That's it from us today.
Join us tomorrow for all the latest trade news and whispers.
Thanks for following along.
For all the latest, head to SuperFooty.com.au
AFL Trade Daily: Eddie Betts recruitment major factor in Jack Martin's decision to seek trade to Carlton
Carlton's plan to bring Eddie Betts home is already reaping benefits, with wantaway Gold Coast Sun Jack Martin buoyed by the prospect of learning under the superstar small forward. RECAP THURSDAY'S TRADE NEWS
The lure of Eddie Betts was a major factor in Jack Martin's attempt to join Carlton.
SCROLL DOWN TO RECAP ALL TODAY'S TRADE NEWS
Martin has been set on the Blues for some time, with the looming acquisition of Betts said to have sealed the deal for Suns' indigenous midfielder-forward.
While the Blues have copped criticism in some circles for their decision to re-recruit Betts, who turns 33 next month, Carlton believe his leadership and popularity will do wonders for club culture.
The veteran goalsneak has started delivering before arriving back at the Blues himself, with Martin, 24, eager to play alongside the fan favourite.
Stream over 50 sports Live & On-Demand with KAYO SPORTS on your TV, computer, mobile or tablet. Just $25/month, no lock-in contract. Get your 14-day free trial and start streaming instantly >
The Western Bulldogs have denied asking about Zac Fisher, with speculation surrounding the future of the Blues' midfielder.
Fisher, 19, is contracted until 2021 and lives with Carlton skipper and fellow West Australian Patrick Cripps. Fisher seems happy and settled, but sources suggested he held appeal by for the Dogs given his penetrating left foot and line-breaking ability.
The Dogs have had an interest in another left footer, Hawthorn winger Isaac Smith.
Fisher played 21 games last season and 17 in each of his first two years with the Blues after they took him with pick 27 in the 2016 national draft.
Updates
GOOD EVENING...
Dogs make shock Fisher play
SAM EDMUND and JON RALPH
THE Western Bulldogs have made a cheeky play for Carlton’s Zac Fisher.
The surprising approach was swiftly knocked on the head by the Blues, who had no intention of letting him go.
Fisher, 21, is contracted until 2021 and lives with Carlton skipper and fellow West Australian Patrick Cripps.
He held appeal for the Bulldogs given his penetrating left foot and line-breaking ability. The Dogs have also had an interest in another left footer, Hawthorn winger Isaac Smith.
Fisher played 21 games last season and 17 in each of his first two years with the Blues after they took him with pick 27 in the 2016 national draft.
While the Blues fended off the Bulldogs, they are busy working out a range of trade scenarios to satisfy Sydney and Gold Coast for Tom Papley and Jack Martin, respectively.
Should the Swans relent on Papley, the Blues will either send pick 9 to them for the goalsneak and get a second round pick back (No.25), or split pick 9 with a club like Geelong for selections 14 and 24.
Those two picks could then be used to secure Papley and Martin, most likely along with a shuffling of later picks.
Two second round picks – one this year and a future – could also be enough to get Martin in navy blue.
The 24-year-old has been set on Carlton for some time, with the looming acquisition of Eddie Betts said to be a major factor in Martin’s decision.
Betts, who turns 33 next month, was praised for his off-field influence at Adelaide and the Blues believe his leadership and popularity will do wonders for club culture.
Saints call Dockers’ Hill bluff, but what happens now?
JON RALPH + JAY CLARK
St Kilda has dramatically called Fremantle’s bluff on Brad Hill after the Dockers knocked back an offer of pick six and next year’s second-round selection.
St Kilda faces one of the great juggling acts of the trade period, having traded away that No. 6 pick to GWS for selections 12 and 18.
They had offered pick six and that 2020 selection, and had also offered up talented utility Blake Acres as part of the trade if the Dockers were interested.
FULL STORY: https://bit.ly/33gbu7A
Vic clubs eye young Giant
JAY CLARK
Powerful Greater Western Sydney midfielder Aiden Bonar could explore a move to a Melbourne club in search of greater senior opportunity next season.
Multiple clubs have expressed interest in the Dandenong product but will wait until the final days of the trade period next week to pursue the matter.
Bonar, who was rated as one of the most talented players of the 2017 national draft, is a big-bodied midfielder with exciting athletic traits.
FULL STORY: https://bit.ly/31ZcNrl
SAM EDMUND
Geelong has formed part of a stack of rival interest for Brad Crouch this year, but the Adelaide midfielder is set to stay put during this trade period.
But Crouch, who wants a lucrative five-year deal from the Crows, is facing an uncertain long-term future.
The best and fairest midfielder becomes a restricted free agent at the end of next year and the Herald Sun has confirmed the Cats are among six clubs who have expressed interest.
With clubs like Geelong and Gold Coast knowing they would have to cough up a significant price to secure the 25-year-old, snaring him for no outlay under free agency rules in 12 months’ time holds appeal.
Crouch’s preference is to remain with the Crows, but his contract request is highly unlikely to be sanctioned any time soon given the new coach will want to assess the list over the coming months and into next season.
Geelong’s trading of Tim Kelly to West Coast has armed the Cats with picks 14, 17, 24, 36, 37, 93 in next month’s draft.
Geelong has not enquired about Crouch since the Kelly deal went through, but would be able to find the cash to afford him given it had made a Kelly an offer said to be worth around $800,000 a season.
Brad Crouch staying … for now
SAM EDMUND
Geelong has formed part of a stack of rival interest for Brad Crouch this year, but the Adelaide midfielder is set to stay put during this trade period.
But Crouch, who wants a lucrative five-year deal from the Crows, is facing an uncertain long-term future.
