AFL Trades 2023: Follow every move and whisper on day four of the trade period
With free agency closing tomorrow, Jade Gresham’s move to Essendon may come down to the wire as the clubs jostle over compensation. Recap all the action on trade period day four.
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Welcome to day four of the 2023 AFL trade period.
After some big names and a pile of draft picks changed hands on Wednesday, what does Thursday have in store?
Follow every move and whisper here.
GRESHAM’S DONS MOVE ON THE EDGE
Essendon’s free agency move for St Kilda’s Jade Gresham will go down to the wire as the two clubs jostle over the compensation the Saints will receive.
The Bombers are expected to proceed with a free agency bid to claim the goal kicker but will have to submit it with the AFL by Friday 5pm.
But the forward’s future remains clouded as St Kilda has maintained it will match a bid from Essendon if his salary does not trigger an end-of-first-round compensation pick.
Matching the bid means Gresham can either stay at the Saints on reduced terms, head to Essendon as part of a trade, or take his chances in the draft.
The Bombers would have to pay Gresham in the vicinity of $700,000 a year to trigger end-of-first-round compensation for St Kilda.
The forward is known to have a good relationship with coach Ross Lyon who has also said to Gresham the club would be happy to keep him next year.
He was one of the highest-paid players at Moorabbin.
Gresham played 23 games for 21 goals this year in a move from a midfield role to a more permanent forward berth.
The Bombers could claim Gresham in the draft if other clubs did not pick him first. The club could heavily front-end his salary to help ward off rival threats in the draft.
PORT TOLD TO IMPROVE RATUGOLEA OFFER
Geelong will hold out for a better Port Adelaide offer than pick 24 for Esava Ratugolea, but its interest in emerging Power forward Ollie Lord has been strongly shut down.
The Cats have been eyeing Geelong Grammar product Lord as a potential long-term successor to Tom Hawkins, who is close to re-signing.
But Port is understood to be hellbent on keeping its 197cm, 92kg spearhead for the final year of his deal, and has been hopeful of locking him in beyond 2024.
Lord is said to be happy at Alberton and in Adelaide, wanting to be part of what the Power is building after its run to a semi-final this past season.
The 21-year-old, who booted four goals in Port’s qualifying final loss at the Gabba, planned to play games next season before seeing where things stood in terms of re-signing.
Geelong has had limited conversations with Port Adelaide on the Ratugolea trade, but wants more than pick 24 given how far that selection will shuffle back in the draft order.
It could become No. 29 by the time Gold Coast takes three academy picks, clubs match bids for father-sons Will McCabe and Jordan Croft and St Kilda secures a compensation pick for Jade Gresham.
Geelong makes no apologies for valuing Ratugolea highly given the industry price for intercept marking defenders.
The Cats are expected to announce a new deal for Hawkins, 35, as early as this week after negotiations that followed his friend Josh Jenkins saying the club and player were well apart on salary for a one-year extension.
Geelong has stressed to Hawkins and his manager Tom Petroro how highly they value the champion full-forward.
The Herald Sun revealed this week Melbourne made a late play for Hawkins, but he will sign on again in the near future.
Geelong also has pick 8 in the national draft and has been besieged by offers from clubs, including North Melbourne, to secure that valued top-10 pick.
If the Roos could secure that selection they would have picks 2, 3 and 8 and could then offer West Coast at least two top-10 selections in the national draft as a foundation for a package for the No. 1 overall pick.
North currently has picks 2, 3, 15, 17, 18 and could even hand over two of those teens selections for No. 8 to get back into the top 10 of the draft.
GWS (pick 7) and Essendon (9) are also being asked about trading out their picks and could consider it if the deals are favourable.
SUNS REJECT HAWKS’ CHOL OFFER
Hawthorn will have to upgrade its offer to Gold Coast for Mabior Chol, having offered Gold Coast only a future third-round pick but also asking for a later pick in return.
The Hawks’ trio of trades are still bogged down on the Thursday of week one, with the Hawks optimistically asking Richmond for a pick inside 25 for Jacob Koschitzke.
His one-year offer at Hawthorn (with a trigger for a second) means Richmond values him as a third-round pick in a potential trade, but the Hawks are keen for a higher selection.
The Hawks are also awaiting a more suitable West Coast offer for Tyler Brockman, with the Eagles able to drag him through the pre-season draft if Sam Mitchell’s club holds firm.
Gold Coast believes Chol deserves greater compensation than Koschitzke given the Hawks have offered him a four-year deal with a five-year trigger.
So they are prepared to wait for a superior offer, having executed a spectacularly successful pick swap for their No. 4 pick that has seen them accumulate enough points for four academy selections.
The Suns have also secured the Bulldogs’ first-round pick next year and the Roos’ end-of-first-round pick in 2024. They have picks 23, 26, 27, 31, 35, 37, 61, 70 and 73.
Clubs must have the same amount of list spots as picks when they enter the national draft, with the Suns intent on keeping open six or seven list spots.
