AFL trade period 2022: Follow all the latest news on the big deals as it happens
As Jason Horne-Francis waits for his move to Port Adelaide to be fulfilled, it has emerged a fourth club could become involved in the increasingly-complex deal.
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North Melbourne will strongly consider splitting one of its top-two selections for multiple picks or players if it can secure a trade for Jason Horne-Francis for pick two.
And the move could bring St Kilda hard nut Hunter Clark back into the Roos’ frame late in the trade period next week despite the Saints’ desire to keep him.
St Kilda has said it wants to hold on to Clark, 23, but are considering ways to bring in another early draft pick after missing out on the signature of Collingwood’s Jordan De Goey.
There is a left-field option to make a play for high-priced defender Nick Haynes from GWS Giants if the salary dump also comes attached with a first-round draft pick.
Haynes is up for grabs if a new club covers his $800,000-plus price tag but there had not been any big moves for him over the first week of the trade period.
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The Kangaroos are working hard to secure a trade for Horne-Francis as part of a transfer involving West Coast and Port Adelaide which could land the Roos West Coast’s pick two.
But the mooted three-way deal could become a four-way exchange if the Roos can engage GWS on a swap for either pick one or pick two (potentially on-traded from West Coast).
GWS, which holds picks 3, 12, 15, 18 and 19, has already held talks with clubs about bundling up some of those choices for an earlier pick higher up the order.
It means the Roos could offer up pick one or two for multiple selections at the back end of the first round and then try and tempt St Kilda to off-load Clark for one of them.
The Saints’ hard nut midfielder considered a trade despite having one more year to run on his contract and was buoyed by the arrival of Lenny Hayes as midfield coach at St Kilda.
The investigation into North Melbourne coach Alastair Clarkson about the treatment of First Nations players during his time at Hawthorn had also clouded the move.
North Melbourne has already landed Griffin Logue and Darcy Tucker from Fremantle as part of a strategy to bring in some mature-talent after two years in the AFL doldrums.
However, there remains work to do on the arrangement with West Coast and Port Adelaide on the move to send Horne-Francis to the Power which would see the Eagles’ slide from pick two to pick eight.
West Coast would also receive Port’s future first-round pick, plus a potential second-round pick, to help break the deadlock on the deal.
West Coast said it would be interested in a prime young player such as Mitch Georgiades to accept the trade but Port does not want to trade the young key forward.
Exciting wingman Xavier Duursma is also off the table despite a frustrating year playing 11 games for Port this season.
Duursma has told Power chiefs and his manager David Trotter he wants to stay at Port to help guide the club back up to the top-four mix next season.
Clubs could also enquire about dynamic linebreaker Josh Sinn but Port has also said previously the speedster is a contracted and required player for 2023.
Sinn, from Sandringham, was taken with pick 12 in last year’s draft. North Melbourne also want something extra in the deal for Horne-Francis in addition to pick two if it can snatch it off West Coast.
DEAL CATS THINK SETS HENRY TRADE VALUE
Jon Ralph
Geelong is cautiously optimistic it could have paved the way for deals that will secure Ollie Henry and Jack Bowes after a frantic day of movement that saw him seal a trade for GWS midfielder Tanner Bruhn.
On a day where the Cats officially dealt pick 18 to the Giants for Bruhn they also completed a pick swap that at least gives them a chance of securing Collingwood first-round pick Ollie Henry.
They traded picks 38, 48 and 55 as well as future second and fourth-rounders for Brisbane’s pick 25.
That No. 25 selection could be on-traded to the Pies for Henry, who as a No. 17 selection two years ago would deserve to be traded for a pick of that worth.
Collingwood has made clear that it wants a first-round selection for Henry, who has shown flashes of brilliance but wants to play alongside his brother Jack at the Cats.
But Geelong has struggled to secure a top-20 pick and believes that 25 is a fair trade for Henry.
The Cats accepted pick 22 for contracted No. 15 draft selection Jordan Clark last year, with a swap of third and fourth-round picks.
