WESTERN Bulldogs coach Rodney Eade has reaffirmed his club's commitment to Barry Hall despite the sudden availability of Brendan Fevola, who has fallen out of favour at Carlton and will be traded.
Though Fevola, who is four years younger than Hall and is the reigning Coleman Medallist, could appear the more attractive option, Eade said the Dogs were too far down the road with the former Swan.
"We are committed to Barry and he has said that he is committed to us, or that he would like to come to us," Eade said from the NAB AFL Draft Camp in Canberra on Thursday.
"That (Fevola situation) hasn't changed our thinking at all."
Eade also acknowledged the club's stance in its negotiations for Hall, which have hit a snag due to the Swans' demands of a second-round pick for the 250-game player who will be 33 by the time the 2010 season kicks off.
"We think it's probably a bit of an ambit claim at the moment, but having said that we're certainly prepared to go to the [pre-season] draft and so is Barry," he said.
"We'll just wait and see. We're not in any hurry or any rush about it.We think we know where it's all at, and [for] what it is worth, we are not going to be silly about it.
"But by the same token we are not going to pay above the odds. If it stays like that we'll go to the draft."
The Swans camp has pointed to the Dogs' willingness to part with a second-round pick for former Lion Jason Akermanis at the end of 2006, but Eade said the comparison wasn't on.
"We gave a second-rounder, pick 34, for Jason Akermanis who was a 29-year-old, and we've got four years out of him," he said.
"So I don't think you'd give a second-rounder for a guy you'd get two years out of. No way.
"It's a bit like playing poker to a degree. People fly kites, but that's just the nature of the industry unfortunately."
The Bulldogs are only willing to exchange a fourth-round selection to get the deal done.
In other trade news, Eade maintains opportunity-starved tall Andrejs Everitt will remain at Whitten Oval.
It has been speculated that Everitt, 20, has attracted plenty of interest from other clubs after failing to win a berth in any of the Dogs' three finals sides this year despite an impressive showing in round 22.
"He's a required player and he's got a two-year contract," Eade said.
"We've heard that maybe some clubs are interested in him, but no one's spoken to us and Andrejs hasn't said to us that he wants to go. I think it may be just media talk at this stage."
