AFL trade: the biggest deals each club will be aiming to close

Mick Stirling

AFL trade: the biggest deals each club will be aiming to close image

Adelaide Crows

The Crows want Jack Lukosius and it’s going to take pick 2 to get him. Mitch McGovern’s imminent move to Carlton isn’t going to get the job done so the Crows need to get creative. Brad Crouch might be wild speculation, but if they want to get the job done ...

Adelaide sends pick 7 to Gold Coast
Adelaide sends Brad Crouch to Richmond
Richmond sends pick 16, Corey Ellis and Anthony Miles to Gold Coast
Gold Coast sends pick 40 to Richmond
Gold Coast sends pick 2 to Adelaide

Adelaide out - pick 7, Brad Crouch
Adelaide in – pick 2 (Jack Lukosius)

Rating: Speculative

MORE: All the trade news and moves HERE | Gaff turns down North Melbourne offer

Brisbane Lions

The Lions’ young list is coming along fine, but if they want to start winning a few more games they need the ready-to-go midfield class of Lachie Neale. The Dockers will draw this one out, but it should be fairly straightforward and get done on the last day of the trade period.

Brisbane sends (current) pick 4 to Fremantle
Fremantle sends Lachie Neale to Brisbane

Brisbane out – pick 4
Brisbane in – Lachie Neale

Rating: A lock

Carlton Blues

The Blues have a lot of fingers in a lot of pies, but with nothing to trade besides draft picks, there’s only so much they can get done, and they’re not giving away the number one selection for anything. Expect them to use both of their second rounders to get Mitch McGovern and the Crows’ pick 39, but can they still have a shot at Dylan Shiel?

Carlton out – Pick 39, 2019 first round selection
Carlton in – Dylan Shiel

Rating: Good chance


 

Collingwood Magpies

If the Magpies re-sign Darcy Moore they’ve got no need for Steven May, and while a reliable second tall forward would be handy they also need to address an ageing midfield. Ed Langdon is a gun, his brother is at Collingwood already and Fremantle wants draft picks.

Collingwood out – pick 17
Collingwood in – Ed Langdon

Rating: 50/50

Essendon Bombers

The Bombers have identified just one trade target – Jack Martin – which suggests they’ll go pretty hard to get him. It’ll take a lot to convince the Suns to let the contracted 23-year-old go.

Essendon out – pick 8
Essendon in – Jack Martin and pick 27 

Rating: Speculative

Fremantle Dockers

Jesse Hogan has been on the Dockers’ radar for years and the time to swoop has finally arrived, but it will take a bit of work. They’re not about to give up two top-five picks, but getting Collingwood involved could get the job done.

Fremantle sends Ed Langdon to Collingwood
Collingwood sends pick 17 to Melbourne
Fremantle sends pick 5 to Melbourne
Melbourne sends Jesse Hogan and pick 45 to Fremantle

Fremantle out – Ed Langdon, pick 5
Fremantle in – Jesse Hogan, pick 45

Rating: Good chance

Geelong Cats

Tom Hawkins isn’t getting any younger and needs support, and while Esava Ratugolea is exciting, he’s not enough. The Cats love nothing more than a local boy and should try to entice Paddy McCartin ‘home’ before he’s totally ruined at St Kilda.

Geelong sends Tim Kelly and pick 49 to West Coast
West Coast sends end-of-first-round compensation for Scott Lycett to St Kilda
West Coast sends pick 36 to Geelong
Geelong sends Daniel Menzel to St Kilda
St Kilda sends Paddy McCartin to Geelong

Geelong out – Tim Kelly, Daniel Menzel
Geelong in – Paddy McCartin, pick 37

Rating: Speculative at best, but give it a shot

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Gold Coast Suns

Our ‘ideal trade scenario’ for Adelaide and Richmond has the Suns receiving picks 7 and 16 plus some players for pick 2. Add to that Tom Lynch compensation and possibly a Steven May trade, and Gold Coast will hold five first round selections and another two inside the top 30. Keeping draftees has been a problem so they need to find a way to bring in experienced talent.

Gold Coast sends pick 16 to Greater Western Sydney for Will Setterfield
Gold Coast sends pick 27 to Collingwood for Josh Smith and Adam Oxley
Gold Coast sends pick 30 to Geelong for George Horlin-Smith and Daniel Menzel

Gold Coast still holds four first round selections and brings in five experienced players.

Rating: Best they can do

Greater Western Sydney Giants

It was inevitable the Giants were going to be hit by salary cap concerns as the top-line talent they selected with initial draft concessions matured, and now it’s time to refresh their stocks of top young talent on minimum wage by heading back to the draft with a full deck. So let’s get those picks!

