‘Losing their minds’: Cornes gobsmacked as club repeats bold AFL trade gamble

The AFL Trade Period is heating up and a blockbuster move has been locked in, but it’s left pundits with serious concerns over one club.

It took more than a week but the AFL Trade Period is finally heating up, with Richmond Liam Baker set to join West Coast in a major deal.

The Eagles have split their draft pick No. 3 and will receive Baker in a deal involving Carlton.

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West Coast will get pick 12 in the draft, while giving pick 3 to Carlton — their highest pick since they took Sam Walsh at No. 1 in 2018. The Blues want to draft Finn O’Sullivan, who is the second cousin of Walsh and secure draft points to pick the twin sons of Carlton premiership player Scott Camporeale.

Carlton forward Matt Owies, who kicked 33 goals in 2024, will also head across to West Coast as part of the trade. The deal was made official on Tuesday.

“We are delighted to get a deal done for Liam and we believe he can make an immediate impact for us in 2025 and in the years ahead,” Eagles list manager Matt Clarke said.

“He is an outstanding character in the prime of his career who has a strong relationship with our new coach Andrew McQualter and he is eager to get to work.

“Liam’s skill and dynamic playing style makes him a valuable asset for us as we embed a new gamestyle.”

Liam Baker trade

West Coast receive: Liam Baker, Matt Owies, picks 12, 73

Richmond receive: Pick 14

Carlton receive: Picks 3, 63, 68

Richmond gun Liam Baker is heading to West Coast. (Photo by Darrian Traynor/Getty Images)

The deal gives Richmond a third pick inside the top 25, with more draft assets expected to come in before the trade period ends.

Seven News’ Ryan Daniels said: “The addition of Matt Owies into the trade put this back on the table this afternoon. Some additional later picks to be sprinkled in. This now looks likely.”

Baker is a two-time premiership player with Richmond in the prime of his career at age 26. He won the Robert Rose Award as the AFL’s most courageous player in 2022.

But Kane Cornes believes West Coast will regret giving up pick 3 for Baker.

In 2022, the Eagles split pick 2 and instead drafted Reuben Ginbey at pick 8 and Elijah Hewett at pick 12. North Melbourne took Harry Sheezel at pick 2, who was the AFL Rising Star in his first season and looks a ready made superstar.

“West Coast fans are losing their minds about that,” Cornes said on AFL Trade Radio.

“Considering they did split a pick a couple years ago and that ended up being Harry Sheezel.

“I just don’t understand why they would even entertain splitting pick 3 for that, just to get Liam Baker.

West Coast are giving up a lot for Liam Baker. (Photo by Robert Cianflone/Getty Images)

“He’d be nice to have, but he’s not the re-build-type player that West Coast need. They need to be getting as many top ten draft picks as they possibly can to start rebuilding this club, which they should have done three years ago.

“If West Coast fans are losing their mind over this, this should go to the West Coast board and it should sit in front of them and they should assess it and they should say, ‘Nup we’re not having this’. That is what boards should be doing.”

The Herald Sun’s Jon Ralph described it as “a deal that has polarised the Eagles fans”.

Ralph wrote: “With Harley Reid in no rush to sign a new contract and with some close to him still believing he will one day return to Victoria, the Eagles are taking a risk in not accumulating enough top five draft picks as they seek to rise up the ladder.”

West Coast are hoping Baker and Harley Reid can help them improve. (Photo by Will Russell/AFL Photos via Getty Images)

West Coast have finished 17th, 18th and 16th in the past three seasons. Baker joins a rebuilding team featuring Oscar Allen and last year’s No. 1 pick Harley Reid, while 298-gamer Jack Darling has left to join North Melbourne on an extended deal.

Richmond could lose another two premiership players, with best and fairest winner Daniel Rioli set to join the Gold Coast Suns and Shai Bolton linked with a move to Fremantle.

The Tigers could get picks 6 and 23 from the Suns for Rioli — a very high price for the rebounding defender.

If the Baker and Rioli deals go through on Tuesday, Richmond could hold picks 1, 6, 20, 23 and 24, plus an extra two more first rounders from an expected deal with Fremantle.

Meanwhile, Port Adelaide defender Dan Houston faces a nervous wait after a mega three-team trade involving Collingwood and the Gold Coast fell through, with the Power not seeing value in the deal.

The AFL Trade Period concludes on Wednesday at 7.30pm AEDT.

Originally published as ‘Losing their minds’: Cornes gobsmacked as club repeats bold AFL trade gamble