Bret Thornton could be headed to Greater Western Sydney in this week's pre-season draft. Picture: Michael Klein Source: Herald Sun
GREATER Western Sydney is expected to throw an eleventh-hour AFL lifeline to delisted Carlton defender Bret Thornton in Tuesday's pre-season draft.
The Giants have ruled out former Essendon ruckman Jason Laycock after he failed a recent fitness test, but will re-draft Dean Brogan and almost certainly take Thornton on Tuesday.
Thornton was delisted by the Blues at the end of the season and was on the lookout for a new club after 188 AFL games.
The 29-year-old is seen as a back-up for defenders Chad Cornes and Phil Davis, while Brogan was delisted in mid November as the Giants briefly considered making a play for Kurt Tippett.
Laycock flew to Sydney last Thursday to meet Giants officials and undergo testing but the club was not prepared to take a risk on the 28-year-old - yet.
Laycock, who was best afield in the TSL grand final, strained a medial ligament in his knee during the third quarter of the game and it had not fully healed to satisfy Giants medicos.
They left the door ajar to pick Laycock in 2014 if he can shed some weight and maintain state league form.
Brogan - who turns 34 next week - will be back in the AFL system this week, while Collingwood recently threw a lifeline to 33-year-old Ben Hudson, showing if Laycock can get himself fit he could be back in the mix.
"Their only concern was past injuries I've had and whether I could get through that full year or not," Laycock said yesterday.
"I've had two years injury-free and it came down to them wanting to see me get another year under my belt.
"It was a bit disappointing but a bit of relief in the end as well. I had a go at it but it didn't work.
"Obviously I had a bad record at Essendon with games missed, it was going to be a big risk for them to take. I don't hold anything against them."
Laycock is already widely regarded as the most dominant player in the state and if he got a solid pre-season under his belt he would simply elevate his game to another level.
"The last couple of years I've been playing fairly overweight and just sort of lumbering around, I'm probably lucky I'm a bit older and a bit wiser and can run where the ball is going to go.
"If I get that extra fitness behind me I will be able to do a whole lot more, which is what I'm looking to do and stand out that little bit more.
"It (the AFL dream) might not be over, it will be pretty tough with my injury history, that might hold me back but if I can get three years together without getting injured, who knows?"
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