Trades Unplugged: Latest news, whispers on Brandon Ellis, Sam Powell-Pepper, Alex Keath and more
If St Kilda is forced to trade pick No.5 to land Brad Hill, how would it get a deal done for Sydney’s Zak Jones? The pacy midfielder is of interest to the Saints, but at what price?
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Essendon has inquired about the possibility of acquiring Richmond free agent Brandon Ellis.
The Bombers, who are set to be major players in this year’s player movement market, have also been linked to Port Adelaide midfield bull Sam Powell-Pepper as they wait for Joe Daniher to make a definitive call on his future.
Ellis was pursued hard by Carlton before the Blues’ interest cooled in recent weeks.
He now appears likely to move to Gold Coast on a long-term deal, but Essendon has emerged as a contender for the premiership wingman’s services.
“How strong that question is remained to be seen but I can tell you they’ve definitely inquired,” Herald Sun reporter Sam Edmund said on Trade TV.
Colleague Jon Ralph said Ellis would prefer to stay in Melbourne if a club comes close to matching the Suns’ offer.
“I think if someone came hard with a four-year deal in Melbnourne I think he’d probably stay, but right now at least he’s got suitors.”
He said persistent talk linking Essendon to Powell-Pepper “makes a heap of sense”.
“He does butcher the ball, let’s face it ... he’s a very inside player who is not a great shot for goal. But Essendon have got a lot of silky finishers, they need someone to go and get the pill.”
Watch the latest episode of Trade TV above and catch up on all the latest trade talk below.
JOE DANIHER
Essendon spearhead Daniher will continue to focus on restrengthening his injured groins before making a big call on his future. He has been linked to a move to Sydney Swans after a meeting at the home of club chief executive Tom Harley.
While Essendon would almost certainly ask for two first-round draft picks if he did want to move, the Bombers have not been informed he wants out.
Daniher will want to continue to progress with his rehabilitation before even contemplating his future after a second season was ruined by the groin injury and subsequent surgery.
But at this stage all parties are still expecting Daniher to stay, unless the appeal of moving out of the football bubble in Melbourne becomes too hard to resist.
GWS Giants Coleman Medallist Jeremy Cameron would top the Bombers’ wishlist of replacement key forward options, in the event Daniher walked out.
Sydney has pick No. 4 and could theoretically offer Essendon pick No. 8 as well if they landed that from Carlton as part of a swap for small forward Tom Papley.
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ADAM TOMLINSON
GWS don’t lose too many players they are desperate to keep. He is the latest player to leave because of cap space issues who the Giants would like to keep but haven’t pull out all stops to do so. Melbourne is now his destination of choice on a long-term deal, with St Kilda’s interest cooling. He is the ultimate role player as a 194cm wingman, but in his past five games before being logged ranking point totals of 64, 51, 60, 67 and 60. Forced to constantly switch wings this season to let Lachie Whitfield shine. Tomlinson’s current contract is worth close to $500,000, so unlikely to secure a big pay rise at the Dees. Where can Melbourne repurpose him to turn him into a star given they will likely pay him star money?
SAM POWELL-PEPPER
Gettable for the right price. The hard nut midfielder fell out of favour at Port late in the season and will weigh up his options. Fremantle could swoop on the West Aussie as it looks to bolster its midfield, while he is a left-field consideration for Essendon.
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SAM FROST
Melbourne has seriously lowballed the out-of-contract key defender, who looks certain to reject that contract offer and join a third AFL club. It emerged last night that North Melbourne — following Scott Thompson’s retirement — could overtake Hawthorn as a suitor with both clubs targeting key defenders.
OLLIE WINES
Port Adelaide is adamant Wines won’t be traded under any circumstances this year. Yes, he would be a perfect fit for the Bombers in the engine room, but Wines is contracted at Port until 2022 and co-captain. The Power are stunned his name has been raised.
JOSH BRUCE
On his way to the Western Bulldogs if they can strike a suitable deal with St Kilda for the strong-marking forward. The Dogs want another target inside 50m and the Saints need to make room for Max King. A second-round pick could clinch the move. The Dogs are prepared to offer a three or four year deal to get Bruce over the line.
JAKE CARLISLE
His manager told the Herald Sun on Saturday he was staying but would have to wait until 2020 for the contract extension he was after.
