AFL trade period day seven: Latest trades and free agency signing news
Essendon has offered a surprise selection as part of a trade for Bobby Hill in a sign the Dons could still resuscitate the deal. Plus recap the latest and our Trade Q&A.
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Essendon has offered a future second-round selection as part of a trade for GWS small forward Bobby Hill in a sign the Dons could still resuscitate the deal for the No. 24 draft pick.
GWS football boss Jason McCartney said on Tuesday the deal was highly unlikely to go through as the Dons prepared to offer a later selection for Hill.
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But the Herald Sun can reveal the Dons’ future second-rounder is now officially on the table as part of a deal that could involve later selections.
Given Hill is determined to get to Essendon for family reasons despite Collingwood’s interest, there is now a real chance he will get to his preferred home.
The Giants could hold firm on Hill and attempt to keep him at the club past his contract expiring next year, but there is a likelihood they would lose him anyway.
The Herald Sun reported on Sunday that Hill was keen to get to Essendon, where his cousin Courtney Ugle plays AFLW football.
While GWS is keen to retain him, there are some flaws in his game and he needs to improve his training workrate and general fitness.
But he is a high-end talent with blinding speed and a nose for goal so he would slot into Essendon’s front six with strong pressure and quality disposal.
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Collingwood had hoped they might be able to lure him across under Craig McRae but his only intent is to play for the Dons next year.
Hill’s management made clear to Essendon during the finals that he was keen to play for the club, but the late notice means GWS would need a replacement small forward.
If they brokered a trade for Hill they could decide to add low-cost players like St Kilda’s Jack Lonie or ex-Carlton pressuring forward Michael Gibbons to their list for cover.
Star GWS forward Toby Greene is out for the first five weeks of the season after suspension.
Tigers speak out on huge No.1 offer, draft plans
— Simeon Thomas-Wilson
Richmond list manager Blair Hartley says the Tigers won’t be shy about trying and package up their strong draft hand again to try and get an early pick.
The Tigers made North Melbourne a huge offer of picks 7, 15, 26 and Callum Coleman-Jones for the Kangaroos pick 1 – which will be South Adelaide wonderkid Jason Horne-Francis.
Hartley said he thought it was an appealing offer.
“It’s one of those ones where you are in your office and you draw it up you think maybe they will do that,” he said on Trade Radio.
“We bundled all those picks up but I think North Melbourne spent very little time thinking about it.
“It was one of those ones that we had to swing the bat at and have a go, it just never quite worked out but that’s the way it works sometimes.”
Adelaide also made the Roos an offer for pick 1 to secure Horne-Francis.
Hartley said the Tigers were prepared to try and climb up the order again.
“We pushed it right to the barrier because we are in a position where we want to replenish while we can contend,” he said.
“We won’t sell the farm but want to be in a position where we can get the best available talent.
We have the position to have some flexibility (to repackage their picks) …to bundle them up or pick them where they are.
“We made a position to trade into this draft and we are excited with who we might get at pick seven.”
How Giant deal would hit Pies’ Daicos plans
— Marc McGowan
Collingwood would almost certainly need to dip into its Nick Daicos fund to swoop in and pinch wantaway Giant Bobby Hill from Essendon.
The Magpies emerged as a serious suitor on Monday as progress stalled on Hill’s want to leave Sydney to relocate to Melbourne.
Greater Western Sydney list boss Jason McCartney is yet to agree to trading the 21-year-old goalsneak, whose late trade request sparked widespread interest among Victorian clubs.
Hill’s camp argues the Giants knew of him potentially wanting to leave for some time, but GWS points to his public comments in early September about repaying the club’s faith in him.
Complicating matters is Hill is contracted for next season, and Toby Greene and Brent Daniels are the only other genuine small forwards at the Giants, so they don’t want to be left short in attack.
GWS officials even discussed with Hawthorn – one of the teams interested in Hill – an audacious bid for contracted Hawk Chad Wingard to fill the void in attack.
North Melbourne was another suitor, but baulked at the likely trade it would take to get a deal done, with general manager of football talent Brady Rawlings saying the Roos would focus on the draft.
The Giants’ unwillingness at this stage to trade Hill means discussions around his worth haven’t taken place with the Bombers, but it’s believed a second-round draft pick is the going rate.
Essendon doesn’t have a selection between 11 and 51 this year, but that later choice will improve several picks once the Western Bulldogs and Collingwood match bids for father-son prospects Sam Darcy and Daicos, respectively.
The Bombers won’t “split” their top pick, which leaves their future second-round selection possibly in play – but it was Hill who came to them and not vice versa, so they won’t overpay.
It’s a different story for the Pies, who already offloaded their future second-round pick in a significant pick swap with Gold Coast on Monday last week.
