AFL trade period day three live: Latest trades, free agency news
With the first week of the trade period crawling along, a four-club pick swap could help progress the status of several key deals. Recap the talking points from day three.
Trade HQ
Don't miss out on the headlines from Trade HQ. Followed categories will be added to My News.
Adelaide may look to hand Melbourne’s 2022 first-round pick to Sydney to unlock their stalemate over Jordan Dawson.
The Crows secured the selection in a four-club trade with the Demons, Western Bulldogs and St Kilda on Wednesday afternoon, as the Dawson negotiations dragged on.
Sydney had rejected Adelaide’s offer of pick 17 and future selections for the 24-year-old South Australian, prompting the Crows to seek alternative options.
Melbourne’s future first might entice the Swans if Adelaide was prepared to on-trade it.
Although the pick would be 18th if the Demons won a second consecutive premiership, it would land inside the top 15 if they did not make a preliminary final.
Adelaide, which has finished 15th and bottom in the past two seasons, does not want to part with pick 4 or its future first-rounder as it continues its rebuild.
It also has this year’s 33rd and 75th selections – both received from Melbourne in Wednesday’s pick swap – and has given up 23, 37, 44, 62, 66 and its 2022 fourth-rounder.
Talks between the Swans and Crows appear likely to push into next week.
Adelaide is keen to complete a trade for Dawson but there is pressure on the Swans because the Crows can secure the out-of-contract halfback/wingman in the pre-season draft.
They used that window last year to recruit fellow South Australian Jackson Hately from GWS.
Adelaide football director Mark Ricciuto said clubs preferred not to use the pre-season draft in that way.
“They like to reward the club that had the player,” Ricciuto told Triple M.
“But I guess at the end of the day if it (a trade deal) doesn’t happen, I guess that’s an alternative.”
Robe-raised Dawson nominated the Crows over Port Adelaide last month after touring both clubs and requesting a trade to SA.
He played 23 games for the Swans this year, finishing third in the club’s best and fairest.
Ricciuto said there was a lot of posturing by clubs during the trade period.
“Sydney have got to try and get their best deal, that’s what trade week is all about,” he said.
“It goes on for 10 days, there’s a lot of bluffing, it’s a game of poker a bit and (Sydney football boss) Charlie Gardiner is having a crack at this stage.”
As part of Wednesday’s deal, the Crows received picks 33 and 75 from the Demons. Melbourne grabbed 17, 37 and 49 for its 2022 first-rounder, along with selections 33 and 45 this year.
The Saints coughed up 49 for 62, 66 and Adelaide’s 2022 fourth-round pick, while the Bulldogs boosted their haul of mid-range choices by getting 23, 44 and 45 for 17 and 75.
The Swans recruited Dawson from Sturt with pick 56 in the 2015 national draft.
DUMPED SAINT EARNS DEES LIFELINE
Melbourne has added to its already bulging midfield arsenal with St Kilda’s Luke Dunstan joining the club as an unrestricted free agent.
Dunstan has a point to prove next season after being frustrated by what he suggested was a lack of faith in him from Saints coach Brett Ratten.
But the 26-year-old – once thought so highly at the Saints that he was handed Lenny Hayes’ No. 7 jumper – chose the Demons over other options and is keen to try and break into a premiership midfield that includes Norm Smith Medallist Christian Petracca, Clayton Oliver, Jack Viney and James Harmes.
Kayo is your ticket to the best local and international sport streaming Live & On-Demand. New to Kayo? Start Your Free Trial >
Dunstan will add some extra depth to the club following the retirement of Melbourne veteran Nathan Jones and the departure of Aaron vandenBerg.
He polled 11 votes from only 12 games at the Saints this year, for a total of 116 games across eight seasons at Moorabbin.
Melbourne list manager Tim Lamb said the club was delighted to welcome Dunstan to the club, saying he believed his best football was still ahead of him.
“We came into this trade period looking to restock the midfield area and Luke fits the bill perfectly,” Lamb said.
“We are really happy that Luke has chosen to make the move to our club. With Nathan Jones retiring and Aaron vandenBerg moving on, we have lost a considerable amount of experience out of our midfield group.”
