Orazio Fantasia to stay with Essendon after Port Adelaide thought they had their man
Port Adelaide thought they had Orazio Fantasia and was even prepared to deal on a young gun to get a trade done. But the Bomber is staying put, a decision that has left the Power bemused.
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Port Adelaide has been left bemused and frustrated after Orazio Fantasia pulled out of a potential trade after months of discussions that started mid-year.
Fantasia is staying at Essendon after spending the day considering offers from the Bombers and Port Adelaide.
The Herald Sun reported this morning that he was genuinely torn between a move to Port Adelaide and remaining at Essendon, where he is a big fan of coach John Worsfold.
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His move away from manager Anthony McConville to Adelaide-based Michael Doughty meant many had suggested he was set to move.
But by early this morning he was saying he might want to stay, loyal to Worsfold and aware a deal back home might have been difficult to pull off.
It is understood Port Adelaide would have been prepared to trade inside midfielder Sam Powell-Pepper back to the Dons but that deal will not likely go ahead now.
That deal would only have happened as part of a swap of players that included Fantasia.
Even close friends and confidantes believed Fantasia was ready to move back to his family
But he has made clear this afternoon he wants to remain at Essendon for 2020.
The Power and his management had been talking since mid-year when both camps had strong interest that continued throughout the intervening months.
And when he chose Doughty the Power believed he would eventually request a trade that would see them playing Robbie Gray, Fantasia and Connor Rozee in their forward line.
Doughty quickly got up to speed and was able to present to Fantasia both proposals to give him the time to make a decision.
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As an Adelaide-based manager he also has the might of the TLA player management stable to will easily fulfil Fantasia’s needs despite being based in South Australia.
There seems little prospect of the Power pursuing a trade for Fantasia again next year given his backflip after so much progress.
The Power had been in contract with Fantasia’s management through recent contract extensions and had always believed he would end up in Adelaide.
Originally published as Orazio Fantasia to stay with Essendon after Port Adelaide thought they had their man