Jordan Lewis set to join Melbourne after rejecting move to Gold Coast as part of Jaeger O’Meara deal

UPDATE: HAWTHORN midfielder Jordan Lewis has officially requested a trade to Melbourne, with the two clubs to meet today to thrash out a likely pick swap.

UPDATE: HAWTHORN midfielder Jordan Lewis has officially requested a trade to Melbourne.

Lewis has told officials from the Demons and the Hawks that he wants to play for Melbourne coach Simon Goodwin next season.

The Hawks have agreed to grant his wish and will attempt to thrash out a suitable deal, bringing his sparkling 12-year career at Waverley to an end.

Melbourne and Hawthorn chiefs are meeting this afternoon to confirm the likely pick swap.

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As the Sunday Herald Sun revealed, Lewis, 30, will sign a three-year deal to become a Demon.

Melbourne wants to hand over a late pick such as No.66 or No.84, but the Hawks have not ruled out targeting a player in exchange for Lewis.

The Demons are thrilled to land a player of Lewis’s standing and experience and have earmarked a key leadership and midfield role for the hard nut midfielder.

Hawthorn said on Friday Lewis won’t be traded, but the club has changed its mind and will facilitate the trade to help extend Lewis’s glittering career.

Hawthorn wingman Billy Hartung could also be on the move to Brisbane along with utility Brendan Whitecross in a bid to clinch the trade for Gold Coast star Jaeger O’Meara.

The Hawks offered Hartung, 21 and Whitecross, 26, to the Lions in exchange for pick No. 21.

Hawthorn hope to swap picks No. 21 and No. 10 to the Suns for O’Meara.

Lewis, 30, has one year left on his Hawthorn contract, but wants to play under Melbourne coach Simon Goodwin, who he has already had discussions with.

Jordan Lewis is expected to now leave Hawthorn. Picture: Wayne Ludbey

Melbourne is eager to snare Lewis to help bolster its leadership stocks but the Demons may only be prepared to offer pick No.66 or even No.84 for Lewis.

The savvy on-baller’s next move is to officially request a trade and sources say that could be done on Monday.

In a stunning period of developments at the Hawks, Lewis’s name was proposed to Gold Coast and it’s understood the Suns were prepared to pay Lewis more than what Demons plan to.

The Hawks on Friday traded away a future first-round pick and two second-round picks to secure St Kilda’s No.10 pick, which they hope will help satisfy Gold Coast’s demands for O’Meara.

A leading player manager on Saturday labelled the trade as “one of the worst’’ he has seen.

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The Demons, who were originally approached by Lewis’s management, will pay Lewis less than what his Hawthorn contract is in 2017, but the obvious sweetener is the three-year deal.

If the Demons stumped up only a two-year deal, Lewis was more than likely to remain at Hawthorn, where he’s a four-time premiership player.

Contrary to reports, Lewis is not angry with Hawks coach Alastair Clarkson or the club.

Also not true is the speculation Lewis thought he was going to be offered the captaincy by Clarkson at a meeting two weeks ago, only to be told he could explore greener pastures if he wanted to.

Jordan Lewis has played in four premierships with Hawthorn. Picture: Wayne Ludbey

The All-Australian midfielder, who has long been earmarked as the replacement for skipper Luke Hodge, knew that with only 12 months remaining on his existing contract he as unlikely to be offered the role.

A pay cut to help fit in Tom Mitchell, Ty Vickery and probably O’Meara was not part of any discussions with the Hawks.

Lewis’s manager Liam Pickering said on Saturday: “Lewy is a professional, he’s a vice-captain of the club, he finished second in their best-and-fairest last week. Whatever happens will happen.

“There is a good chance he will be a Hawthorn player, because he is contracted to Hawthorn, but I need to keep working through it with Jordan and we will see where it goes.

“There is no time line. I doing what’s best for Jordan and what he wants me to do.”

Sources say Lewis wants to be Melbourne player for the next three years.