AFL trade news: Liam Henry, Todd Goldstein, Brandon Zerk-Thatcher latest
Brandon Zerk-Thatcher is believed to be weighing up a move back to SA for family reasons. But the Bombers will put a high price on his head – especially if they miss out on Ben McKay.
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Essendon will make every effort to keep defender Brandon Zerk-Thatcher in the event the Bombers miss out on North Melbourne free agent Ben McKay.
Zerk Thatcher, 25, is yet to request a trade but the defender has attracted significant interest from Port Adelaide where he has strong family links.
If he decides to pursue a move home to South Australia, Essendon would likely ask for a pick inside the top-20 from Port Adelaide considering his importance and development this year.
Essendon remains keen to land McKay, but if the Roos’ backman heads to Sydney or Hawthorn, it will mean Essendon will likely make a hard stand over Zerk-Thatcher to keep him.
The Bombers want to bolster the defence but there is a risk the club will go backwards if they miss out on McKay and lose Zerk-Thatcher, without replacements.
Zerk-Thatcher is believed to be only weighing up a move to be closer to family.
Geelong will ask for an early pick from Port Adelaide, including their future first-round choice, or Hawthorn for the departure of key defender Esava Ratugolea.
Ratugolea, 25, is likely to leave but is weighing up his options at Port and the Hawks.
But Geelong and Essendon will put a high value on their trade worth given the demand for ready-made key defenders considering Hawthorn, Sydney and Port Adelaide are all desperate to bolster their defences in the trade period.
Zerk-Thatcher became an important defender for Essendon this year, playing 22 games in a key stopping role as part of an undersized back line.
Rival clubs walked away from a set of pre-trade meetings at Melbourne’s Pullman Hotel on Monday certain Sydney will offer more than $800,000 for McKay.
Sydney seems a long way ahead of any other suitor in bidding for McKay, with Essendon unlikely to hit a figure that would trigger first-round compensation for the North Melbourne defender.
Seven or eight clubs gathered for had some early meetings on potential trades on Monday as they try to make early progress on some deals.
The league will have to tick off any potential compensation but a deal of up to $850,000 should comfortably hit the first-round trigger to deliver the Roos the No.3 overall pick.
Sydney is determined to remain in the premiership window and has missed out on Harry Himmelberg and Tom Barrass, with McKay averaging 3.8 contested marks across the season despite a limited pre-season.
If McKay heads to the Swans it has the potential to leave the Bombers shorthanded down back unless they keep Zerk-Thatcher and prepare third-year backman Zach Reid for round one.
Reid, 21, is in full training and is aiming to play the season-opener on the back of a strong pre-season after years of nightmare back injuries.
GOLDY TO CONSIDER 2024 OPTIONS
Evergreen North Melbourne ruckman Todd Goldstein is weighing up his options for 2024, methodically working through a few live opportunities on the table.
He won’t be rushed into a decision on his future, with at least one rival club believed to be interested in the 35-year-old big man.
Goldstein has consistently said this season he is keen to play on next year, having finished 2023 with yet another 20 game-season to become only the sixth Kangaroos player to reach 300 games.
He sits third on the club’s all-time games tally behind Brent Harvey and Drew Petrie.
Goldstein almost left for Geelong at the end of the 2019 season when the Cats came hard for him, but he chose to remain loyal to the Kangaroos.
Several clubs including the Cats and Sydney are believed to be on the lookout for ready-made ruckmen.
Goldstein’s decision could hinge on what role he can be expected to play at North Melbourne next season, given he was twice overlooked for selection behind Tristan Xerri this season.
He was not chosen in North Melbourne’s round 1 side and was also dropped later in the season, having two games in the VFL.
But Goldstein fought back hard in the second half of the season, not only regaining his place within the senior team, but being one of the club’s better performers.
He will have to weigh up the risk of that potentially happening next season as Alastair Clarkson looks to reshape the Kangaroos’ side, against the reward of sticking with the club that has been his home since his 2008 debut season.
Goldstein has been a magnificent servant of North Melbourne, having played 315 games for the club, just one behind Petrie, who is No. 2 on the club’s all-time playing list.
REID HAPPY TO PLAY ANYWHERE
Harley Reid’s coach Danny O’Bree says the No.1 prospect has shown he is prepared to play anywhere with his remarkable season showing leadership while playing for six separate teams.
O’Bree’s Bendigo Pioneers lost the Coates League wildcard clash against the Geelong Falcons over the weekend despite 165 ranking points, 27 possessions, eight clearances and five tackles for Reid.
He has played for Bendigo, local side Tongala, the AFL academy side, Vic Country and VFL sides Carlton and Essendon.
O’Bree labelled the attention Reid as “unprecedented” through a stream of stories about whether he would reject West Coast’s trade interest and his “liking” of negative Eagles social media posts.
Reid will now prepare for the AFL draft combine from October 6-8 but O’Bree said Reid could scarcely have been more impressive.
“He is injury-free. He cramped in the last few minutes of the game and a few people were worried but he will train for the combine and get ready for that and then playing round 1 somewhere next year,” he said.
”He played in six different teams and he was excellent in all six. People questioned if he could get better but it was an extremely successful year.