“We have caught up with St Kilda and there are no issues whatsoever,” Carlisle’s manager Anthony McConville said.
“They want him to go on next year and we are happy for him to play there next year.
“Outside of that we don’t know where the noise is coming from but we can’t stop that.”
Whether the Saints had no interest after shopping him or just want him to stay, it seems clear he will be at the club in Round 1.
Can he and Battle play in different roles given both thrive as the loose interceptor?
ZAK JONES
Nothing has changed the narrative that he is getting to St Kilda. The more interesting question is what they would give up for him. Would they get an early second-rounder for Jack Steven, which they would pass on for Jones? For all his talent he averaged 22.4 possessions and only 85 ranking points, with just two 100-point games. But at just 24 the sky is still the limit.
TOM PAPLEY
Sydney can’t very well hold him to his contract if they lure Joe Daniher while he has a year to run on his deal. Topped the Sydney goalkicking with 37 and would still be mighty hard to extract for a Blues side that will land Jack Martin. They are very different players. But imagine a forward line with Charlie Curnow, Harry McKay, Eddie Betts, Mitch McGovern, Martin and Papley. It’s a pipedream given Betts isn’t needed if they land Martin and Papley. But it’s enough to get Blues fans excited in the meantime.
EDDIE BETTS
Carlton are spending the week going into due diligence as they chase an array of small forwards. There seems no doubt Betts wants to play at Carlton. But they aren’t paying his wage — upwards of $500,000 but not as high as the $600,000 reported. Neither will the Crows pay a portion of his wage for him to run around in rival colours. So if he is at Carlton he will take a sizeable pay cut.
Gold Coast makes more sense financially on a two-year deal but there is little clarity on his future other than it won’t be at the Crows.
SHAUN BURGOYNE
Will be hard to knock back a four-year offer from Gold Coast to join them in a Luke Hodge-type role from 2020. The Hawks would love to keep Burgoyne but need to make changes to lower the age profile of their list. Burgoyne has a young family, but the long-term contract offer up north is a juicy carrot.
AARON FRANCIS
Essendon has had a deal in front of him for some time but as of last week rivals believed there was a contract stalemate given it was heavily incentive-based instead of guaranteed money. Expect him to sign after some haggling given he wants to be at Essendon but his brilliant final showed again how much potential he has.
MASON WOOD
Clearly being shopped. 21 goals in 18 games shows he has been something of a tease. Freo seems at this stage an interested party.
DARCY CAMERON
The Swans back-up ruckman wants to play for Collingwood next season and is certain to request a trade. Had been linked to Carlton, which has a one-year deal in front of Andrew Phillips.
JACK MARTIN
Set to head to Carlton even if he hasn’t officially requested them. The Suns are happy to deal with Carlton but given they have so many balls in the air at Ikon Park, it will be one of the later deals. The Suns want a first-round pick for a bloke taken in the mini-draft, but if the Blues give pick 8 for Papley and have no second-rounder, how do they do the Martin deal?
HUGH GREENWOOD
Like Alex Keath, looking for three years and a trigger or four years. Won’t ask for $600,000 like Keath but clearly wants security. So likely on the move but is anyone prepared to offer him those long-term deals.
JACK STEVEN
The Cats are already talking to the Saints about what a deal would look like to send Steven to Geelong. St Kilda knocked back his trade request last year, but they are unlikely to stand in his way this time. His explosive speed would be handy for Geelong in the wake of Tim Kelly’s expected departure.
JOSH JENKINS
There hasn’t been a lot of interest from rivals in Jenkins at this stage. Melbourne has a need for another marking target but Simon Goodwin seems unconvinced. If a trade can be brokered, this one might have to go down late in the trade period. In any case, Adelaide would have to pay a big chunk of his salary to rubberstamp his departure. That or take a hefty pay cut to start fresh elsewhere.
TODD GOLDSTEIN
Turned his back on a four-year offer from Geelong to re-sign with the Roos. The Cats now have to look elsewhere to solve their ruck issues.
MATT SCHARENBERG
Collingwood has no intention to let Scharenberg go despite reports he was possibly on the way out. The Adelaide clubs aren’t knocking on the door either, at this stage. So the South Australian is at short odds to lace up again for Collingwood in 2020, unless there is a stunning backflip. Coming into his prime as a player and back in the selection frame for the preliminary final.
