AFLW trade news: Maddi Gay likely to get to Bombers after tense trade negotiations

The Demons and Bombers have been locked in tense negotiations on a move for a premiership star which has been threatening Thursday’s deadline, but will it get done?

MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA - OCTOBER 29: Maddison Gay of the Demons in action during the 2022 S7 AFLW Round 10 match between the Melbourne Demons and the West Coast Eagles at Casey Fields on October 29, 2022 in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Dylan Burns/AFL Photos via Getty Images)

Melbourne and Essendon negotiated fiercely on Tuesday night to put an end to their bitter stalemate over a trade for premiership Demon Maddi Gay that was threatening Thursday’s 2pm deadline.

Gay is one of more than a dozen players who remain in limbo with just two days left on the trade clock as AFLW clubs frantically attempt to broker deals while also retaining their early selections in Monday’s draft.

Talks between the Demons and Bombers had failed all week with one leading industry figure likening their gap in asking prices to the Grand Canyon.

But it emerged late on Tuesday night that the clubs were finally making solid progress on a trade and the strong expectation was that Gay would find her way to Tullamarine.

The Bombers hold draft picks 13, 33, 53 and 71 – but sources close to trade talks suggested their starting point had bordered on being unrealistic.

The Bombers had been determined to retain No. 13 while also bringing in Gay and Gold Coast’s Bess Keaney as well as keeping a pick in the second round.

That dream scenario would have effectively netted the two targets for almost nothing.

Gay looks to be on her way to the Bombers after some tense negotiations. (Photo by Dylan Burns/AFL Photos via Getty Images)

It’s believed the Demons had initially set a price of pick 13 plus a sweetener for Gay, the 27-year-old who has played 54 AFLW games since making the switch after a career as a star netball centre.

The Bombers are renowned for driving a hard bargain in the AFL off-season and this week they have once again been at the centre of the biggest deadlock in trade period.

But there was also a sense from AFLW clubs that the league’s rigid system would also have been to blame should a deal for Gay have fallen over.

AFLW clubs cannot access future draft picks, which severely limits their tradeable assets and their ability to get creative in order to satisfy rival demands.

The state-based draft system also means there is a premium on holding an early pick. For example, Essendon’s No. 13 pick would give the club access to the 13th-best Victorian girl in this year’s draft.

Likewise, the No. 33 pick could be used on the 33rd best player from Victoria. But by that stage of the draft that footballer could be ranked as low as 50 or so in the country.

Wooden-spooner Western Bulldogs hold the No. 1 pick, but they will not draft the country’s best up-and-comer on Monday.

Experts believe that honour has already gone to Port Adelaide, who secured Lauren Young (West Adelaide) as an expansion club under-18 pre-signing.

Other guns who likely would’ve been picked early on Monday including Shineah Goody (Port Adelaide), Laura Stone (Hawthorn) and Amy Gaylor (Essendon) are also off the board already.

The premiership Dee could have possibly turned to the draft. (Photo by Daniel Pockett/Getty Images)

There was also some confusion on Tuesday night as to whether Gay would qualify for free agency should her trade to the Bombers fall through.

But that was considered highly unlikely by some league sources. Gay could have been forced to choose between re-signing with the Demons or nominating for Monday’s draft if the trade failed and she was not eligible for free agency.

Some had even raised the possibility of AFL intervention in the form of mediation to help save the trade before Tuesday night’s breakthrough.

In 2021 mediation did not help the Dogs and Roos reach a trade for ruckman Kim Rennie.

Rennie then spurned the Dogs’ contract offer after trade period and was drafted by the Roos at No. 28.

Gay started kicking the Sherrin for VWFL club St Kilda Sharks in 2017 and was promised a place on Carlton’s 2018 AFLW list after only a handful of games.

Demons’ list boss Todd Patterson was also a big fan back then and, after missing out to the Blues, he nabbed her via a trade before the 2019 season.

Gay rejected an offer from Hawthorn 12 months ago to stay at the Demons, but on Tuesday night her sights were firmly set on a fresh start at a third AFL club in red and black.

The Demons re-signed the bulk of their 2022 premiership team as they hunted back-to-back glory.

But after bowing out in last month’s preliminary final they are now bracing to lose about a third of their list (eight changes) to rival clubs.

Originally published as AFLW trade news: Maddi Gay likely to get to Bombers after tense trade negotiations