Melbourne key forward Sam Weideman is poised to move to Essendon for a pick that will enter discussions to try to finalise the Luke Jackson to Fremantle trade and have a cascading effect on a range of other deals.
As the trade period enters its final days the Demons and Bombers are close to a deal over the former top-10 draft pick for a future third-round selection.
A Sam Weideman move to Essendon could trigger some big trade period activity.Credit:Getty Images
The Bombers have had success in teasing out the best in another unfulfilled top-10 talent in Peter Wright, after he won this year’s club best and fairest two years after a trade from the Gold Coast for a fourth-round pick. The Dons will hope for a similar result with Weideman, 25.
With a draft pick also likely to come in for Toby Bedford moving to GWS – the Giants’ initial offer of pick 44 has been rejected – the Demons will have scope to find a solution to the Jackson deal.
The Dockers have offered pick 13 and their future first-round selection to the Demons. Melbourne want something more for the premiership player, who was pick 3 in the draft three years ago, given the Dockers’ future first-round pick is only forecast to be another selection in the teens.
Freo will be inclined to add a future second-round pick to the two first-round picks if they get a selection back from Melbourne, such as Essendon’s future third they receive for Weideman, or the Bedford pick.
Luke Jackson’s move to Fremantle could be completed as early as Monday.Credit:Getty Images
Essendon meanwhile is also close to securing Will Setterfield from Carlton as the big-bodied onballer looks for more opportunities, and will trade defender Aaron Francis to Sydney.
Once Jackson gets done to Fremantle, which could be as soon as this morning, Melbourne and Collingwood will finalise a trade for Brodie Grundy which will then pave the way for the Magpies to complete trades for Tom Mitchell and Brayden Fiorini.
The Crows have asked for a future third-round pick from Collingwood for key position player Billy Frampton. The Magpies, with picks 41, 50 and 51 this year, have offered a third-round pick in this draft.
Essendon are also keen on Carlton’s Will Setterfield.Credit:Getty Images
The ‘mega-trade’, that began with finding a deal to move Jason Horne-Francis from North Melbourne to Port Adelaide and quickly escalated to involve West Coast, GWS and the Brisbane Lions before falling over because it could not satisfy AFL future trading rules, was still trying to be revived in some fashion over the weekend.
The AFL prohibited Port trading both their future first and future second-round picks. Clubs cannot trade to leave themselves with no future first and second-round selection.
Unlike Port, Fremantle is able to trade future first and seconds in a Jackson deal because they traded in future second, third and fourth-rounds picks in the earlier Darcy Tucker-Griffin Logue trade.
GWS is still eager to trade into pick one with North Melbourne who are open to the right deal. North is less fixated on one player such as securing key forward Aaron Cadman, and have their eye on players who would still be available at three and see value in trading slightly back in the draft if it gives them multiple early cracks.
The deal for Gold Coast’s Izaak Rankine is very close to being finalised for pick five and some late selections from the Crows.
GWS and Richmond have not advanced in a deal for Jacob Hopper’s move to Punt Road but a move is still highly likely to occur.
The Bulldogs and Lions in contrast are at a stalemate over the Josh Dunkley trade, with the Dogs still insistent on two first-round picks for this year’s club best and fairest.
The Lions offered pick 15 and a future first-round for Dunkley but wanted picks 30, 39 and a future third-round back. When the Dogs rejected that deal the Lions did a pick swap of 15 for a range of other picks to get them points for father-son requirements.
