakes since its inception in 1991.
Dual premiership player Darren Jarman switched over from Hawthorn in the early days, as did centre half-forward Matthew Robran.
There was also the largely unsuccessful trade for disgraced North Melbourne superstar Wayne Carey, but the club’s last major coup came in 2004 with the signing of ex-Melbourne midfielder Scott Thompson.
The Crows have tried unsuccessfully to lure Fremantle captain Matthew Pavlich back to South Australia and Craig said it wasn’t always possible for a club to land a big fish in trade week.
“Sometimes, whoever you target is not gettable. Ryan Griffen fits a lot of things we’re looking for. He’s a South Australian and he’s out of contract, but if Ryan says he doesn’t want to come to Adelaide we can’t trade for him,” Craig said.
“I think it [the go-home factor] is a bargaining power. Tyson Stenglein wanted to go back to Western Australia because that’s where his family is and Scott Thompson wanted to come back to Adelaide because that’s where his family is. It’s a big pulling power, but it doesn’t mean you limit yourself to South Australians.
“I also think there’s an element of attachment that a South Australian player would want to play for a South Australian club.”
