AFL trade period day two live: Latest news on trades, free agency
The opening two days of the trade period have been slow going, with several key deals in limbo as clubs push for first-round draft picks as compensation. See how day two unfolded.
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Geelong is open to retaining Jordan Clark next year unless Fremantle can significantly improve its opening offer of pick 27 for the talented wingman in the next week of trade period.
The opening negotiations over Clark have not gone well given Geelong asked for pick 8 and Fremantle was only keen to offer pick 27 for a player determined to be in Justin Longmuir’s side next season.
The Dockers might eventually secure extra selections in the trade for Adam Cerra, who is certain to get to Carlton later in the week or early next week.
But the Cats believe there is not only a key role for Clark as a hard-running wingman, they have shown they are prepared to keep contracted players including Tim Kelly.
The Cats allowed Nathan Kreuger to depart for the Pies on Tuesday for a pick swap of 41 for 45 because he is stuck behind contracted players.
But unless Fremantle can increase their offer to Geelong to something closer than the pick 15 he was taken at in the national draft three years ago the Cats are happy to keep him.
Geelong’s Luke Dahlhaus and Shaun Higgins will both see out the final seasons of their contracts next year despite conjecture about whether the club might attempt to lower its age profile.
Carlton’s deal to get Cerra to the Blues will involve them having to hand over more than their current No. 6 pick in this year’s draft.
One scenario would see the Blues hand over pick 6 and their future second-rounder but getting Fremantle’s future third-rounder back.
Neither party is interested in talks running aground so it is certain Cerra will eventually get to the Blues, potentially later in the week.
Lewis Young will find his way to Carlton in the next week for a late Blues pick.
The Blues will have to accept a later selection for departing midfielder Sam Petrevski-Seton from West Coast that at this stage is pick 52.
That No. 52 pick would at least give the Blues an extra later selection in this year’s draft to offer for Young or to form part of a deal.
Young has been brought in to play as a key defender, with Caleb Marchbank back from an April ACL tear early in the season but having missed all of 2020 and 2021 with injury.
BIG CAT JOINS PIES IN BARGAIN SWAP
Geelong’s Nathan Kreuger has become the first player trade of the 2021 national period.
Collingwood has handed over pick 41 and will secure Geelong’s pick 55 in its deal for Kreuger.
Collingwood held picks 41, 43, 46 and 48 but handed over the first of those so the Cats could move 14 spots up the draft ladder for Kreuger.
It comes after Collingwood’s pick swap with Gold Coast paved the way for an early deal.
Kreuger will get to Collingwood as a forward marking target given the Pies now have a huge array of 2021 picks to help secure trade targets and father-son Nick Daicos.
The Pies now have picks 22, 36, 41, 43, 46, 48, 58, 78, 79 to help with their off-season priorities.
Kreuger was tried as a key back this year given Geelong’s array of options in the front six but is seen as a natural 196cm forward who is a strong contested mark.
The Cats handed over pick 42 to Calton for access to SANFL player Kreuger’s services three years ago when the Blues had a number of priority selections for continued underperformance.
The Pies will see him as part of a key position set-up that will include Brody Mihocek and Darcy Cameron, with Mason Cox still awaiting a new deal.
The Lions are interested in his services but he has not been guaranteed a deal at the Pies under his new senior coach Craig McRae, who helped him develop into a finals-winning key forward.
It comes with Geelong still holding firm on a deal for contracted midfielder Jordan Clark.
The Herald Sun revealed on Monday the Cats asked for pick 8 for Clark but Fremantle instead offered pick 27.
The Cats are absolutely ready to keep him at the club next year as contracted unless Fremantle hands over adequate compensation.
MACPHERSON STANCE LEAVES SUNS STUMPED
Gold Coast is open to Darcy MacPherson remaining at the Suns on a restructured contract as his potential trade to North Melbourne ran aground on Tuesday.
The Roos and Suns are still negotiating on a deal to send pick 19 and MacPherson to North Melbourne in exchange for a future second-round selection and a swap of later picks.
But MacPherson is keen to remain at the Suns and fight for his position in the last year of a back-ended contract worth $400,000.
While North Melbourne premiership player David King was critical of a deal brokered after MacPherson finished top three in the best-and-fairest, the deal is heavily back-ended.
