By Michael Gleeson and Peter Ryan
Collingwood, Gold Coast and Port Adelaide remain at an impasse in discussions that would effectively be a three-way deal for Dan Houston to get to the Magpies – which is now his preferred destination – with John Noble and Joe Richards moving to the Suns and Power respectively.
According to sources familiar with discussions, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, Collingwood have offered their future first-round pick and Noble to the Suns for picks 13 and 23, a deal the Suns have rejected.
On the move: Collingwood’s Joe Richards wants to head to the Power.Credit: Getty Images
Collingwood’s plan in securing pick 13 would be to tie it with Joe Richards in a deal with Port for Houston. They want to keep pick 23 to take to the draft.
The Power are unlikely to accept that deal for Houston. The Suns’ interest in negotiating with Collingwood is two-fold: They want to secure Noble, but they also want to provide Collingwood with draft capital to trade to Port for Houston.
Helping Port get a Houston trade completed would then clear the path for the Adelaide club to trade their future first-round pick to the Suns for Jack Lukosius. The AFL have told Port they won’t need special approval to trade their future first pick.
Lukosius is on a contract worth about $2.5 million over the next two years at the Suns – an amount the club is eager to move off their books – but would receive a longer-term contract on fewer dollars per year at the Power.
While there is still a week remaining in the trade window, the longer negotiations stall the more likely it is that Gold Coast open discussions with other clubs, including Carlton, over pick 13 or that North Melbourne, who have the draft capital to trade with Port, enters the negotiations for Houston.
Meanwhile, the Giants’ move to recruit Bombers forward Jake Stringer gained further momentum as the 30-year-old indicated he is willing to relocate to further his career at a third club, according to a source who spoke on the condition of anonymity.
Jake Stringer kicked his 350th career goal in 2024Credit: Getty Images
Stringer would bolster an already-exciting attack that contains Coleman Medal winner Jesse Hogan, former All-Australian skipper Toby Greene, talented small forwards Darcy Jones and Brent Daniels, and marking goalkickers Aaron Cadman and Jake Riccardi. However, sources emphasised there was still plenty of work to do before a deal would proceed.
Stringer, the 2016 premiership player who played 89 games with the Western Bulldogs and was also an All-Australian in 2015 has been open about his desire to gain a contract beyond 2025 after kicking 42 goals for the Bombers this season. But Essendon have refused to budge.
However, they have been comfortable with the dynamic forward exploring his options, with several clubs including Collingwood examining whether they wanted to secure the veteran.
Essendon have to give game time to Nate Caddy and also need draft picks to secure electrifying small forward and next-generation academy graduate Isaac Kako, with a bid expected to arrive for him before the Bombers’ pick nine. That has led to Essendon exploring options to move further up the order ahead of November’s national draft.
The Bombers also have an interest in the Giants’ Conor Stone, who has played just 13 games in four seasons, while the Giants have picks 37, 53 or 56 to potentially offer up after the compensation they received for losing free agents Harry Perryman and Isaac Cumming left them with selections 15, 16 and 21 in the first round. AFL Media reported the Bombers would require more than a third-round selection for Stringer.
In an otherwise slow day in the trade period, Geelong announced they had re-signed, as expected, Jake Kolodjashnij, Jed Bews and Ted Clohesy, while extending exciting defender Lawson Humphries’ contract until the end of 2026. The Western Bulldogs secured Riley Garcia on a three-year deal after he gained some interest from Port Adelaide.
Negotiations began between Sydney and North Melbourne over veteran Luke Parker, with the Kangaroos putting pick 62 up for the premiership midfielder. Parker has a three-year deal on the table from the Kangaroos, however the final year of the deal is not lucrative financially, and the Swans have already farewelled him. Sydney have their eyes on North Melbourne’s pick 44.
In other trade news:
- Port Adelaide are allowed to trade their future first-round selection if it is needed to get a deal done to secure Lukosius.
- The Bulldogs remain interested in the Giants’ inside midfielder Xavier O’Halloran, but understand they may hold him to his contract, which extends until the end of 2025 after being signed last season.
- Negotiations to send James Peatling from the Giants to Adelaide are centred around the Crows’ second and third-round future selections.
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