“Luke is a proven performer at the highest level and finished this season in exceptional fashion polling 11 votes in the Brownlow Medal.
“We think Luke’s best football is ahead of him and just as importantly, Luke is a terrific cultural fit for our club.”
DOGS FEND OFF RIVAL INTEREST FOR BIG MAN
The Western Bulldogs have retained young ruckman Jordan Sweet despite interest from rivals including West Coast as Sydney’s chase for Port Adelaide’s Peter Ladhams intensifies.
Sweet played the first five games of his career this season but the Dogs preferred Lewis Young and Stef Martin later in the season to the 23-year-old.
With clubs including the Eagles keen to drag him out of the Dogs, the Herald Sun understands they have secured Sweet on a two-year deal as they consider their ruck options.
Hawthorn’s Jon Ceglar looks certain to be traded by the Hawks, with Geelong and the Dogs having expressed an interest in the 30-year-old.
The Hawks might even be prepared to pay some of his salary to enhance the draft pick they received in return.
Port Adelaide’s Ladhams is now understood to have Sydney as his preferred destination, with the Hawks cooling in their interest in the 23-year-old ruck forward.
Sydney would need to pay a hefty price for Ladhams, but new acquisition Jeremy Finlayson is keen to put his hand up as a second ruck at times.
The Power also have young tap ruckman Sam Hayes, who they hold high hopes for after impressive SANFL form.
It means if the Swans eventually broker a deal for wingman Jordan Dawson they would have two high picks within 20.
They could use one of them on Ladhams, with the Power handing back a later pick to get the Power big man to Sydney.
Tom Hickey was excellent this season in a rucking role but will be 31 in March and has knee issues, with Ladhams having considerable upside at only 23 years of age.
Blues, Dockers haggling over Cerra
Fremantle football boss Peter Bell says Carlton’s pick six remains the “cornerstone” to an Adam Cerra trade as the Dockers continue to hold out for the final sweetener that will see the deal done.
Bell said negotiations between his club and Carlton are moving “positively” but there was still more to play out as Fremantle worked on a separate deal to land Geelong’s Jordan Clark.
“David Walls (Fremantle list manager) and Nick Austin (Carlton list manager) are making ground, that’s my understanding,” Bell said on AFL Trade Radio.
“Negotiations are going really positively and respectfully.
“I think it’s agreed that pick six will be the cornerstone of that deal and there’s a little bit, I wouldn’t say around the edges, but there’s a few other components of proposed deals from both sides that have to take into account a number of different moving parts.
“I guess fans and everyone can get a little frustrated that things move slowly, but it is quite complex and we’re only at day three of this trade period.
“So as far as Adam’s move to Carlton is concerned, we think the negotiations have gone really positively so far.”
Bell said he was also “quite confident” of landing Clark, despite the Cats playing hardball with the Dockers.
“As Jordan is contracted, Geelong has every right to negotiate really hard and that’s to be expected,” Bell said.
“We’d love to bring Jordan in and Jordan’s indicated to Geelong and to us that he’d like to move to Fremantle.
“He does fill a need for us with his run and speed and other attributes.
“I wouldn’t say the negotiations are as close as say what they are with Fremantle and Carlton are at the moment with regards to Adam.
“There’s a little bit more of a gap at the moment so far, but that’s fine and David and Andrew Mackie in this instance will work through that and we’ll see what comes of it.”
The Dockers have also seemingly shut down the prospect of ruckman Rory Lobb, who has two years remaining on his contract, leaving Fremantle.
Bell said he was very much a required player at the club.
“There was obviously a bit of noise though the latter part of the year that Rory was potentially looking to explore his options,” Bell said.
“We had a really positive end of season meeting where he discussed and committed to really working on his game and particularly working on his ruck work as well, which he thought he’d been a little inconsistent in,” he said.
“At the time we just reiterated to Rory that he was a very important player for us.
“We’re not flush with tall forwards at the moment and forward-rucks are in high demand and are difficult to find.
“And we just said: ‘if you are exploring and wanted to look around, it would be highly unlikely there would be a deal we’d agree to for the reasons I’ve just articulated.’
