First domino falls in eight-club AFL trade blockbuster
Chad Wingard has been sent to Hawthorn in a move expected to spark a frantic final day of the AFL trade period.
Brisbane midfielder Sam Mayes and Hawthorn youngster Ryan Burton are heading to Port Adelaide in the three-way deal.
The Lions gave up pick 5 to Port for pick 6, 35 and a future third round pick.
Wingard paid tribute to his former club as the news was confirmed.
“Thank you for the memories Port Adelaide I leave with the greatest memories and appreciation of everything you’ve done for me and my family,” he wrote on Instagram.
A post shared by wings 🐦 (@chadwingard) on Oct 16, 2018 at 5:44pm PDT
A massive three-way deal has just gone down seeing Ryan Burton and Sam Mayes move to Port Adelaide, Chad Wingard to Hawthorn and picks to Brisbane.#NABTradeRadio #AFL
Move with Red Energy; 100% Australian owned energy retailer. pic.twitter.com/3L1NikOoA9
— NAB AFL Trade Radio (@traderadio) October 17, 2018
Several other high-profile deals are set to go down to the wire on Wednesday’s final day of trading.
The major dominoes waiting to fall on Wednesday, when trade period will end at 8.30pm AEDT, are relying on Lachie Neale’s move from Fremantle to Brisbane.
That would enable Dayne Beams’ shift from the Lions to Collingwood and Jesse Hogan’s potential switch from Melbourne to the Dockers.
GWS have Rory Lobb angling for a move to Fremantle while Gold Coast skipper Steven May wants to return to Victoria, with the Demons in the lead to land him.
The 8-club Mega Deal in all its resplendent glory!
For the @DETVic – Public School. Our School.#NABTradeRadio #AFL pic.twitter.com/VZXhWtLtXT
— NAB AFL Trade Radio (@traderadio) October 17, 2018
There is another blockbuster planned for Neale, May and Hogan if one or two clubs – GWS, Port Adelaide and Hawthorn in particular – suddenly refuse to budge.
“In all likelihood Beams goes to the Pies and they give up 18 and another future pick to the Lions,” Herald Sun journalist Jon Ralph said on Fox Footy.
“Then the Lions give up pick five and a later pick to Fremantle for Lachie Neale. Fremantle then give up five and a later pick to Melbourne for Jesse Hogan.
“Melbourne give up five to Gold Coast for Steven May and I think that Kade Kolodjashnij will be involved in that deal, potentially handing (over) that same later pick to the Suns as well.
“So pick five travels between all of those clubs, maybe, as I said, that secondary pick goes all around the country as well.”