GWS sends Dylan Shiel to St Kilda for pick 3.
GWS sends Will Setterfield and pick 23 to Essendon for pick 9
GWS sends Tom Scully to Hawthorn for pick 14

GWS finish with four selections inside the top 14

Rating: Best they can do

Hawthorn Hawks

The Hawks paid plenty for Jaeger O’Meara a couple of years ago and will need to go hard again if they want to be a chance to bring in Dylan Shiel, but a midfield of Shiel, O’Meara and Tom Mitchell looks pretty elite.

Hawthorn out – Pick 14, 2019 first round selection
Hawthorn in – Dylan Shiel, pick 46

Rating: Good chance

Dylan Shiel

Melbourne Demons

Can the Demons afford Steven May? Not at the moment, but if Jesse Hogan gets to Fremantle they will have currency aplenty.

Melbourne sends Jesse Hogan and pick 45 to Fremantle
Fremantle sends pick 5 to Melbourne
Fremantle sends Ed Langdon to Collingwood
Collingwood sends pick 17 to Melbourne
Melbourne sends pick 5 to Gold Coast
Gold Coast sends Steven May to Melbourne

Melbourne out – Jesse Hogan, pick 45
Melbourne in – Steven May, pick 17

Rating: A lock


 

North Melbourne Kangaroos

It’s taken a few years but at last the Kangaroos’ determination to bring in big-name talent is starting to pay off. Jared Polec is the highest-profile non-free agent heading to Arden Street and he should get there relatively painlessly with a straight swap for the Roos’ first round selection.

North Melbourne out – Pick 10
North Melbourne in – Jared Polec

Rating: A lock

Port Adelaide Power

After last year’s big-name trades delivered little, the Power wants top-end draft picks in 2018, particularly South Australian young guns Jack Lukosius and/or Izak Rankine. To get their hands on either or both will take some up-trading though.

Port Adelaide sends Jared Polec to North Melbourne
North Melbourne sends pick 10 to Port Adelaide
Port Adelaide sends Chad Wingard and pick 28 to Western Bulldogs 
Western Bulldogs send pick 6 and Tom Liberatore to Port Adelaide
Port Adelaide sends picks 6 and 10 to St Kilda
St Kilda sends pick 3 to Port Adelaide

Port Adelaide out – Jared Polec, Chad Wingard, pick 28
Port Adelaide in – pick 3 (Izak Rankine), Tom Liberatore

Rating: On the cards

Richmond Tigers

The Tigers have shored up their main area of concern – a second key forward – by the free agency acquisition of Tom Lynch, now to see if they can add a bit more depth to the midfield with prolific ball winner Brad Crouch. A crazy internet rumour or something that just might happen?

Richmond sends pick 16, Corey Ellis and Anthony Miles to Gold Coast 
Adelaide sends pick 7 to Gold Coast
Gold Coast sends pick 2 to Adelaide
Adelaide sends Brad Crouch to Richmond
Gold Coast sends pick 40 to Richmond

Richmond out - pick 16, Cory Ellis, Anthony Miles
Richmond in – Brad Crouch

Rating: Speculative but worth thinking about


 

St Kilda Saints

The Saints have been using the draft over recent years, but now is the time to trade for immediate improvement. At the moment they’re adamant their first pick isn’t on the table, but if you want to buy big you need to spend big.

St Kilda out – pick 3
St Kilda in – Dylan Shiel

Rating: It's definitely on offer

Sydney Swans

The priority for the Swans is a key forward to make life easier for Lance Franklin, but there’s not a lot out there. St Kilda says Paddy McCartin isn’t on offer, but swapping the yet-to-fire 22-year-old for Dan Hannebery is a win for all involved, including the players.

Sydney out – Dan Hannebery, pick 36
Sydney in – Paddy McCartin, St Kilda’s 2019 3rd round selection

Rating: Speculative

#Paddy McCartin

West Coast Eagles

Homesick Cat Tim Kelly wants to get to the Eagles and it should be a simple affair, with West Coast handing over one of the end-of-first-round selections it will be holding once compensation is handed out for Scott Lycett and, possibly, Andrew Gaff.

West Coast out – Pick 19, pick 37
West Coast in – Tim Kelly, pick 49

Rating: A lock

Western Bulldogs

The Bulldogs want Chad Wingard and Port Adelaide wants the world. They won’t get it, but David Koch will make sure Chad doesn’t go too cheap. Tom Liberatore is the kind of inside midfielder the Power needs, as long as he can keep himself in line off the field, and Port could be prepared to take a chance on the exiled Dog.

Western Bulldogs out – Pick 6, Tom Liberatore
Western Bulldogs in – Chad Wingard, pick 28

Rating: Looking likely

Mick Stirling