AFL trade period: More suitors emerge for Gold Coast’s prize first-round draft pick

The list of clubs interested in Gold Coast’s sought-after pick 13 is growing, complicating Collingwood’s efforts to wrench Dan Houston out of Port Adelaide in a trade.

MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA – OCTOBER 06: Leo Lombard (Queensland – Gold Coast Suns Academy) competes in the 20-metre sprint test during the Telstra AFL National Draft Combine Day 2 at MSAC on October 06, 2024 in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Dylan Burns/AFL Photos via Getty Images)

More suitors have emerged for Gold Coast’s prized 13, the first-round pick clubs have been clamouring over in the first week of the trade period.

Suns list manager revealed several clubs had made offers for the selection, which has been viewed as crucial to Dan Houston’s future, on Friday.

Cameron described the pick as “fairly hot property”.

“I would say right at the moment, there’s not a clubhouse leader because I think it’s probably, in some ways it’s been tied to what may or may not happen with Dan Houston and I’m not privy to all those details,” he said.

“Even today we’ve had another couple of clubs come to us with offers.

“I’m not going to put a public time limit on when we would make a decision on what we’ll do with 13. I think we’ll leave some of the clubs (with) a bit of time to work out what their best offer is to come back to us.”

The Suns are certain to offload the pick to safeguard themselves against an early bid on academy star Leo Lombard.

Cameron said Gold Coast expected Lombard to attract a bid before pick 13.

Melbourne has reportedly offered a future first-round selection and pick 28 to the Suns.

Meanwhile, the Suns have warned talks with Richmond over Daniel Rioli’s future after likely to drag on until deadline day on Wednesday.

Gold Coast list boss Craig Cameron.

Suns academy star Leo Lombard at the draft combine.

The Tigers have reportedly been seeking more than Gold Coast’s No. 6 pick for their best-and-fairest winner Rioli.

Cameron said there was “still a fair bit of work to do” for a deal to be agreed.

“We sort of understand their position. We’re trying to get them to understand our position, I suppose. I think we’ll work through it over the weekend and I think as the trade period unfolds on Wednesday, that’s when we’ll start to knuckle down,” he said on Trade Radio.

“I think in this draft, pick six is a really good pick. It’s a really deep draft. We know there’s some really high top-end talent.

“We also are cognisant of the fact Daniel is contracted, so that always makes things a little bit more tricky. But we think pick six is a pretty good selection.”

DOCKERS URGED TO GATECRASH EAGLES’ BAKER PLANS

— Tim Michell

Fremantle has been urged to capitalise on the trade which blew this year’s trade period open by usurping West Coast in the race for Liam Baker.

The Richmond premiership player nominated the Eagles as his preferred home and was expected to become a West Coast player in a deal involving Hawthorn’s pick 14.

But the Hawks sent that selection to Carlton on Friday for a future first-round and second-round selection, throwing the futures of Baker and Eagles defender Tom Barrass into limbo.

The surprise development has prompted suggests Fremantle — armed with four top-30 picks in this year’s bumper draft — should make a late play to lure Baker from under their rival’s noses.

“Do they consider it? Absolutely. I think they have to look at Baker,” former Western Bulldogs captain Brad Johnson said.

“If it’s not going to work out with West Coast, I think that coversation has to happen. If you go there with Bolton and Baker and it bolsters your already strong line-up, I would be having a crack at it.”

Liam Baker has requested a trade to West Coast. Picture: Michael Willson/AFL Photos via Getty Images

Shai Bolton is expected to join Fremantle. Picture: Paul Kane/Getty Images

Fremantle holds picks 10, 11, 18, 30 and 67 in this year’s draft, while West Coast has picks 3, 26, 63 and 28.

The Dockers have already been working with Richmond on a deal for Shai Bolton, with picks 10 and 18 reportedly tabled.

“It does put Freo in (the) box seat because they have four picks that can be used on two players. How they work this through is up to them — whether it’s 10, 11, 30 or 11, 18, 30 to get those two players it done,” Johnson said.

“It seems enough to get the two players done. That’s the good part about where they sit, with still keeping a selection inside the first round for themselves to use on the best young talent available and it could be the best WA player available at that particular time.”

The Eagles could feasibly split pick three, with Carlton (picks 12 and 14) eyeing their top-five selection.

That would give West Coast the capital to land a top-15 draftee and Baker, keeping him out of the clutches of Fremantle.

“It’s just a matter of what will possibly work and whether Baker is completely open to that move or whether West Coast is the desired destination for him,” Johnson said.

The Eagles also have the rarely-used option of walking the out-of-contract Baker to the pre-season draft.