u/michaelh059

West Coast could win Port's pick 5 and 12 with this offer:

West Coast's 2027 and 2028 first pick plus current pick 21 in exchange for

Port's 2027 and 2028 second pick (possibly tied to the Western Bulldogs) plus 5 and 12.

This would give West Coast pick 3, 5 and 12 this year plus a compensation pick in the 20s.

Stock up on key youth now, such as Heath Mellody, Arki Butler, or Ethan Drever with picks 3 and 5, and Leo Steed, Clancy Snell or Gus Teixira with pick 12 while still keeping future second round picks for Garreth Kenh,

Forget Rivers this year and take him in 2027 as a free agent along with Chad Warner.

Trade Viney for a pick in the 40s to help strengthen our centre line along with Devon Robertson's return from injury, until Chad Warner arrives next year.

Temporarily take Nathan Broad as a retired free agent to strengthen our backline for 1 year until Rivers arrives.

Consider this approach:

West Coast should swap out Pick 3 plus our Future Pick 1 to Port Adelaide in exchange for Picks 4 and 5.

With Pick 4 and 5, West Coast should choose any 2 from Heath Mellody, Arki Butler, Gus Teixeira and Ethan Drever.

I personally believe Essendon will have picked Arki Butler and Richmond Harry Van Hattum. This would leave my preferences for Heath Mellody and Gus Teixeira.

Port Adelaide would jump at this offer for three critical reasons:

1. The "Two-Pick Matching Rule" Loophole

If Essendon bids Pick 1 on Cochrane, Port Adelaide is forced to match it using 2,400 draft index points (minus the matching discount).

• The Problem: If Port keeps Picks 4 and 5, they are legally forced to use both of these elite top-5 selections to match a single player (Cochrane). They would effectively burn two premium blue-chip selections on one prospect.

• The Solution: By trading with West Coast, Port shifts Pick 4 and Pick 5 out. In return, they get Pick 3 (worth a massive 2,178 points). They can then pair Pick 3 with a later pick (like Pick 22) to fully match the Cochrane bid. This saves them from wasting a second top-5 selection on a bid match.

2. Banking a 2027 Future First-Rounder

Port Adelaide is deeply frustrated by recent AFL rule tweaks that blocked their other creative avenues for acquiring talent. If they lose Zak Butters, their focus shifts to securing multiple first-round talents over the next two seasons without compromising their future.

• Getting West Coast's 2027 Future First-Round Pick is an absolute goldmine. Because West Coast is in a heavy rebuilding phase, that future pick is highly likely to land in the top 5 next year, giving Port an elite asset for the 2027 draft.

3. Maximising the Remainder of their Draft Pool

If Port uses Pick 3 and a secondary selection to match Cochrane, they successfully secure the draft’s top talent. But because they swapped Picks 4 and 5 for a future asset, they still hold a future top-tier pick in their back pocket instead of watching it get completely absorbed by the DVI points index. It allows them to "wheel and deal" and build the foundation of a future premiership side around Cochrane.