The Suns are determined to fix their salary cap issues so would be open to him signing a new two-year deal on a more responsible wage.
MacPherson is a popular member of the Suns with good leadership who plays a high-pressuring forward role when in the side but has battled to make an impact in the past two seasons.
If the trade did not eventuate, the Suns would still be keen to trade their No. 19 pick to one of five or six potential suitors.
Clubs including Brisbane and Melbourne could be keen to improve their draft hand in this draft while giving the Suns high picks in the 2022 national draft.
The Suns will only take pick 3 to the national draft, determined to back in the players they have drafted in the past two seasons instead of bringing on more first-year talent.
Will Brodie could yet find a new home at Fremantle with discussions underway about a potential trade.
Brodie is due a significant 2022 contract and is unlikely to play much senior football at the Suns.
So the best-case scenario for both clubs would be a trade that allowed the Dockers to restructure his contract.
If they do not have the list spot for Brodie he could eventually be delisted and find his way to the Dockers as a delisted free agent.
Former No. 9 pick Brodie is a clearance expert but in a team with Touk Miller, Matt Rowell and Noah Anderson has not been able to find a regular role.
PENDLES EXTENDS PIES DEAL AFTER STANDOFF
Scott Pendlebury is on track to play the 350th game of his brilliant career next season after re-signing at Collingwood for another two years.
The 33-year-old is already the Magpies’ club record-holder for games played (334) and matches as captain (183) and will continue into a 17th season in black and white.
Pendlebury’s third-placed finish last week in Collingwood’s best and fairest count was the 13th time he’s been on the Copeland Trophy podium, including winning it five times.
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“I’m glad to have come to an arrangement with the club to share in what feels like a new era,” he said.
“Being a one-club player was one thing, something I am proud of, but my main motivation is to do all that I can to assist ‘Fly’ (new coach Craig McRae) and the new coaching group develop the squad.
“If you are not in contention, you have to be working towards it. That’s exciting.”
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The Pies originally offered Pendlebury only a one-year contract and the eventual deal followed some speculation about the potential of him going elsewhere after comments he made on radio.
Asked in August if he would consider a move to an opposition club that included a guarantee of transitioning into a coaching role – as Sam Mitchell did – Pendlebury said he would consider it.
“If a club wants to offer me future coaching gigs for a couple of years’ time, I’ll have a look at it,” he told Triple M at the time.
“But playing wise, I’m pretty confident (I’ll stay at Collingwood).”
Whether it was a tactic or not, Pendlebury and his management team, Hemisphere Management Group, was able to convince the Magpies to double their offer.
He also quickly clarified on Twitter that he wanted to be a one-club player and was open to coaching at another club after retiring as a footballer.
Magpies football boss Graham Wright said Pendlebury remained a standard-bearer at the club for his younger teammates.
“One day, Fin Macrae or Tyler Brown or Reef McInnes will be able to look back and appreciate that in their earliest years they learnt from one of the best of all time in Scott,” Wright said.
“His achievements speak for themselves but his dedication to his craft and ability to inspire the wider group is a fabulous asset for our club.
“It is very pleasing to know he will be with us for another two seasons.”
The skipper signs on for two years!
— Collingwood FC (@CollingwoodFC) October 4, 2021
Magpie Army, @SP_10 has just sent you a text message 😉
NEVILLE JETTA JOINS PIES
Collingwood’s quest to fast-track the education of its young list has been boosted by the recruitment of former Demon Neville Jetta as a development coach.
It comes as the Magpies remain in the market for a new head of academy appointment in the wake of Damian Carroll’s move to St Kilda.
Jetta, who retired in the days after Melbourne’s premiership success, will work alongside Scott Selwood, who will return to a development role in 2022.
Jetta, 31, played 159 games with the Demons across 13 seasons, but managed only five matches this season.
He had been courted by several clubs since announcing his departure from the Demons and will have a hands-on role with the Magpies in playing with the club’s VFL side.
His impact at Melbourne on and off the field was significant and his role as a mentor was highlighted when young Demon Kysaiah Pickett attempted to put his premiership medal around Jetta’s neck soon after the final siren.
Collingwood will go into next season with one of the youngest lists in the competition as new senior coach Craig McRae and his team of assistants including Justin Leppitsch and Brendon Bolton work on getting the right education base right for the players.
