By Marc McGowan, Peter Ryan and Michael Gleeson
One last multi-club swap proved the deal-buster in a typically hectic climax to the AFL’s trade period on Wednesday night that delivered new homes for Bailey Smith, Jack Macrae and Matt Kennedy.
A flurry of trades went through in the final 10 minutes, with none of the 2024 trade period’s key players left stranded despite some nervous moments.
Jake Stringer (GWS Giants), Tom Barrass (Hawthorn), Caleb Daniel, Luke Parker and Jacob Konstanty (all North Melbourne), and James Peatling (Adelaide) also switched clubs in the dying stages, but the four-club trade between Geelong, Western Bulldogs, St Kilda and Carlton was the headline act.
New Cat Bailey Smith and new Hawk Tom Barrass.Credit: Getty Images
Smith, who missed the entire past season recovering from an ACL rupture, will play for the Cats from next season after list boss Andrew Mackie agreed to give up picks 17 and 38.
Pick 25 was always the key piece in the Daniel discussions, and North eventually agreed to part with it without gaining anything back. They increased their offer for Parker from 62 to 44, but added Konstanty in the process.
Macrae crossed from the Dogs to the Saints in the same deal – with St Kilda parting with pick 45, which went to Geelong – and Kennedy moves to the Kennel, where he should have more midfield opportunity.
The No.17 selection also went to the Bulldogs, while the Blues scored pick 38 for losing Kennedy, who they encouraged to look around.
There were tense negotiations before that all unfolded, including Smith’s agent, Paul Connors, pacing the Marvel Stadium corridors while bouncing between the Geelong and Western Bulldogs corporate suites.
Macrae wanted a fresh start after falling down the midfield pecking order at the Dogs in the past two seasons, and should take his place in St Kilda’s first-choice centre-bounce set-up in 2025.
Stringer’s move to the Giants looked in jeopardy barely two hours out from the trade deadline, but Connors and GWS recruiting manager Adrian Caruso said post-deadline the trade was never off despite reports that suggested otherwise.
Finally a Giant: Jake Stringer.Credit: AFL Photos
The 30-year-old forward eventually swapped clubs for only pick 53 – after more than a week of back and forth over his value – and he adds to a potent GWS attack that already boasts Coleman medallist Jesse Hogan, Toby Greene, 2022 No.1 draftee Aaron Cadman and Brent Daniels.
The Kangaroos missed out on back-to-back All-Australian Dan Houston after desperately trying to force their way into the race, but end the player movement period with experienced additions in Daniel and Parker, while small forward Konstanty was the No.20 selection two years ago.
The Roos also lured Eagles premiership player Jack Darling on the opening day of trade period in exchange for pick 67.
Houston was able to avoid the final-day drama when he made it to his preferred destination of Collingwood on the penultimate day in a three-club swap with Port Adelaide and Gold Coast.
The Peatling deal between the Crows and Giants unexpectedly went down to the wire as well. Adelaide agreed to offload a future second-rounder for the breakout GWS midfielder, plus GWS’s 2025 third- and fourth-round selections.
Hawthorn also finally found middle ground with West Coast on contracted key defender Barrass in the final half hour before the trade deadline.
The Hawks put a spanner in the works when they traded their pick 14 on Friday to Carlton after days of fruitless discussions with the Eagles on Barrass.
West Coast had insisted on two first-round picks for the 29-year-old premiership player for much of the negotiations, but ended up settling on a future first-rounder (tied to the Hawks, rather than the Carlton pick they had acquired), second-rounder and third-rounder, while giving Hawthorn their 2025 fourth-rounder.
Barrass joins free agency addition Josh Battle, from St Kilda, in reinforcing the Hawks’ backline.
Earlier, Richmond made the most of an unfortunate situation, trading the final two of their wantaway trio – all premiership stars – on deadline day, with Shai Bolton crossing to Fremantle and Daniel Rioli becoming a Sun.
After almost a fortnight of toing and froing on which of the Dockers’ first-round picks the Tigers would secure for Bolton, they ended up with all three – while handing Fremantle pick 14 and a future third-rounder.
Richmond’s first-round draft haul swelled to seven, with another at the start of the second round, by the time they traded Rioli for Gold Coast’s picks six and 23. They handed back a bunch of late picks to help the Suns match a bid on academy prospect Leo Lombard, none of which they were likely to use, anyway.
That followed the Tigers on Tuesday granting Liam Baker his wish to return to Western Australia and play for the Eagles, in return for pick 14 in a three-club swap with West Coast and Carlton.
It was a challenging period for wooden-spooners Richmond, given Jack Graham also departed via free agency, but list boss Blair Hartley has the chance to bring in an extraordinary group of young talent in one hit.
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