All Geelong Cats trade news on AFL Deadline Day

Jack Bowes is a Cat, there is a blockade on an Ollie Henry trade, and Cooper Stephens is reportedly looking at moving clubs. Break down all of Geelong’s trade news on the deadline day.

GEELONG will remain as one of the busiest teams in the AFL as the league heads towards the trade deadline, with the club still scrambling to finalise deals in the last hours of the day.

While the Cats have finalised moves for former Falcon Tanner Bruhn from the Giants and a trade package from Gold Coast that included defender Jack Bowes and the seventh selection at the AFL draft, there is still some business to conclude.

Jack Bowes is now a Cat. Picture: Chris Hyde

Wantaway Magpie forward Ollie Henry is determined to play his football at GMHBA Stadium in 2023, reportedly threatening Collingwood he would walk to the draft if the clubs could not agree to terms by the 7.30pm trade deadline.

Collingwood refused Geelong’s offer of pick 25, instead wanting a first-round pick for the former 17th selection.

Oliver Henry is determined to make his way to Geelong by the end of the day. Picture: Daniel Pockett

One way to satisfy Collingwood could be to trade out-of-favour tall Esava Ratugolea, who could fetch pick 33 from Port Adelaide.

The two selections would be worth the equivalent of the 12th overall selection, but Collingwood could send back pick 50 to level the value of Henry to pick 17.

A late twist to the deadline day is the availability of young midfielder Cooper Stephens, with SEN’s Sam Edmund first reporting the Hawks’ interest in him.

Cooper Stephens has been reported to be in Hawthorn’s sights as a trade target. Picture: Michael Willson

Stephens was a first-round selection himself in 2019 but has only played seven games in three seasons and playing time may be slim as the Cats bolster their midfield with Bowes and Bruhn, plus a top-10 talent at the draft.

Bowes’ player manager Robbie D’Orazio said on AFL Trade Radio that the Sun-turned-Cat was lured to Geelong with guaranteed playing time.

“It’s funny, back in June we had a message from Andrew Mackie (Geelong’s list manager) and Dangerfield … there was a cheeky text from Danger that said ‘what’s Jack Bowes going to do next year’, and that’s where it stemmed from,” he said.

“I know a lot of people are looking at it going ‘where does he play, how does he fit in’, we sat through two presentations from Geelong … they were really impressive.

“Chris Scott most importantly sat there and looked him in the eye and said ‘you will play in this team’ and we’ll trust that.”

Originally published as All Geelong Cats trade news on AFL Deadline Day