Matthew Nicks and James Rowe on draft night. Picture: AFC Media

Adelaide has revealed its bid on Western Bulldogs NGA prospect Jamarra Ugle-Hagan was a strategic move designed to wipe the Victorian club off the draft board.

The Crows believed the Bulldogs shared a mutual interest in Woodville-West Torrens premiership forward James Rowe, with the Crows eyeing him at pick No.40. 

01:44

Inner Sanctum: The Pre-Draft Meeting

Go inside the Crows inner-sanctum with the club's recruiting team and find out the reasons behind the bid for Ugle-Hagan and the want for Thilthorpe.

According to Crows National Recruiting Manager Hamish Ogilvie, the decision to bid on Ugle-Hagan paid dividends by reducing their competition for the 2020 Ken Farmer Medallist.

We needed to do that, that was the strategy because we knew the Bulldogs had a pretty strong interest in James Rowe.

- Hamish Ogilvie

“Riley (Thilthorpe) was always our man. He knew what we thought about him and he wasn’t too worried about going pick two.”

Part one: Knocking out the Bulldogs picks

The Bulldogs went into the draft with two second-round picks and four third-round picks, ensuring they could cover the points value required to match a bid on their academy talent no matter what.

BELOW: AFL Draft Value Index with 20 per cent NGA discount applied

PICK

POINTS

LESS DISCOUNT

1

3000

2400

2

2517

2014

3

2234

1787

4

2034

1627

5

1874

1499

With the Dogs possessing 2489 points according to the AFL’s Draft Value Index (DVI) - enough to match the points required for a Pick 1 bid - Ugle-Hagan sliding down the order would have been extremely beneficial.

The Crows’ bid at pick No.1 left the Bulldogs with 89 points, which equates to pick No.66 in the DVI. 

However, if Ugle-Hagan slid past a Crows bid, the Bulldogs would strengthen their position in the draft.

Even a slide to pick No.2 would have left them with 475 points – the equivalent of pick No.38. 

While the AFL wouldn’t have directly handed this pick to the Bulldogs, a Crows bid removed their flexibility to get ahead of Adelaide’s late second-round selection it had earmarked for James Rowe.

01:09

Pick #38: James Rowe

James Rowe has been drafted to the Adelaide Football Club with Pick #38.

Part two: Jumping above Carlton

After the Bulldogs matched for Ugle-Hagan, Adelaide’s pick No.40 had moved in to pick No.38, but there was another potential suitor for Rowe’s services.

The Crows knew Carlton were interested in Rowe and had the second round picks, No.30 and 36, to select the South Australian.

A shrewd trade with crosstown rivals Port Adelaide allowed the Crows to jump above the Blues’ second pick, snaring the Power’s pick No.34.

When Carlton selected Corey Durdin with the first pick, Adelaide had their man.