They also traded down from 22 to 27, which stands as their highest remaining selection, in a separate deal with Fremantle.
Daicos has a good chance of slipping to No. 3 if the Giants retain pick 2, because they have indicated they would likely bid on Darcy before him on a needs basis.
North Melbourne will draft Jason Horne-Francis first overall, so matching potential bids at the next two selections would mean Collingwood needs to come up with 2014 or 1787 draft points.
As it stands, the Magpies’ draft hand amounts to 2215 points, but satisfying GWS for Hill with either pick 27 or 36 would slash that tally to 1512 points or 1713, respectively.
They also have selections 46, 48, 55 and 58 that could be involved, while Collingwood forward Josh Thomas is an unrestricted free agent and another left-field option.
But the Giants could potentially sign Thomas for free as a delisted free agent.
The Pies’ hand would improve slightly if an opposition team, such as GWS, bids on Darcy before Daicos.
WHO WILL BLINK IN JORDAN DAWSON STANDOFF?
— Jon Ralph
Adelaide has told Sydney it will not improve upon its offer of Melbourne’s future first-rounder for wingman Jordan Dawson as the two clubs remain locked in a game of trade bluff.
The Crows are awaiting a response from Sydney on their trade offer of a pick that would likely land between 14-18, with Adelaide’s No. 4 selection officially off the table.
Adelaide is negotiating in good faith and will not discuss the likelihood of dragging Dawson through the pre-season draft given there is time ahead of the 7.30pm Wednesday deadline to strike a deal.
But with football director Mark Ricciuto saying last week the pre-season draft had to be a potential option, the Crows will hold their nerve and hope Sydney relents.
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TRELOAR TRADE PAVED WAY FOR LIPINKSI MOVE
Collingwood recruit Patrick Lipinski says he has no bad blood towards the Bulldogs, or former Magpie Adam Treloar, who took his spot in the Dogs midfield.
“It all happened in the last few minutes (of last year’s trade period) with Treloar coming I knew it would probably be tough to get a spot in the midfield,” Lipinski said.
“Those two guys are just great players and it was amazing to get them, one to stay with Dunks and to get Treloar coming as well, it was awesome for the team so I was pretty happy.
“I really enjoy playing on the wing, but it wasn’t to be. I wasn’t getting a game, that is just how it went and it has led me to this opportunity, which is really exciting.”
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ROOS PLAY HARDBALL OVER RUCKMANT
St Kilda and North Melbourne remain locked in discussions about contracted ruckman Tristan Xerri, who wants to be a Saint from next season.
Xerri has requested a trade to St Kilda but Kangaroos general manager of football talent Brady Rawlings remains firm they will send him to the Saints only if the deal is “attractive”.
The 22-year-old is contracted to North until the end of the 2022 campaign, while it’s believed St Kilda has a two-year offer in front of him.
The Saints have presented the Roos with a couple of options that revolve around exchanging late picks, whereas North Melbourne wants a future second-round pick in return.
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Rawlings has spoken to Xerri about the situation and did not guarantee a trade would occur.
“When a player requests a trade, he has an offer somewhere else and would prefer to go there, so when that occurs you do need to consider it,” Rawlings told SEN.
“But at the end of the day, when they’re contracted we value them very highly and we’re not going to be letting him go for nothing.
“If it’s valuable for us, then we’ll help him get to where he wants to get to. But if it’s not, he’ll start pre-season with us on November 22 and we’ll carry on, business as usual.”
Xerri played all eight of his senior matches this past season after Round 13, with veteran Tom Campbell – who remains without a deal for next year – preferred until then as Todd Goldstein’s ruck deputy.
He put together some excellent VFL performances, averaging 21.5 disposals, 15.5 contested possessions, 5.5 clearances and 26.2 hit-outs in his fourth season on the list.
But ruck-forward Callum Coleman-Jones’ celebrated arrival on a four-year deal from Richmond on Friday will likely limit Xerri’s senior opportunities.
Part of the Roos’ hesitancy to part with Xerri is that Goldstein turns 34 in July and is entering the last year of his contract.
Campbell will also be 30 in November, but they also have No. 1 mid-season draftee Jacob Edwards, who stands 202cm, and 199cm forward-ruck Charlie Comben developing.
Rawlings said Edwards, in particular, was still a long-term project and North Melbourne wanted to be able to choose from three ruckmen “on any given round”.
That could technically be Goldstein, Coleman-Jones and Campbell, assuming the latter re-signs.
“Obviously, it depends on whether Tristan stays or goes,” Rawlings said.
“If he was to go, we’d probably have to look at another ruckman, but at this stage we’re counting him in.”
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