“For what he has had to endure through the socials and attention it’s massive credit to him and his character. He has just got bigger and better.
“His leadership is one area we really got to work on. We made sure he was the one driving standards, galvanising the male and females groups. He was organising the chat groups, he was incredibly focused on his local football club and their fundraising drives.
“He is the most competitive kid I have seen. Even when he has the pink bib on in training which means no contact, he wants to put it in his pocket and train as hard as he can.
“We had fun with him about (which club was going to win the wooden spoon). It was all completely uncontrollable but we know he is happy to have a laugh about it.
“What he has had to endure this year. We haven’t seen it before and we won’t see it again. For him to handle it the way he has, it’s just been amazing.”
ASKING PRICE SET FOR YOUNG DOCKER
Fremantle will ask for a pick between 15-25 in return for trading former No.9 draft pick Liam Henry to the Hawks.
The Dockers are prepared to trade Henry after his official trade request and believe the Hawks are ahead of his only other suitor St Kilda.
Henry met with Hawthorn and St Kilda in the days after round 24, and after his breakout season would be a perfect acquisition for the Hawks given he is only 22 years of age.
The Dockers reason if they were to secure a player of his talent in the draft this year it would need to be in the top 25 picks so they will drive a hard bargain.
The Herald Sun revealed in February Henry was on the move to a Victorian club, and if the Hawks could secure him for a later selection it would be a trade coup.
Hawthorn has been looking at ways to bring more elite talent into the club without giving up early picks, including potential salary cap dumps in the same manner as the Jack Bowes pick 7 deal last year.
They have picks three, 29 and 48 but need to secure enough points for father-son Will McCabe, who is a late first-rounder.
CATS’ DARCY INTEREST REAL
Geelong’s Rhys Stanley is expected to play on for another season as the Cats search for another ruckman in his prime to bridge the gap between the 32-year-old and 20-year-old Toby Conway.
Stanley isn’t far away from announcing a new deal with Geelong and will go around alongside plus 30s Zach Tuohy and Tom Hawkins, who are still working through one-year deals.
The Cats do have some interest in Fremantle’s Sean Darcy given he is a Cobden local and they clearly need ruck strength after trying for years to find the next Brad Ottens.
Conway might become that player eventually but he battled foot issues all year and is some time away from maturing as a ruckman after only making his AFL debut in round 24.
Fremantle believes Darcy is well settled at the club, is renovating his house, and will sign a deal over summer as a pre-agent.
He hasn’t expressed any interest in leaving but the Cats have lodged some level of interest in him given he is a 25-year old in his prime.
He won’t come cheap wherever he signs because the Dockers paid Luke Jackson $900,000 a season, which has set the market for Darcy to sign away his free agency rights.
BLUE ON THE MOVE?
Lochie O’Brien remains contracted at Carlton for next season, but will likely look for greater opportunities elsewhere in 2024.
O’Brien, 23, has only managed six games this season – all in the first half of the season – but hasn’t played at AFL level since round 12.
His form in the VFL has been solid – 12 games at an average of 22 disposals – but he hasn’t been able to break back into Michael Voss’ side.
O’Brien, who was a top 10 draft pick in 2017, was demoted to the rookie list in 2022 but fought back hard to play 19 games for the Blues last year.
That was enough for him to win a new two-year deal with Carlton, but his lack of opportunities this season will likely see him consider if there are greater opportunities on offer.
EAGLES’ MOVE CLOUDS ROBERTSON FUTURE
West Coast might have to drag Brisbane Lions midfielder Dev Robertson through the pre-season draft if he wanted to move home given the Eagles’ determination to hang onto early draft picks.
Robertson has some Eagles interest but they have not offered him a four-year deal despite recent reports.
The Eagles have selections one, 19, 35, 38, 54 and 57.
Fremantle has some interest in Hawthorn’s departing small forward Tyler Brockman but he is expected to find a way to the Eagles.
The Dockers have told him he would find a role in the forward line with Michael Frederick likely to move to a wing to replace Liam Henry.
But the Eagles will secure him so by the time they trade for Brockman they likely won’t have a pick for Robertson.
TIGERS NOT KEEN ON CHOL
Mabior Chol has multiple clubs asking about his services but Richmond has no interest in his return.
Gold Coast coach Damien Hardwick is still yet to make a decision on Chol’s future, with the ruck-forward thrilled with the coaching change given he was no great fan of Stuart Dew.
Chol has a new management firm in Pacific Sports Management, which has dipped its toe into the AFL waters away from its usual stronghold of NRL players with a handful of NFL stars including Philadelphia’s Jordan Mailata.
Gold Coast hasn’t expressly said it is happy to trade Chol but given he is on over $400,000 for 2024 and 2025 they might want to keep only one of him and VFL star Chris Burgess.
That decision is still to come, and while clubs are asking about ex-Richmond forward-ruck Corbett his new manager Ashley Blair said he had rival interest.
“We are aware and have been approached by a number of clubs that are interested in Mabior due to his high-end talent to see where everything sits. With Mabior still being involved in the VFL finals, Mabior has not yet had his exit interview with Gold Coast, so we are not sure of the Suns position at this stage,” he said.
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