PADDY RYDER
Looks set to join St Kilda on a decent two-year deal to help support Rowan Marshall in a ruck and forward role. Essendon was also keen but there are considerable emotional hurdles for Ryder to jump at Tullamarine. The big man made the tough call to leave the club in 2014 over the supplement scandal and is leaning towards making a fresh start at St Kilda.
JAYDEN LAVERDE
Played 39 games in five years at Essendon and would be open to a fresh opportunity if one presented. If he can get his body right and have a full pre-season there are high hopes the 23-year-old could mature into a dangerous hybrid forward. Laverde averaged 11 possessions a game this year.
TIM KELLY
Could Friday be his last game for the Cats given even his teammates concede if he leaves he will go with their blessing? The Eagles have picks 14, 22, and 32 and the points value of 22 and 32 is almost exactly equivalent to pick nine. If a club needing points for an academy player or father-son traded with the Eagles, they could offer something around picks 14 and 9 for Kelly. It’s got to be around what the Cats would ask for.
MORE TRADE NEWS:
The truth about Hill’s move from Freo
Burgoyne set to play on with Hawks
Why Coniglio decision took so long
ED LANGDON
Would already have a designated locker at Melbourne and his new jumper laid out in the changerooms. The Demons have been into Langdon all year and will resume talks with Fremantle about a deal. Will be interesting negotiations after Peter Bell got cranky with the Dees over Jesse Hogan last year.
DAN BUTLER
Rival clubs continue to ask how the Blues will get so many deals done if they land all their preferred targets, with Carlton interested in Butler (who has had a Carlton medical), Eddie Betts, Tom Papley and Jack Martin. Butler is an extremely handy player but has still only kicked 20 goals in 13 VFL games this year and five in seven in the AFL so he’s a good player with solid pressure, not a transformative talent.
BRANDON ELLIS
Gold Coast is entertaining a four or five-year deal to land the Richmond premiership defender. As a free agent, the Suns don’t have to give away anything at the trade table for him. Carlton has pulled out of the race after making a strong play for him earlier in the year, but Essendon has emerged as a late contender. The Tigers are managing a tight salary cap and could secure a second-round pick as free agency compensation.
ALEX KEATH
Keath is asking for as much as $600,000 over four years, which Adelaide won’t be paying. So everything points to a move that will likely land him at the Dogs. It’s plenty of cash to spend but it rounds out their backline with Zaine Cordy and Easton Wood having plenty of fuel left in the tank.
HARLEY BENNELL
Specialists believe they have fixed Bennell’s calf issue after finding a nerve problem. But to take the punt on the former Gold Coast and Fremantle wingman, you would have to be completely sure he is back on the right track from a behavioural perspective. St Kilda unlikely to go there. Could be added to a club’s list for nothing under the new supplemental selection period rules.
SHAUN HIGGINS
North has put a one-year contract extension to Higgins in an attempt to lock-in the slick ballwinner until the end of 2021. It’s a sign that the Roos are keen to keep Higgins, rather than trade him to a rival. We know Geelong is keen as the club looks for ways to replace Tim Kelly. Higgins, 31, is already contracted until the end of next season, but he would like some more security before the trade period gets underway. He’s still arguably North’s best player.
CALLUM AH CHEE
Will go to Brisbane and while he is a former No. 8 in the 2015 national draft he has battled with various issues and there is a concession it won’t be for a high pick. Suns have supported him strongly but are aware he needs a fresh start.
ZAC SMITH
The former Gold Coast ruckman is the only one of the Cats rucks out of contract and could look to head home. If that’s the case the Suns would be interested, but first have to work out what they will do with Tom Nicholls.
TOM CUTLER
Looks headed back to Victoria for next season, but it’s unclear which club is really interested. It’s not Collingwood, and Carlton have made Jack Martin and Tom Papley their priorities. Brisbane wants to keep Cutler but are waiting on his management to come back to them about his intentions for next year.
CHARLIE CONSTABLE
Unlucky not to be getting a game at Geelong after a promising start to the season. He’s been linked to the Saints but he’s not in their sights for the moment as they have a heap of other priorities. He’s a good player not to be playing senior footy.
Originally published as Trades Unplugged: Latest news, whispers on Brandon Ellis, Sam Powell-Pepper, Alex Keath and more