Melbourne coach Simon Goodwin described Jetta as “an incredible person and our players, coaches and staff are better people for having played and worked alongside him.”
“He is an amazing character and he’s been determined to make sure he left this club as a great club.”
WHAT BLUES WILL GET FOR SPS
Sam Petrevski-Seton remains determined to start fresh at West Coast next year in a deal which could deliver the Blues a measly late third-round pick.
The playmaker, who was taken with pick 6 by Carlton six years ago, has already flown to Western Australia and will not consider a comeback to Ikon Park under Michael Voss.
The Blues were hopeful of securing a decent pick in return for the playmaker but West Coast has different ideas as it looks to keep its top-three selections.
The Eagles want to take picks 10, 29 and 35 to the national draft to help replenish the squad which has disappointed over the past two COVID-19-impacted seasons.
It means West Coast has earmarked pick No. 52 to give to Carlton for Petrevski-Seton in what would be an underwhelming return considering Carlton’s huge investment in him.
While talks are ongoing, the Blues do not have a strong bargaining position given Petrevski-Seton is uncontracted for next year and was dropped from the side this season.
He averaged 14 possessions a game across 16 matches this season and was shifted into defence and lost confidence under former coach David Teague.
The midfielder wants to play midfield-forward for West Coast next season as part of a fresh start for the Halls Creek product who turns 24 in February.
The Eagles rate Petrevski-Seton’s fitness and his ability to fit-in with their kicking game plan, even though Fremantle weren’t keen on the playmaker.
He is expected to add to the Eagles’ outside midfield stocks with former teammate Dale Thomas labelling him a contender for the best-value pick-up of the trade period.
SWANS: DAWSON WORTH MORE THAN CERRA
Sydney has reminded Adelaide that it will not let Jordan Dawson go back to South Australia cheaply, with Swans head of football Charlie Gardiner labelling him as “arguably the best player on the market at the moment”.
Dawson turned down a five-year contract to stay at the Swans, with the long-kicking wingman nominating the Crows as his preferred destination to make a move back to SA.
The 24-year-old was drafted by the Swans with pick 56 in the 2015 draft.
But a season in which he finished third in Sydney’s best-and-fairest has the Swans arguing he is the best player looking for a trade this off-season – placing him ahead of Fremantle’s Adam Cerra, who Carlton is expected to part with a top-10 pick for.
“Our view is he’s arguably the best player on the market at the moment,” Gardiner said on SEN.
“We think it’s only fair and reasonable that we expect strong compensation for him.”
The Crows won’t give up their first pick of the draft – pick 4 – and their next selection is 23.
The Western Bulldogs’ pick 17 could be key in unlocking a deal for Dawson, with the Bulldogs needing to find later picks to accumulate draft points for father-son prospect Sam Darcy.
Gardiner said the Swans would not back down over getting fair compensation for Dawson.
“I think we have to look at the overall situation,” he said.
“This is not about being difficult or playing hard ball. We just want to see a fair deal for a player we rate really highly and the competition rates really highly.”
POWELL-PEPPER COULD HEAD WEST
A desire for more midfield time could lead to Sam Powell-Pepper seeking a fresh opportunity away from Port Adelaide.
Powell-Pepper is contracted for two more years at Alberton but the 23-year-old could explore his options if he feels like midfield minutes at the Power are again going to be limited in 2022.
It is believed West Coast has expressed interest in Powell-Pepper, who was recruited from East Perth.
But Tom Clurey is set to back himself in to reclaim his spot in Port’s best 22, rebuffing interest from at least three clubs.
North Melbourne, St Kilda and Carlton are believed to have shown preliminary interest in Clurey, who has another two seasons to run on a heavily back-ended deal but played only two games after Round 9 this year following surgery for a broken jaw.
The tough onballer and his partner are expecting a child in April next year.
Powell-Pepper’s partner Brya posted the news on Instagram last Friday, saying they “are so excited to meet you little one”.
Powell-Pepper was the medical sub for the Power in the finals series, after he was dropped for the last two games of the home and away season.
After shining in his first year after being drafted in 2016 had two up and down years before shining in a hybrid forward-midfield role in 2020.
But it is understood that Powell-Pepper wants to be a midfielder at this point in his career.
And while Port Adelaide are happy to keep him, the Power could be happy to part with Powell-Pepper if they get an adequate return.
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