Source :- THE AGE NEWS
North Melbourne’s desperate bid to land Adelaide’s contracted key defender Nick Murray will enter the final day of the AFL’s trade period after the Kangaroos secured big-name Swan Nick Blakey on Tuesday.
Demons Jack Viney and Trent Rivers (both West Coast), Lions Keidean Coleman (Essendon) and Will McLachlan (Melbourne), Richmond’s Jayden Short (Collingwood), Crow Luke Pedlar (Port Adelaide) and Kangaroo Josh Goater (Hawthorn) are also hoping for a change of scenery on deadline day.
The Crows have so far maintained a firm stance on wanting a top-20 pick in this year’s draft if they are to trade Murray, who has two seasons to run on his contract.
There is frustration in the Murray camp about Adelaide’s asking price, given he is no longer in the Crows’ first-choice line-up and played only 11 senior games this year.
But fellow tall defender Jordon Butts’ free agency move to the Western Bulldogs only sharpened their resolve on Murray as they enter under-fire coach Matthew Nicks’ contract year.
North Melbourne have offered Murray a five-year deal worth about $800,000 annually and are willing to offload their first-round pick next year, but are yet to find a trade partner willing to give up a selection in the teens in the last draft without Tasmania’s involvement.
Adelaide told North early last week they would not trade him for a future first-rounder (in the drafts compromised and diluted by Tasmania’s establishment picks) and adding No.33 in this year’s draft to the deal would not change their mind.
The Roos want a pick this year from Hawthorn for uncontracted defender Goater, but the Hawks have no selections between 37 and 71. A pick in between will likely be necessary to broker a deal.
They scored pick 33 by trading Zane Duursma to Melbourne, while swapping their pick 52 for the Dees’ 49 for a player they used the No.4 selection on three years ago. But they have significant work to do to pick up a top-20 selection, or find another way to appease Adelaide.
Duursma played 38 games for the Roos without reaching any great heights, but Melbourne are backing themselves to get more out of him without anywhere near the rich investment North Melbourne made.
Meanwhile, the Demons are in a stalemate with West Coast over Trent Rivers.
They want the Eagles’ pick 23 for the contracted defender, who will be a free agent next year, and are happy for Jack Viney to be bundled into that trade.
West Coast stand to receive an extra pick at the start of the second round before that pick 23 under new league rules that compensate bottom-five clubs if a bid on an academy or father-son player pushes back their first selection.
Only clubs that keep their top-five pick draw the compensation pick, so Melbourne and Port do not qualify.
Despite the stand-off, both Demons are likely to end up as Eagles by the close of the trade period, particularly as Melbourne put Viney on the trade table and could lose Rivers as a free agent next year. The Demons also want to broker a trade for the Lions’ Will McLachlan with any capital helping facilitate that exchange.
Collingwood have offered Short a three-year deal, but they and Richmond are at an impasse.
Unless a suitor arises for a Magpie such as Jordan De Goey or Dan Houston – despite strong club denials they are open to trading Houston – and more draft picks are brought in to help unlock a deal, then Short could stay a Tiger.
Collingwood are determined to keep their first two draft picks (No.11 and 30), while Richmond have thus far not been interested in future selections.
It would appear that when Collingwood made the offer to Short, there was an expectation a player, or players, might have been traded out of the club. But there was little rival interest in available Collingwood players.
The Brisbane Lions remain resolute they want Essendon’s pick 17 for Coleman, but the Bombers have offered their No.27 and are unwilling to hand over either 17 or pick 21.
Essendon were clear from the outset with Coleman and his manager, Tim Batty, that they were very keen for him, provided pick 27 could get a deal done. Coleman has told the Bombers he wants to join them.
Dual Giants best-and-fairest winner Lachie Whitfield will finish his career at Carlton after the Blues finally struck a deal with GWS after more than a week of haggling.
Whitfield was one of four players to switch homes on Tuesday, following Blakey’s blockbuster trade from Sydney to his father John’s old club North Melbourne; ex-Kangaroo Zane Duursma becoming a Demon; and ruckman Flynn Riley crossing from Carlton to Collingwood.
The Giants wanted a first-round selection in return for the 32-year-old defender to help match a bid on academy rising star Ethan Matthews, but settled for picks 25 and 26 in this year’s draft and the Blues’ 2028 third-rounder.
Carlton received selections 31 and 50, as well as GWS’ third-round choice in 2028.
It has been a big few days for the Blues since news broke of players Will Hayward and Lachie Cowan attending hospital for what the club described as separate incidents.