They believe pick 25 for an uncontracted player is equitable, but are yet to receive assurances from Collingwood on that front.
Geelong and the Suns spoke to the AFL on Friday about structuring Bowes’ contract over four seasons, as revealed by the Herald Sun on Sunday.
The Suns had been keen to secure Geelong’s future second-round pick — now gone in that pick swap — but they may have to be content with a pick like Geelong’s future third-round selection.
GWS is content to secure 18 for Bruhn, a No. 12 draft pick two seasons ago in a deal that will allow them to move on with the Henry deal.
The Bruhn deal gives GWS an incredible draft hand _ 3, 12, 15, 18, 19 _ with the Giants set to secure Richmond’s pick 31 and a future first-rounder when they make a deal on Jacob Hopper.
The Herald Sun reported on Thursday the Giants could be open to trading up to the No. 1 overall pick given their admiration for Vic Country tall Aaron Cadman.
Cats list boss Andrew Mackie said on Friday the Cats were thrilled to secure local product Bruhn.
““We are thrilled to welcome Tanner to our football club,” Mackie said.
“Tanner is a very talented player, who will add to our midfield stocks while also having the versatility to play other positions.
“Tanner had a number of options available to him and we’ve been impressed with the way he has handled himself throughout this period and we’re looking forward to seeing him wearing the hoops in 2023.
“We thank Jason McCartney and the Giants for the respectful and positive discussions between our clubs.”
The Bruhn Transfer is done. Welcome home, Tanner ðð¤
— Geelong Cats (@GeelongCats) October 7, 2022
READ ð: https://t.co/LCfGPSLMPs#WeAreGeelong | @GordonTAFEpic.twitter.com/SoCDgAExhR
CAMERON CLONE HAS CLUBS EYEING NORTH’S PICK 1
North Melbourne’s three-way deal that would hand the Roos the top two picks in the national draft could see it considering trading the No. 1 overall pick in this November’s national draft.
The Roos are open to offers on the No. 1 overall pick and with the Giants keen on key position players 194cm marking forward Aaron Cadman shapes as their ideal target.
The Giants are known to be keen to secure Vic Country’s Cadman given their determination to boost their key position stocks, with the rangy forward compared to a young Jeremy Cameron by many recruiters.
Some recruiters believe the Giants are keen to ensure they have access to Cadman even if it requires GWS to hand over multiple picks, with GWS currently holding picks three, 12, 15 and 19.
Such a deal could see the Roos falling back from picks one and two to No. 2 and No. 3 but also securing pick 12 or 15 from GWS.
North Melbourne has the option of considering options all the way up to November’s draft as it assesses its own draft order through that period.
But securing the first pair of selections would give it undoubted bargaining power, especially if it did not have Cadman as its No. 1 player on the draft board.
Players like explosive centre square mid George Wardlaw and Sandringham Dragons mid-forward Harry Sheezel would still be on the board if it allowed GWS to secure Cadman.
North Melbourne premiership player David King said on Fox Footy the Roos had to take a tall-small combo if they secured in the first two picks after overlooking Logan McDonald for Will Phillips two years ago.
First the Roos must clinch the deal to secure West Coast’s No. 2 selection as part of a three-way trade with the Power and Eagles.
Port Adelaide quickly swatted away Eagles interest in contracted star Dan Houston on Thursday, but all parties believe there is enough goodwill ahead of talks this weekend to broker a deal.
North Melbourne would secure West Coast’s No. 2 overall pick, Port Adelaide would hand over pick 8 and its future first-rounder to the Eagles and the Power would get Jason Horne-Francis.
At this stage neither club is happy with the finer details of the deal and Port Adelaide would clearly have to sacrifice extra picks including No. 33 to throw Eagle Willie Rioli into the deal.
But West Coast has players later in the top 10 of the draft including WA locals Elijah Hewett and Reuben Ginbey that it could select before taking another local player next year with the Port Adelaide future first-round pick.
Originally published as AFL trade period 2022: Follow all the latest news on the big deals as it happens