Essendon forward Orazio Fantasia arrives in Adelaide for a family visit as trade speculation plays out
Orazio Fantasia has arrived in Adelaide for a family visit, as speculation rages he will ask for a trade back home to South Australia.
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Orazio Fantasia has arrived in Adelaide for a family visit, as speculation rages he will ask for a trade to South Australia.
The future of the 24-year-old livewire forward has been one of the main talking points this off-season, with Fantasia now expected to request a move back to SA.
After parting ways with his manager, and silence at Essendon’s best and fairest night as to whether he would stay a Bomber, Fantasia touched down in Adelaide on Thursday.
When asked at Adelaide Airport what was the purpose of his trip to SA, Fantasia said it was just a family visit.
But he did not answer when asked if he would be playing for Essendon next year.
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Both SA teams are interested in Fantasia should he ask for a trade, it is understood he believes he can secure one, but Port Adelaide is leading the race.
On Wednesday Port’s general manager of football, Chris Davies, said if Fantasia wanted to come back to Adelaide, the Power would be very tempted.
“When a young South Australian player wants to come home at any point then we’ve got an interest,” he said on AFL Trade Radio.
“Orazio hasn’t necessarily suggested that’s the case with him yet, but I think you can say across the board, if a South Australian wants to come home, both us and Adelaide would generally be interested. If he was (wishing to return to SA) we’d definitely want to be in the conversation.”
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Fantasia has good relationships with Port’s assistant coach Nathan Bassett and co-captain Tom Jonas.
He could join key forward Joe Daniher in leaving the Bombers this trade period, with both storylines so far largely dominating the AFL off-season.
Port’s young key defender-forward Dougal Howard could form a key part of any trade with Essendon for Fantasia, having met with the Bombers in the wake of his exit interview with the Power.
Originally published as Essendon forward Orazio Fantasia arrives in Adelaide for a family visit as trade speculation plays out