“We really want to support Rory to become the player that, and we can all see the potential, he could be.”
VIC CLUB CONFIRMS INTEREST IN EX-CROW STENGLE
Eddie Betts’ impending appointment at Geelong could already prove dividends for the Cats as they look at giving Tyson Stengle a third AFL chance.
After Betts received a lot of interest from clubs following his retirement following the end of this season the former Carlton and Adelaide star has agreed to accept a role at the Cats in their development ranks.
He could bring his cousin Stengle with him, with the Cats confirming their interest in the former Richmond and Crow small forward on Wednesday.
“We think he’s had a terrific period with Woodville-West Torrens, in a premiership team,” Cats list manager Stephen Wells said on SEN.
TRADE TRACKER: FOLLOW EVERY DEAL HERE
“We do have some interest in Tyson. We haven’t committed to him yet, it’s not just us who want him.
“He’ll have to make that decision himself.”
Stengle missed the Eagles SANFL premiership celebrations on Tuesday to have zoom meetings with AFL clubs.
The 22-year-old and the Crows came to a mutual understanding to terminate his contract earlier this year after three off-field indiscretions in less than a year by Stengle.
But the Eagles say Stengle has turned his life around and the presence of Betts, who he lived with in Adelaide, would make Geelong a lot more comfortable in giving him another chance in the AFL.
It comes as the Cats have locked away five players for 2022 and beyond, with Rhys Stanley, Gary Rohan, Brad Close, Zach Guthrie and Francis Evans all signing fresh deals.
The extensions for Stanley and Rohan come after much public discussion on that pair, while the Herald Sun reported last month that the Cats were in advanced talks with Close, Guthrie and Evans on continuing their time at the club.
The latter three are all seen as part of Geelong’s long-term plans, with Close finishing seventh in the Carji Greeves Medal count this year.
Guthrie and Evans won’t be gifted senior matches but could see more game time in 2022 given the Cats will make a concerted effort to focus on youth where possible.
Geelong football manager, Simon Lloyd, said the Cats had been toiling away in the background to secure the new deals for the five players.
“We have worked to secure these contracts and are pleased that Rhys, Gary, Brad, Zach and Francis have committed to the club,” Lloyd said.
“Frank is an up and coming player and we believe he can play well at AFL level.
“Zach played his best footy this season, while Rhys, Gary and Brad were mainstays of our team this year.
“All have a strong desire to continue to develop their football and make strong contributions to the club.”
DONE DEAL: WHAT FINLAYSON COST POWER
Port Adelaide has secured Jeremy Finlayson from GWS for a future third-round pick.
Finlayson approached the Power about a potential move in the off-season with him and his partner, who is from South Australia, having their first child and wanting to be closer to her family.
The 25-year-old joins the Power on a three-year deal after the two clubs agreed on a deal on Wednesday.
Finlayson played 66 AFL games for the Giants and kicked 90 goals, including 44 in 2019 when the Giants made the grand final.
Port Adelaide list manager Jason Cripps said at 196cm the Power saw Finlayson as someone who could also be a valuable second ruck option for the Power.
“Jeremy has impressed us during his time at the Giants as a dangerous tall forward due to his athleticism and ability to impact the scoreboard,” Cripps said.
“He was very influential as a forward for GWS in their grand final year and we believe he offers us great flexibility as a tall forward, second ruck option.
“Jeremy turns 26 in February which adds balance to our list profile.
“We look forward to welcoming Jeremy and his family to the club and I know he is excited to join his new teammates for pre-season training later next month.”
Finlayson was drafted at pick 85 in the 2014 draft as a Giants academy product from Culcairn in southern NSW.
More Coverage
Originally published as AFL trade period day three live: Latest trades, free agency news
Who Gold Coast won’t chase in frantic trade period
Gold Coast will try to fix a major issue by poaching experienced players from rival clubs. But there is one type of player the Suns have ruled out – despite the immediate sugar hit.
Suns footy boss lifts lid on Lukosius trade talks
Gold Coast football boss Wayne Campbell says the club is happy for Jack Lukosius to speak with rivals, but the Suns won’t be giving him away for nothing.