Carlton’s Paddy Dow (left) is headed to St Kilda and the Saints’ Nick Coffield to the Western Bulldogs. Photos: AFL MEDIA

The penultimate day of the AFL trade period has finished with a bang, with Carlton’s Paddy Dow finding a new home at St Kilda and the Western Bulldogs securing the Saints’ former pick 8 Nick Coffield as part of a four-club trade which also involved Essendon.

Two separate deals involving fringe players turned into a four-club trade which also allowed the Dons to upgrade their draft hand as Dow and Coffield found new homes.

In a complicated deal, St Kilda secured Dow, pick 40 and Carlton’s future third-rounder and lost Coffield, pick 35 and the Fremantle future fourth-rounder. Carlton lost Dow but added a Western Bulldogs future fourth-rounder and swapped its own future third and fourth-rounders to Fremantle’s future fourth-rounder and Essendon’s future third-rounder.

The Western Bulldogs give up pick 40 and a future fourth-rounder but secure Coffield and picks 52 and 56. And Essendon receives St Kilda’s pick 35 and a Dogs future fourth-rounder but gives up pick 52 to the Dogs and hands Carlton the future third-rounder. The Bombers now have picks nine, 31 and 35 as they seek a straight swap with Port Adelaide involving Xavier Duursma and Brandon Zerk-Thatcher.

It had already been a hectic day, with Collingwood premiership forward Jack Ginnivan dropping a bombshell by declaring he wants out of Olympic Park. Hawthorn has reportedly emerged as the leading contender for the small forward’s services, after he fell out of favour for large portions of season 2023. The spectacular revelation has overshadowed Adelaide forward Shane McAdam’s move to Melbourne on Tuesday.

The writing was on the wall for Ginnivan on Monday after the Magpies acquired gun Fremantle small forward Lachie Schultz, who is coming off a career-best year which saw him kick 33 goals and average 16 disposals a game.

Collingwood adding Schultz to an arsenal of pressure small forwards that already included Norm Smith Medallist Bobby Hill, Beau McCreery and Jamie Elliott placed Ginnivan’s job security under threat.

Granted, he did work his way back into the Collingwood line-up late in the year in time to be part of the premiership team, but he had little impact in the grand final with seven touches and no goals.

After returning to the senior line-up following his 10-week banishment to the VFL, Ginnivan only kicked four goals in six games, three of which were registered against a listless Essendon side.

Ginnivan was the starting sub in three of his final six matches, and in all was used in that role five times in his 14 matches in 2023.

He was also spotted at the Moonee Valley races on the eve of the grand final, which clearly irked the usually unflappable Collingwood coach Craig McRae.

“There’s so much he learns from today, and don’t go to the races the day before is something I’d say (to him),” McRae said right after Collingwood won the premiership.

“Read the room, Jack. You’ve got to grow up.”

As he showed in 2022, at his best, Ginnivan can be an electrifying addition to any forward line, helping himself to 40 goals, including a career-best five which saw him win the Anzac Day medal against Essendon.

Ginnivan’s late trade request has further enhanced the feeling that Tuesday was very much the calm before an almighty storm that looks set to take place on the final day of trading.

With just the one deal taking place on the second-last day, and so many players still yet to arrive at their destinations of choice, Wednesday promises to produce a chaotic finish akin to the ones we have seen in recent years.

It won’t be surprising at all to see a late flurry of activity with deals flying in left, right and centre just before, or just on, the 7:30pm deadline.

Of course, the AFL has again decreed the ludicrous rule that no trades can occur until after 3pm on Wednesday, seemingly in a bid to add to the late tension and drama.

But before we analyse what the final day might look like, let’s draw our attention to what took place on Tuesday.

Not a lot happened, but Melbourne did secure McAdam in exchange for a future second-round pick.

McAdam had shown glimpses of his potential with the Crows in seasons 2021 and 2022 in particular, when he kicked a combined 48 goals, including a bag of four against Sydney. But he fell out of favour this year, managing just seven games and 12 goals, featuring another four-goal haul against Brisbane.

Suspension, injury and lack of form all conspired against McAdam in 2023, and the 28-year-old will be hoping for a fresh start at the Demons.

Melbourne’s well-documented goalkicking issues were laid bare in this year’s finals series, as its woeful efficiency contributed largely to its second straight-sets exit in a row. McAdam has a fantastic career accuracy rate of 64 per cent (72.40) and the Demons will be looking to him to add some much-needed polish to their attack.

But McAdam’s speed, pressure and high-marking are also qualities that would’ve attracted Melbourne.

A whole host of other players are still expected to change clubs in the final 24 hours.

Brisbane forward Jack Gunston wants to rejoin Hawthorn, Port Adelaide youngster Xavier Duursma is seeking to become the fourth player to move to the Bombers, following on from Todd Goldstein, Ben McKay and Jade Gresham, and Essendon are reportedly angling for a straight swap that would see defender Brandon Zerk-Thatcher join the Power.