They are likely to trade out pick 23 on draft night for even more points to ensure they do not go into points deficit next year after securing Jed Walter, Ethan Reid, Jake Rogers and Will Graham as academy players.
The Suns are open to trading Elijah Hollands to the Blues but are yet to have any meaningful dialogue with Carlton, which traded out Zac Fisher to the Roos on Wednesday.
The Suns would be open to improving their 2023 draft order by rearranging picks with the Suns, or accepting a future selection for the No. 7 pick in the 2020 national draft.
While the Suns said on Monday they had not decided if Hollands was available, the size of Carlton’s offer will determine whether he moves on.
The Blues are likely to secure only a future third or fourth-rounder for Paddy Dow when he goes to St Kilda, and are happy to help him find a new home.
WHO’S LEFT ON THE TRADE BOARD?
The dominos began falling on Wednesday as all of Brodie Grundy, Taylor Adams, Dylan Stephens, Chris Burgess and Zac Fisher found new homes.
But with six days to come until next week’s trade deadline, there are still 21 names being bandied about to get to new homes.
Here is who is left on the board as the trade period continues to accelerate.
ADELAIDE
Elliott Himmelberg – The tall wants to join his brother Harry at GWS Giants but little movement has happened on a deal after Adelaide missed out on Mabior Chol’s commitment.
Shane McAdam – Now Melbourne has ticked off the Brodie Grundy move, it will focus on getting McAdam over to bolster its forward half. The Crows have been sniffing around Demons players such as Harrison Petty in exchange, so talks may take some time.
BRISBANE LIONS
Tom Fullarton – The forward-ruck is another one on Melbourne’s radar to knock over. He is highly rated but didn’t play a game this year, so the Lions shouldn’t ask for too much.
Rhys Mathieson – An unrestricted free agent, Mathieson can walk to any club he likes after the feisty midfielder was told he wouldn’t be retained by the Lions.
CARLTON
Paddy Dow – Should get to St Kilda for a later pick in the draft to allow him some proper playing time.
ESSENDON
Brandon Zerk-Thatcher – The defender is keen to get to Port Adelaide and the Bombers want to get Xavier Duursma back the other way. The Dons often take things to the wire but have a few moves to knock over before Wednesday.
Massimo D’Ambrosio – Expect the speedster to get to Hawthorn for a late pick, in the third or fourth round. The Dons and Hawks have so far pushed this one to the backburner while they work on other deals.
FREMANTLE
Liam Henry – Fremantle wants a late first-round pick for the winger but St Kilda only holds 13 and 34 currently. More haggling is to come on this one.
Lachie Schultz – The Magpies have a nice contract in front of the impressive forward but the Dockers are hesitant given he has a contract for 2024. But Schultz will be a unrestricted free agent at the end of next year, so Fremantle could lose him for nothing then.
GEELONG
Esava Ratugolea – Expect this one to take some time as the Cats continue to present a steep asking price for the forward-turned-defender.
GOLD COAST
Mabior Chol – Should get to Hawthorn for a future draft pick after the Suns carried on their wheeling and dealing to shore up a position in this year’s draft on Wednesday.
Elijah Hollands – Yet to officially request a move, Carlton and Gold Coast will sit down and talk about the highly-talented midfielder in the next few days.
HAWTHORN
Jacob Koschitzke – The tall forward should get done for a late pick given the Hawks put a modest contract offer in front of him this season.
Tyler Brockman – Fremantle showed interest in Brockman but he remains keen on West Coast as his destination. Eagles list boss Rohan O’Brien has brought up the threat of the pre-season draft, where West Coast holds pick 1, to get the Hawks to the table.
PORT ADELAIDE
Xavier Duursma – The hard-runner is keen to get to Essendon and could become the centrepoint of the Zerk-Thatcher deal.
Tom Clurey – The defender still holds a contract until the end of 2025 but seems to be out of Port Adelaide’s plans. Little chat about his future so far.
RICHMOND
Ivan Soldo – The ruck’s move to Port Adelaide is looking less and less likely and he hasn’t made any public proclamation yet. The Power have plenty on their plate.
ST KILDA
Jade Gresham – The last restricted free agent left on the board, Gresham is set to receive an offer from Essendon on Thursday. Some wink-nudge haggling may take place to allow St Kilda proper compensation to avoid a trade.
Nick Coffield – A former top-10 draft pick, Coffield will go to the Western Bulldogs, but the Saints are working through Gresham and Paddy Dow as well.
Jack Billings – Collingwood has some interest in Billings, who is contracted but the Saints are happy to let him go.
WEST COAST
The No. 1 draft pick – Possibly the most consequential item still on the trade market, the rights to Harley Reid remain with the Eagles and it would take something special to give it up. But North Melbourne and Melbourne are both in position to at least ask the question.
WESTERN BULLDOGS
Jordon Sweet – The ruck wants to go to Port Adelaide and is one of many players waiting on the Power to get into action. Plenty of work for Port in the next few days.
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