There’s still two weeks of footy left, but next month’s trade period is already looming large.
Several big names have been linked to moves, while a number of clubs – some facing an mini exodus – will be busy wheeling and dealing and shaping the exchange window.
Below the Herald Sun team on Fox Footy’s Midweek Tackle digital-only segment unpacked the most intriguing teams to watch in the trade period.
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ST KILDA
The Saints have cash to splash, having been linked to nearly all the big fish on the market this year including Tyson Stengle, Hugh McCluggage, Jarrod Berry and Elliot Yeo — but ultimately missing out on such names.
More recently they even reportedly had a crack at Zach Merrett.
For such a long time St Kilda has been desperate to land a superstar on the market including past failed pursuits of the likes of Jordan De Goey and Tom De Koning.
But barring a late curveball, what other big names else are out there?
If anything, things are moving in the wrong direction, with free agent Josh Battle set to depart for Hawthorn to leave a key void in Ross Lyon’s defence.
With Brad Crouch poised to retire, the Saints are set to fill that midfield role with Jack Macrae after the Bulldog requested a trade to Moorabbin, though there’s even some water to go under the bridge with that move.
“They’ve got a lot of money to throw around and in all sorts of directions,” Scott Gullan said.
“Jack Macrae landed in their lap. He’s still a very good player. I know he fell out of favour and got pushed out at the Dogs, but he was an All-Australian a couple of years ago and he’s still got football in his legs.
“He’s a good accumulator and Crouch was, so that ticks all my boxes there … he doesn’t come cheap and I don’t think the Dogs are going to help pay, so that will be interesting.
“Defence is their issue, they’re going to have to find someone to replace Battle. They gave Dougal Howard another year, but he’s not their first picked.
“The Zach Merrett thing was floated and they’ve been linked to a lot of big names, (list bosses) ‘Gubby’ (Graeme Allen) and ‘SOS’ (Stephen Silvagni) are sitting there going: ‘Let me go big’.”
WEST COAST EAGLES
The Eagles are another club with a lot of balls up in the air including still needing to appoint their senior coach.
It includes Tom Barrass and Jack Darling having requested trades to Hawthorn and North Melbourne respectively. The Barrass exchange will be particularly intriguing, with West Coast reportedly wanting two first-round picks back from the Hawks.
West Coast would want to choose its coach by the start of the trade period to ensure it doesn’t compromise its plans including links to Tigers Liam Baker and Jack Graham.
It’s believed Eagles coaching contender Andrew McQualter’s relationships with the likes of Baker and Graham from his time as caretaker coach at Richmond could be key in West Coast’s pursuit of such names.
And can we completely put a line through them for West Australian-bound Shai Bolton?
“There is (a few moving parts). I was a bit anti the Jack Darling (Roos move) but I’m sort of coming around to it now. They need someone there to help Nick Larkey,” Glenn McFarlane said.
“The interesting one is Liam Baker, we want to know whether he is going to get to West Coast, that will be fascinating to watch. Does Jack Graham get there? It could depend on who is the senior coach and whether ‘Mini’ McQualter gets that gig.
“Shai Bolton probably wants to go to the Dockers, but could the Eagles jump in at the last minute?”
ADELAIDE CROWS AND PORT ADELAIDE
The South Australian clubs are rivals on field … and in the trade period this year.
As put by Gullan, “they’re going for the same players,” with both sides in contention for Harry Perryman, Isaac Cumming and Jack Lukosius.
Port also has the Dan Houston situation on its hands, with the dual All-Australian expected to request a trade to a Victorian club despite insisting his commitment to the Power on multiple occasions.
“I reckon we’re looking at a trade week Showdown that they might need to settle in the carpark of the Ramsgate Hotel,” McFarlane cheekily said.
“You’ve got Harry Perryman, Isaac Cumming and Jack Lukosius … they are looking at very similar type players.
“Adelaide has more money than Port Adelaide to take Lukosius, but I wouldn’t be paying him a fortune. You might have to.”
Asked which team is better positioned this trade period, Gullan said: “Adelaide, they’ve got more cash and more ways to do deals.
“I think they’ve got a list to be a finals contender, potentially in two or three years they could have that spike.”
GEELONG
Perhaps Lauren Wood (cheekily) put it best: “If you don’t barrack or Geelong, this must be incredibly frustrating to see them put themselves front and square for the top names in the game.”
Well, there’s not many bigger names on the move this trade period than Bailey Smith, who’s requested a trade from the Bulldogs and widely expected to join Geelong.
The Cats have also emerged as a suitor for Jack Martin after the injury-cruelled — yet super talented — forward was cut by the Blues.
And so Geelong looms as one of the big winners this trade period while also being firmly in the premiership mix. And in an additional scary prospect for rival clubs, the Cats are reportedly bullish about their next wave of youngsters coming through yet to be unearthed at AFL level.
This club can simply no wrong.
“It’s a destination club, we know all the selling points,” Gullan said.
“It’ll be a first-round pick for Smith and maybe some tinkering, that’s a great deal.
“They’re going to potentially win a grand final with the midfield they’ve got. But ‘Danger’ (Patrick Dangerfield) is getting old and wants another two years. Get Bailey Smith the running machine in there.
“And then Jack Martin comes for nothing — he replaces Gary Rohan potentially as that pseudo forward capable of kicking 30 goals. They’re just too good.
“The kids they’ve got — these ‘no namers’ — they think they’ve got another good batch that have barely played.”
HAWTHORN
Last but not least is Hawthorn.
Coming off a wild, unexpected rise this year all the way to getting within a kick of a preliminary final, the Hawks are set to get even stronger this off-season.
Sam Mitchell’s side its set to bolster its defence with Josh Battle and Tom Barrass, presuming Hawthorn can get a deal done with West Coast, adding two key posts in the only real role the Hawks want for.
Well, it looks like they’re going to get a double boost.
Fair to say player acquisition manager Jarryd Roughead has earned his paycheck.
“A little bit of tinkering but both of those will happen. That is outstanding, they’re bringing in exactly what they need. They will be very competitive for the top four next year,” McFarlane said.
Gullan added: “To throw those two in after what we just saw in the finals, well done.”
Source Agencies