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Port Adelaide loom as a big player on the final day with Geelong swing man Esava Ratugolea, Zerk-Thatcher and Bulldogs ruckman Jordon Sweet all seemingly destined to join them, while Richmond ruck Ivan Soldo has also requested to be traded to Alberton.

But the Ratugolea deal seems to have hit a stalemate, with Power football boss Chris Davies even floating the potential of picking him up in one of the upcoming drafts.

Essendon on-baller Dylan Shiel had been linked to a potential Gresham trade, but after the former Saint was secured as a free agent, speculation around Shiel’s future has died down.

Gold Coast looks set to lose key forward Mabior Chol, who is in Hawthorn’s sights, Hawks forward Jacob Koschitzke has requested to be traded to Richmond, Carlton midfielder Paddy Dow wants to join St Kilda, and Hawthorn is also the preferred destination for fringe Bombers defender Massimo D’Ambrosio, although an initial offer of pick 63 has been shot down by Essendon.

The Blues would like to unite Gold Coast’s Elijah Hollands with younger brother Ollie at Ikon Park, and while the rumours won’t go away surrounding star Bulldog Bailey Smith potentially heading to Geelong, the Cats have dismissed those suggestions.

GWS have shown interest in Port Adelaide’s Orazio Fantasia and Adelaide’s Elliott Himmelberg, St Kilda’s Nick Coffield will likely head to the Bulldogs, and the Magpies have shown interest in another Saint Jack Billings.

Bulldogs forward Rory Lobb had also been talked about as potentially being in the market for a fourth club – possibly Melbourne – but the Demons are holding firm on retaining key swing man Harrison Petty despite interest from the Crows.

2023 PLAYER MOVEMENTS

20/21. Nick Coffield (StK), Pick 52 (Ess) and Pick 56 (StK) traded to Western Bulldogs; Paddy Dow (Carl), Pick 40 (WB) and Future Third-Round Pick (Carl) traded to St Kilda; Pick 35 (StK) and Future Fourth-Round Pick (Carl) traded to Essendon; Future Third-Round Pick (Ess), Future Fourth-Round Pick (WB) and Future Fourth-Round Pick (StK) traded to Carlton.
19. Shane McAdam (Adel) traded to Melbourne in exchange for Future Second-Round Pick.
18. Liam Henry (Fre) and Future Fourth-Round Pick (Fre) traded to St Kilda in exchange for Future Second-Round Pick and Future Fourth-Round Pick.
17. Lachie Schultz (Fre) traded to Collingwood in exchange for Pick 34 and Future First-Round Pick.
16. Bigoa Nyuon (Rich) traded to North Melbourne in exchange for Pick 65.
15. Tyler Brockman (Haw) traded to West Coast in exchange for Pick 44 and Pick 63.
14. Tom Fullarton (BL) traded to Melbourne in exchange for pick 47.
13. Jade Gresham (StK) joined Essendon as a restricted free agent. St Kilda received pick 21 (AFL) as compensation.
12. Zac Fisher (Carl) and Pick 17 (Carl) traded to North Melbourne in exchange for Pick 22 and Pick 26.
11. Taylor Adams (Coll) traded to Sydney in exchange for Pick 34.
10. Brodie Grundy (Melb) traded to Sydney in exchange for Pick 47 and Future Second-Round Pick.
** Pick 18 (GC) traded to North Melbourne in exchange for Future First-Round Assistance Pick.
9. Chris Burgess (GC) and Pick 14 (GC) traded to Adelaide in exchange for Pick 24 and Pick 27.
**Pick 11 (GC) traded to Melbourne in exchange for Pick 14, Pick 28 and Pick 36.
8. Dylan Stephens (Syd) and Pick 26 (Syd) traded to North Melbourne in exchange for Pick 45 and Future First-Round Assistance Pick.
7. James Harmes (Melb) traded to Western Bulldogs in exchange for Future Third-Round Pick.
6. Ben McKay (NM) joined Essendon as a restricted free agent. North Melbourne received Pick 3 (AFL) as compensation.
5. Todd Goldstein (NM) joined Essendon as an unrestricted free agent.
** Pick 25 (Fre) and Future Second-Round Pick (Fre) traded to Port Adelaide in exchange for Future First-Round Pick.
** Pick 5 (GC), Pick 48 (GC), Pick 53 (GC) and Future First-Round Pick (GC) traded to Western Bulldogs in exchange for Pick 11, Pick 18 and Future First-Round Pick.
4. Tom Doedee (Adel) joined Brisbane Lions as a restricted free agent. Adelaide received pick 20 (AFL) as compensation.
3. Joel Hamling (Fre) joined Sydney as an unrestricted free agent.
2. Matthew Flynn (GWS) joined West Coast as an unrestricted free agent. GWS received pick 43 (AFL) as compensation.
1. James Jordon (Melb) joined Sydney as an unrestricted free agent. Melbourne received pick 42 (AFL) as compensation.