AFL trade news: Recap all the updates and news from day 9 of the AFL trade period
Dan Houston got his wish to be a Magpie, but it certainly wasn’t that simple, as the story that has dominated the trade period threatened to go off the rails. So how did they get it done?
Dual All-Australian Dan Houston will get his wish to play for Collingwood after a three-club, five-player mega trade was revived less than 24 hours after Port Adelaide sensationally closed the door.
A trade that seemed dead on Monday night was eventually allowed to pass through with exactly the same picks and players exchanged after a day of complex, emotional talks at the Malvern offices of Connors Sports.
RECAP ALL THE TRADE NEWS FROM TUESDAY BELOW
At one stage Port Adelaide attempted to trade Houston to North Melbourne, given their anger at what they saw as an inadequate return for a player at the peak of his powers.
But in the end Gold Coast’s threat to trade its No. 13 draft pick to a separate party – effectively scuttling the Houston aspect of the deal – saw the Power accept a deal it still believes was under par.
The Power denied its board had vetoed that trade and said that rather than knocking back the deal on Monday night it had only paused for think music.
The Power were in a tight spot because they knew Houston was not interested in leaving for North Melbourne and were only interested in 2024 draft picks, not the future first-rounder the Roos had offered.
The deal looks unders but now the Power have the chance to use pick 13 to trade for multiple later first-round picks including the Swans no. 19 and 22 right until draft night.
Port Adelaide receives Jack Lukosius, Gold Coast’s half back Rory Atkins and Collingwood small forward Joe Richards, but moves on its future first rounder, pick 39 and 58 along with Houston.
Collingwood has secured Houston and pick 58, but gives up its 2025 first round pick, Richards, John Noble and pick 36.
The Suns have locked away Pies half-back Noble, and Port Adelaide’s and Collingwood’s future first round selections, as well as pick 39.
Port Adelaide will have Lukosius, Atkins (who has one more year left on a deal worth $400,000), as well as picks 13, 29 and 50.
The Suns retain picks 6 and 23, which they can hand to Richmond for Daniel Rioli in a deal that will see them secure a pick in the 30s in return.
And while it was again the Suns who had to relent to make the deal work, their brilliant trade last year into turning selection four into six late first rounders gave them the draft capital to finalise the complex arrangement.
Collingwood’s list boss Justin Leppitsch had promised not to sacrifice the club’s future for the present, even as coach Craig McRae desperately tried to secure Houston as well as free agent Harry Perryman.
In the end, the Pies have picks 36, 52, 55 and 88, as well as their newly acquired pick 58.
With so many matched bids on academy players, Collingwood is aware those picks in the 50s will end up higher on draft night.
Houston immediately provides an upgrade on Noble, who for all of his popularity with the fans, was rarely in the club’s top ten in the best and fairest.
He was famously dropped for the 2023 finals series and heartbreakingly missed the premiership, but he will sign a four year deal at the Suns.
Houston will bring some elite defensive cover for the Pies alongside small defender Isaac Quaynor, tenacious Brayden Maynard and stalwarts Darcy Moore and Jeremy Howe.
The Pies are also looking at Demons free agent Adam Tomlinson as well as St Kilda’s Tim Membrey for some goal coverage.
Melbourne and Brisbane both had some interest in Membrey before moving but as a 190cm forward who kicked 30 goals this year, he has some appeal for the Pies’ list management team.
The Dees will slot running machine Harry Sharp onto a wing next year after securing him in a trade from the Lions.
As forecast by this masthead on Monday, the trade focused on pick 49, with the Dees handing over that selection and swapping future third round picks.
The Dees kept that pick out of Monday’s trade with Essendon to have it ready for the Sharp deal.
The future third Melbourne handed over is tied to Essendon, with the Lions sending their own future third to the Dees.
Victorian Sharp requested a trade to Melbourne last week after 16 games in four seasons in Brisbane, including just six this year.
He was emergency for Brisbane’s triumphant grand final side but struggled to get a look in.
Sharp is best known for his draft combine 2km time trial record, when the former athlete smashed the record in 2020 with a time of 5min 28 sec.
Demons list boss Tim Lamb highlighted on Tuesday that he was looking for more running power following the retirement of Lachie Hunter and the trade of Alex Neal-Bullen, two of Melbourne’s best runners.
Having given out pick 49, the Demons now only hold picks five and nine in November’s draft so will likely try and get some later picks to have more of a footprint.
The Lions added more draft pick points to its bag as it prepares to match bids for Levi Ashcroft and Sam Marshall next month.
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