The best and fairest midfielder becomes a restricted free agent at the end of next year and the Herald Sun has confirmed the Cats are among six clubs who have expressed interest.
With clubs like Geelong and Gold Coast knowing they would have to cough up a significant price to secure the 25-year-old, snaring him for no outlay under free agency rules in 12 months’ time holds appeal.
Crouch’s preference is to remain with the Crows, but his contract request is highly unlikely to be sanctioned any time soon given the new coach will want to assess the list over the coming months and into next season.
Geelong’s trading of Tim Kelly to West Coast has armed the Cats with picks 14, 17, 24, 36, 37, 93 in next month’s draft.
Geelong has not enquired about Crouch since the Kelly deal went through, but would be able to find the cash to afford him given it had made a Kelly an offer said to be worth around $800,000 a season.
‘This is a sick, sick thing’: Blight slams recruiters
Andrew Capel, The Advertiser
AFL legend Malcolm Blight has slammed AFL clubs over the “sick’’ questions they are asking potential draftees, fearing they could lead to serious mental health problems.
And the dual Adelaide premiership coach has called on AFL chief executive Gillon McLachlan to put an immediate stop to them.
Brownlow and Magarey Medallist Blight said he was furious after hearing that likely number two draft pick Noah Anderson, from Victoria, had at the AFL Draft Combine been put through the famous thought experiment known as the trolley problem, which assesses the morals of their subjects.
FULL STORY: https://bit.ly/2q2x3dB
Jon Ralph
Port Adelaide has been left bemused and frustrated after Orazio Fantasia pulled out of a potential trade after months of discussions that started mid-year.
Fantasia is staying at Essendon after spending the day considering offers from the Bombers and Port Adelaide.
The Herald Sun reported this morning that he was genuinely torn between a move to Port Adelaide and remaining at Essendon, where he is a big fan of coach John Worsfold.
His move away from manager Anthony McConville to Adelaide-based Michael Doughty meant many had suggested he was set to move.
But by early this morning he was saying he might want to stay, loyal to Worsfold and aware a deal back home might have been difficult to pull off.
It is understood Port Adelaide would have been prepared to trade inside midfielder Sam Powell-Pepper back to the Dons but that deal will not likely go ahead now.
That deal would only have happened as part of a swap of players that included Fantasia.
Even close friends and confidantes believed Fantasia was ready to move back to his family
But he has made clear this afternoon he wants to remain at Essendon for 2020.
The Power and his management had been talking since mid-year when both camps had strong interest that continued throughout the intervening months.
And when he chose Doughty the Power believed he would eventually request a trade that would see them playing Robbie Gray, Fantasia and Connor Rozee in their forward line.
Doughty quickly got up to speed and was able to present to Fantasia both proposals to give him the time to make a decision.
As an Adelaide-based manager he also has the might of the TLA player management stable to will easily fulfil Fantasia's needs despite being based in a different state.
There seems little prospect of the Power pursuing a trade for Fantasia again next year given his backflip after so much progress.
The Power had been in contract with Fantasia’s management through recent contract extensions and had always believed he would end up in Adelaide.
Fantasia stays at Essendon, Power stunned
Jon Ralph
Port Adelaide has been left bemused and frustrated after Orazio Fantasia pulled out of a potential trade after months of discussions that started mid-year.
Fantasia is staying at Essendon after spending the day considering offers from the Bombers and Port Adelaide.
The Herald Sun reported this morning that he was genuinely torn between a move to Port Adelaide and remaining at Essendon, where he is a big fan of coach John Worsfold.
His move away from manager Anthony McConville to Adelaide-based Michael Doughty meant many had suggested he was set to move.
But by early this morning he was saying he might want to stay, loyal to Worsfold and aware a deal back home might have been difficult to pull off.
It is understood Port Adelaide would have been prepared to trade inside midfielder Sam Powell-Pepper back to the Dons but that deal will not likely go ahead now.
That deal would only have happened as part of a swap of players that included Fantasia.
Even close friends and confidantes believed Fantasia was ready to move back to his family
But he has made clear this afternoon he wants to remain at Essendon for 2020.
The Power and his management had been talking since mid-year when both camps had strong interest that continued throughout the intervening months.
And when he chose Doughty the Power believed he would eventually request a trade that would see them playing Robbie Gray, Fantasia and Connor Rozee in their forward line.
Doughty quickly got up to speed and was able to present to Fantasia both proposals to give him the time to make a decision.
As an Adelaide-based manager he also has the might of the TLA player management stable to will easily fulfil Fantasia's needs despite being based in a different state.
There seems little prospect of the Power pursuing a trade for Fantasia again next year given his backflip after so much progress.
The Power had been in contract with Fantasia’s management through recent contract extensions and had always believed he would end up in Adelaide.
JUST IN: St Kilda has completed a pick swap with GWS to turn a top-10 draft pick into two later first-round selections.
The Giants have gained pick 6 and pick 59 in return for picks 12 and 18.
Pick 6 had been at the centre of speculation around a trade for Fremantle's Brad Hill, but reports today suggested the Dockers were demanding pick 6 and next year's first-round pick.
Meanwhile, the Saints are trying to acquire picks to complete deals for Paddy Ryder, Zac Jones and Dougal Howard.
The Saints released a brief statement that read: "The Saints are working on bringing in four important players during the trade period with the pick swap giving the club greater flexibility in their negotiations."
GWS football manager Wayne Campbell said: “This deal strengthens our draft hand by giving us a high first-round selection.
“It will allow us to bring in a quality talent that will complement our list, while the early fourth round pick gives us additional flexibility across our draft hand.
“We will continue to look to strengthen our playing list and draft hand over the remainder of the trade period.”