Whitfield played 278 matches for the Giants after being the No.1 draft pick in 2012, and earned All-Australian honours in 2018 and 2024, but the Sydney-based team actively sought to get younger this off-season.
He joins captain Toby Greene (Geelong), Jesse Hogan (Collingwood), Kieren Briggs (Richmond) and Jake Stringer among the senior regulars who departed GWS since the season ended.
Whitfield averaged 28 disposals and finished sixth in the Giants’ club champion award this year, and his elite kicking skills and decision-making will add potency to Carlton’s back half as new coach Josh Fraser prepares for his first full season in charge in 2027.
The Blakey trade was the first of the day, with the Kangaroos giving up picks six and 47 this year to the Swans, as well as a 2028 first-rounder and two future second-round selections.
North also received pick 52 and Sydney’s 2028 second-rounder.
Riley played one game for Carlton after being the fourth pick in this year’s mid-season draft. Collingwood handed over their 2028 third-round pick for the 22-year-old big man.
This is what the draft order looks like after today’s trades.
I’m tipping it’ll look a little different by the end of tomorrow.
Watch for Richmond to move in on Port Adelaide’s pick five, which the Power attained as compensation for Zak Butters’ departure.
After a busy day today on the trade table, here’s your club’s ins and outs with one day remaining in the trade period.
Carlton have landed their trade target, securing Lachie Whitfield for, essentially, pick No.25.
The Blues have given the Giants picks 25 and 26 from this year’s draft, and a future third in 2028, and receive Whitfield, picks 31 and 50.
Pick 31 is a slide of five spots this year, and 50 in this year’s draft is in a similar spot to a future third in 2028.
Carlton and Collingwood have struck a deal for ruckman Flynn Riley to become a Magpie. The Blues get the Pies’ future third-round selection from 2028. Riley has a three-year deal at the Pies, with the option for a fourth.
North Melbourne are now left with picks 33, 49, 74 and 84 this season as they look at ways of bringing in a selection that will convince Adelaide it’s worth their while to trade out contracted key defender Nick Murray.
The Crows basically want a pick inside the top 20 if they’re to trade out Murray, but the Kangaroos only have next year’s first-round pick to put on the table at this stage.
Given the Tasmania Devils have a mortgage on next year’s draft, 2027 first-round picks from a team expecting to play finals won’t be worth the price on the box, and the Kangaroos will need to do better.
The Crows are entitled to see North Melbourne as a definite threat to their finals spot next season, too, so losing one of their key defensive stocks to the opposition without a good return is not viable.
Of course, the Kangaroos weren’t necessarily anticipating Blakey nominating them when committing to Murray, although they had him on their radar soon after the Pullman scandal, so their position is defendable.
The remaining card up their trade sleeve is Josh Goater, who will be traded to Hawthorn, who have picks 29, 37 and 71 in their hand. It’s hard to see the trade making a huge dent in what the club can offer the Crows, but another pick inside 40 would at least give them a fighter’s chance of creating something for Adelaide to at least consider with 30 hours remaining.
Outgoing Sydney defender Nick Blakey has apologised for his role in the Pullman Hotel scandal that rocked the Swans’ finals campaign.
The Kangaroos on Tuesday effectively gave up two first-round picks and a future second-round selection in a complex trade to secure Blakey, an All Australian defender two seasons ago.
Blakey, 26, heads to the club where his father, John Blakey, won two premierships in the 1990s.
He was one of five Sydney players handed season-ending suspensions by the club for their part in a wild night of partying in August after the Swans’ victory over Essendon in round 23, just two weeks out from the start of the finals.
This is the indicative draft order up to date after Nick Blakey’s trade to North Melbourne.
We’ll update this after each trade is officially signed off by the AFL.
Zane Duursma is now a Demon. North Melbourne and Melbourne have agreed on a trade involving the No.4 pick from the 2023 draft.
Melbourne’s pick No.33 was the centrepiece of the trade.
North get picks 33 and 49, while the Demons get Duursma and 52.
Richmond are well in the hunt to get pick five, which Port Adelaide received as compensation for losing Zak Butters.
The Tigers have offered their future first round selection, which would help the Power get points for Zemes Pilot and Louis Salopek, who have committed to the club as academy and father-son prospects next season.
Port can cover the expected bid for Doug Cochrane at No.1 as they already hold picks seven and 12, so they want to maximise the value of one of their top-10 picks to get points in for 2027.
If the Tigers succeed – and they have competition from other clubs – they would have picks two and five this year, adding to their stockpile of young talent ahead of Tasmania’s entry.
