Adelaide’s bid for promising Glenelg teenager Billy Stretch has been matched by Melbourne, the club where his father Steven won a best and fairest.
The Crows bid for 18-year-old Stretch with their second round draft pick, forcing Melbourne to then use its third round pick to secure the All Australian under 18 midfielder at today’s father-son and academy bidding session in Melbourne.
Steven Stretch played 164 games for Melbourne from 1986-93 after being recruited from SANFL club West Torrens. He won the best and fairest in 1987 and finished his career with a further 25 games in two seasons at Fitzroy.
All of the 12 players nominated for the bidding process were secured by their nominating clubs, despite rival bids for nine of the players.
Melbourne started the session by bidding pick No.2 for Sydney Academy star Isaac Heeney, matched by the Swans with pick No 17.
The Western Bulldogs then bid pick No.5 for Darcy Moore, who was then secured by Collingwood (where two-time Brownlow Medallist father Peter played 172 games) with pick No.8.
North Melbourne’s bid of pick No.15 for GWS Academy midfielder Jack Steele was matched by the Giants with pick No 23 before Adelaide bid pick No.30 for Stretch, matched by Melbourne with pick No.39.
Richmond bid pick No.32 for Liam Dawson, matched by Brisbane Lions with pick No.42; Fremantle bid pick No.33 for Jack Hiscox, Sydney Swans matched it with pick No.37; North Melbourne bid pick No.35 for Harris Andrews, Brisbane Lions matched it with pick No.61; Fremantle bid pick No.51 for Zaine Cordy, matched by the Western Bulldogs with pick No.62; and Geelong bid pick No.70 for Abe Davis, matched by Sydney Swans with pick No.73.
The players who were nominated but had no bids placed were Josh Clayton (Brisbane), Alec Waterman (West Coast) and Jeremy Finlayson (GWS), who will automatically join their clubs.