Incredible eight-club trade proposed for AFL deadline day
An incredible eight-club trade proposal has reportedly hit the table ahead of the final day of the AFL trade period.
Hawthorn swooped on GWS midfielder Tom Scully on the penultimate day of the AFL trade period but several high-profile deals are set to go down to the wire after another day of slow movement.
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.
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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.
Chad Wingard wants to leave Port Adelaide and his home state of South Australia for a stint with Hawthorn, who could lose impressive young defender Ryan Burton to the Power as part of the trade.
Almost all of the deals are at an impasse, but Fairfax Media reports a succession of moves – proposed by an influential player manager – would effectively create an eight-club trade.
Brisbane’s pick No.5 is wanted by Fremantle and is the key to unlocking the deals, with that and later draft picks and players then moving across the country at a rapid rate.
However, there is a smaller 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.”
Ralph said Port Adelaide’s involvement in the wider deal begins and ends with Gold Coast’s interest in turning that pick No.5 into Port’s two first-round picks.
Tom Scully moves on the cheap
The No.1 pick at the 2009 draft, Scully got his wish to play for Hawthorn from next year as the Giants received just a future fourth-round pick in return.
On the face of it, the deal for the 152-game gut runner looks like daylight robbery by the Hawks, but a question mark hangs over his fitness after a major ankle injury in round two ruled him out for the rest of the season.
In another late trade, Hawthorn sent two-time premiership player Taylor Duryea to the Western Bulldogs for a future fourth-round pick.
May, a free agent at the end of next season, has played his cards close to his chest but looks set to follow Tom Lynch out the door at the Suns.
But the 26-year-old hasn’t told Gold Coast that it’s the Demons or bust.
“He’d be happy to come to (any team in) Melbourne if something was found,” Suns list manager Craig Cameron told the AFL website.
“It’s up to the clubs now that are pursuing him to come up with something. At this this stage they haven’t.”
Some minor deals went through on Tuesday,
Aaron Hall’s long-mooted move from the Suns to North Melbourne finally became official on Tuesday.
The Kangaroos acquired Hall for a bargain price, offloading pick No.68 to complete the deal.
The Suns then on-traded that draft pick to Adelaide, who flipped it to Richmond to secure small forward Tyson Stengle.
Gold Coast sent youngster Jack Scrimshaw to the Hawks for a swap of late picks and the Suns picked up rarely-used midfielder George Horlin-Smith from Geelong.
with AAP