The Sydney Swans have opened proceedings for 2010 trade week, securing versatile defender Andrejs Everitt from the Western Bulldogs.
The trade will see Everitt, 21, join the Swans, while Patrick Veszpremi will head to the Western Bulldogs, along with one of the Swans very late draft picks.
Sydney Swans coach John Longmire said he was thrilled to secure a player with Everitt’s mix of height and athleticism.
“We’re rapt. We really liked his vision as he was coming through the system a few years ago and we think he can play a number of different roles for us. He is obviously tall, mobile and we’re very pleased to be able to do the deal,” Longmire said.
“We’ve spoken to Andrejs about playing halfback and he can certainly play on the wing as well with his height.
“What he can do is play on different size players, so from that point of view he’s able to add a lot of flexibility to our team, which is always important when you are trying to get your match-ups right." he said.
Longmire thanked Veszpremi for his contribution to the Swans over the past three seasons, which yielded 11 senior matches.
“Patty had indicated that he was keen to pursue an opportunity back in Melbourne and we really wish him all the best at the Western Bulldogs. We believe Andrejs is a great addition and can play an important role for our Club for many years to come,” he said.
Everitt, the younger brother of former Swans ruckman Peter ‘Spida’ Everitt, was recruited to the Western Bulldogs with pick 11 in the 2006 National Draft and comes to the Swans with 36 games of senior AFL experience under his belt.
Longmire also confirmed the Swans ongoing interest in dashing Brisbane defender Justin Sherman.
“We’ve spoken to Brisbane and obviously using one of our draft higher picks is an option we’ll certainly consider.
“We really rate Justin and we understand his preference is to head to a Melbourne club but there is still a lot of water to go under the bridge,” Longmire said.