AFL Trades Live: Deals galore as trade period goes down to final 10 minutes
There’s been plenty of back and forth but now the deals must get done as the AFL trade period reaches its final day with plenty of names still left on the board.
West Coast copper has plenty of heat over their splitting of pick three to acquire Liam Baker and Matt Owies, can they appease their angry fans with a good trade for Tom Barrass?
Fremantle will hope they can break the deadlock over Shai Bolton and finally acquire a key piece of their premiership puzzle.
Follow the latest news and developments here!
Trade period done
And with the dust now settled on the final hectic minutes, that concludes the 2024 trade period.
More than 15 players found new homes across the 10 days while some draft picks were held by up to three teams before finding their final resting place.
West Coast and Fremantle were in the thick of the action.
For all of the trade wash-up, visit thewest.com.au.
Getting it done
Eagles list boss Matt Clarke is adamant West Coast got good business done.
“We needed to make an assessment as a list management team of what we would accept for Tom at the end of the day,” he told The West Australian.
“Once we got the deal done late in the piece we were pretty happy with the first, second and third (picks) for next year to put us in a strong position for next year’s draft.”
Get excited Hawks fans
Hawthorn has dropped a Tom Barrass highlights reel.
It’s fair to say they are pretty excited, and some fans are calling for FlagHok.
Eagles’ final haul
It was one of the Eagles’ biggest trade periods in history and here is how it ended.
Hawks golden
Hawthorn must be thrilled with their trade period efforts, and their rebuild can now look at the contenders phase with Tom Barrass getting through the door.
Recruiting Manager Mark McKenzie said the club was excited to welcome Barrass to the brown and gold with the defender expected to sign a five-year contract.
“Tom is clearly a player of high talent and character who we know will play a key role in in our defensive unit in 2025 and beyond,” he said.
“He has not only shown how well he can shut down dangerous opposition forwards but also how well he can intercept and set up crucial passages of play.
“As one of the premier defenders in the league, we are excited to have Tom in the brown and gold in 2025.”
Farewell Tom!
Tom Barrass leaves the Eagles a premiership star and may still have helped the club’s rebuild despite heading to the Hawks.
“Tom has been a wonderful player and person for our football club, and we thank him for his outstanding contribution over the past 11 seasons,” General Manager Football Gavin Bell said.
“He holds an important place in our club’s history as a John Worsfold medallist and premiership player who gave his all every time he pulled on the West Coast guernsey.
“Tom, Nadia, Billy and Benson will always be welcome at the club, and we wish them every success in the future.”
Roos wanted experience
Luke Parker was expected to be a deal done early on, but negotiations stalled until Jacob Konstanty was thrown into the mix.
However, North list manager Brady Rawlings was stoked with the club’s results.
“We were keen to add some more experience to our young list at the trade table, and Luke certainly has one of the best football resumes of those still in the game,” Rawlings said.
“He’s been an incredibly reliable player and leader for Sydney over a number of years and will offer a wealth of knowledge from his experience at a consistent, finals-hardened club like the Swans. We look forward to the impact Luke can have both on and off the field.
“And Jacob’s career is only just beginning. His playing style and ability to apply pressure in the forward line has really stood out to us. We see potential in his football ability and look forward to him getting to work.”
Eagles list boss speaks
West Coast list boss Matt Clarke says the Eagles were happy with the deals they’ve done this year.
Clarke added they were mindful of having a strong draft hand this year or next and that they may trade back into this year’s top-10 picks.
“We were really respectful of what Tom wanted to do, and we think we got a good deal back,” he told AFL.com.au.
“We are really, really happy to be bringing in those three guys (Jack Graham, Liam Baker, and Matt Owies).
“There were some twists and turns as with many negotiations but we are pleased to have secured three future draft picks from the Hawks to strengthen our draft hand for next year.
“We currently hold two first-round selections, two second-round and two third-round picks in the 2025 draft, which gives us plenty of flexibility going forward.
“I think it’s a really strong draft this year ... and with those future picks, we have the power to jump back in.”
How it happened
It was utter chaos in the final half-hour with nine players finding new homes.
Here’s how it unfolded.
