AFL trades LIVE: Tiger Baker now an Eagle; Houston deal a ‘line-in-the-sand’ moment
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Explaining today’s swap of picks
Brisbane’s trade with St Kilda gives the Saints extra assets to complete a deal with the Western Bulldogs for Jack Macrae.
The Dogs had rejected St Kilda’s offer of pick 44, but now they have 32 to work with to broker something. There is logic from the Lions’ perspective, too.
They are still trying to find middle ground on Harry Sharp with Melbourne. Brisbane knocked back the Demons’ pick 49 offer for Sharp before they traded for Essendon’s No.9 selection yesterday morning.
At that point, the Lions would have accepted 40 for Sharp, but that pick is now in the Bombers’ hands. By making this trade, Brisbane are effectively hedging their bets.
They have a higher pick of more value to opposition clubs if they want to split it for multiple assets, while they also could still retain Sharp.
Clubs can only use as many draft picks as vacant list spots, so Melbourne might need to find a creative way to up the ante for Sharp, who they have offered a three-year deal.
Talks over Stringer will ‘ramp up’, say Bombers
Essendon expect talks over a potential switch for Jake Stringer to Greater Western Sydney will “ramp up” over the next 24 hours, but it’s unclear whether the dynamic forward will leave the Bombers.
The club’s list boss Matt Rosa said “not too much has changed in the last few days” in regard to the terms of a deal for Stringer to become a Giant.
“As we’ve stated [previously] Jake is a contracted player and played really good football for us this year,” Rosa told AFL Trade Radio on Tuesday.
“I spoke to Jake yesterday, and we’ll continue to talk but I can’t really give too much further comment on that.”
Meanwhile, the Bombers also uncertain at what stage in the draft order a bid will come for academy prospect Isaac Kako.
They are determined to secure the young talent who Rosa said was a “first round talent”.
“There’s no doubt we need to strengthen our capabilities in the forward half,” Rosa said.
“The thing with Isaac we’ve been able to see his development, and how much he’s grown.
“He’s dynamic, he’s good above his head, he’s good around goals.
“The most important thing is that he’s a really good character.”
Swap of picks between Saints, Lions
Two new Eagles
Liam Baker. The Tiger is now officially a West Coast player.Credit: Getty Images
Matt Owies is also on his way to West Coast.Credit: AFL Photos
Three-club trade approved
Liam Baker is a West Coast player.
Hit us up with your burning questions
West Coast’s plans are raising eyebrows
It’s fair to say not only Eagles fans wondering what West Coast are thinking with their plan to use pick three for 12, 14 and Owies (with a couple of late picks thrown around) but eyebrows are raised in recruiting circles too, assuming there is another move to come to make the wisdom of the deal fall into place. The deal will of course land them Liam Baker and give them time to shuffle around picks between now and the draft. If the aim is to get Bo Allan it’s dangerous as the Dockers currently have pick 10 or 11 (they are likely to lose one of those two picks in the Bolton deal) and have their eyes on him too.
Listen: The latest trade podcast
This is a line-in-the-sand trade moment
By Marc McGowan
The Dan Houston trade saga could prove to be a line-in-the-sand moment for clubs that have increasingly lost ground to players since free agency was introduced.
Longer-term contracts in the free agency age have gifted star footballers incredible security, yet they have still been able to force their way out of contracts to get to their club of choice.
In this case, Houston is contracted for four more seasons at Port Adelaide, as this masthead revealed in July.
The back-to-back All-Australian defender wants to play for Collingwood and not North Melbourne, which is the sticking point in this situation.
Dan Houston (left) celebrates a Port win with Zak Butters this season.Credit: AFL Photos
The Kangaroos are desperate to bring Houston in, to deliver their first big-name recruit in more than a decade, and have better assets to do it than the Pies.
The Power are happy to accommodate Houston’s request to play in black and white, as long as the deal is commensurate to his value.
Houston’s original suitors Melbourne were willing to hand over this year’s first-round pick and their future one in preliminary discussions between the clubs, at a time the Demons were still on track to play finals.
Houston had a change of heart on joining the Demons after Christian Petracca’s grievances with the club were played out publicly.
The reason the three-way deal with Gold Coast, Collingwood and Port Adelaide broke down on Monday night was because the Power see Houston’s return as effectively picks 13 and 29, which they do not think is fair.
The Power privately accept that the Suns’ pick 23 will be part of the deal that reunites Daniel Rioli with his former coach Damien Hardwick on the Gold Coast, but something will have to give if Houston is to become a Magpie.
At least one of picks 13 or 29 will almost certainly need to be improved upon for Houston to change clubs, unless he is willing to head to Arden Street to play for North under Alastair Clarkson.
Analysis: Dees have aced the AFL futures market
Melbourne’s bold move to trade up to Essendon’s pick nine surprised clubs for its audacity as the AFL’s trade period entered its second week, but it’s straight from the Demons’ successful future trading playbook, which has made them the best traders in the first 10 years of the AFL’s future trading system.
The Demons’ ability to predict their own likely finishing position the following season, and therefore accurately forecast what pick they are giving up, has made their future trading success.
Jake Lever, Lachie Shultz and Josh Dunckley are among the players to land at new clubs through future trades.Credit: Jamie Brown/Getty Images
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