Jaeger O’Meara was weighing up a choice in three on Tuesday night between staying at Hawthorn, moving to Greater Western Sydney or moving home to Western Australia after Fremantle came in late, inspired by the Giants’ audacious bid for the contracted veteran midfielder.
While O’Meara was drawn to the idea of a move to GWS and a three-year contract beyond the one year he has left with the Hawks next year, he has had his head turned by the option to move home to Perth.
Jaeger O’Meara faces a tough decision on the final day of trading.Credit:AFL Photos / Getty Images
The Giants are prepared to trade pick 21 for O’Meara while the Dockers have not finalised an offer, with other trades, including Rory Lobb to the Bulldogs, still to be finalised. Dockers ruckman Lloyd Meek told the club on Tuesday that he wanted to be traded to the Hawks.
As O’Meara makes up his mind, his teammate Brownlow medallist Tom Mitchell, is still uncertain to move to Collingwood with the Hawks and Magpies yet to agree a deal. Hawthorn want more than pick 41 from Collingwood.
Ollie Henry, meanwhile, is threatening to nominate for the pre-season draft with significant contract terms on his head in a bold effort to get through to Geelong with the 18th pick in that draft after Collingwood and the Cats remained in a stalemate.
Geelong have offered pick 25 for the second-year forward, a deal Collingwood have rejected.
If no deal is struck before the 7.30pm Wednesday deadline Henry, who is out of contract, confronts a choice of either re-signing with the Magpies or nominating for the draft and hoping no other club selects him before Geelong.
Other clubs have indicated they would choose the player if he is in the draft despite him clearly wanting to return home and being unlikely to stay long-term at any club that took him. Collingwood, with a pick before Geelong in that draft, have also indicated they would re-select him if he went in the pre-season draft.
Collingwood have said they want to keep the player and would only consider a trade if it was a first-round pick given Henry was selected with pick 17 two years ago.
Geelong have used their first-round pick this year, 18, on the Tanner Bruhn deal, are precluded by AFL rules from trading their future first-rounder, and will not entertain using the newly acquired pick seven from the salary-dump trade of Jack Bowes in a Henry deal.
Geelong may yet secure another second-round pick – selection 33 – from Port Adelaide for versatile key-position player Esava Ratugolea before the trade deadline.
That pick could come into negotiations for Henry if the Cats offered 25 and 33 for the forward, but there has been no discussion around that possibility.
The trade period enters its final day with numerous deals in limbo.
The Western Bulldogs and Brisbane Lions have not advanced talks on a trade for Josh Dunkley with the Lions offering pick 21 and their future first-round pick, but want pick 39 this year back so they can recover some points needed for father-son selections Will Ashcroft and Jaspa Fletcher.
The Bulldogs won’t hand over 39 and want the Lions to add later picks to the pick 21 and future first-rounder that is on the table.
Bulldog Josh Dunkley (right) with Adam Treloar.Credit:AFL Photos
The Dogs have had discussions with Fremantle about a deal for ruckman-forward Lobb for pick 30 and a future second-rounder with the Dockers sending Lobb and a late pick their way.
Melbourne have interest in fringe Bulldogs key-position Josh Schache as a depth player, with Sam Weideman likely to move to Essendon.
Bombers defender Aaron Francis will be traded to the Swans ahead of the deadline.
