On the move: (From top left, clockwise) Adam Cerra, Tim O’Brien, Lewis Young and Sam Petrevski-Seton.
The dominoes continued to fall on the fourth day of the 2021 AFL trade period, including the headline act leading into this year’s annual meat market.
Adam Cerra was fittingly granted his wish on his 22nd birthday, as Fremantle traded him to his club of choice Carlton in exchange for the Blues’ No.6 pick as well as a future third-round selection.
Cerra is one of the league’s most exciting young midfielders, having quickly formed an incredibly effective on-ball division with fellow Freo youngsters Andrew Brayshaw and Caleb Serong.
With 76 games already under his belt, and fresh from his best season to date, which saw him average 23 disposals, he will add much-needed reinforcement to a Carlton midfield that still relies far too heavily on Patrick Cripps and Sam Walsh.
Joining Cerra at Princes Park on Thursday was Lewis Young, who earned a fresh start with Carlton after five years and 24 games with the Western Bulldogs. It continued a busy exchange period for the Blues, who have also recruited former Swan George Hewett as a free agent.
Young was part of a three-way trade which saw Carlton’s former No.6 pick Sam Petrevski-Seton join West Coast, and the Eagles’ 52nd selection at this year’s draft end up with the Doggies.
Key position player Tim O’Brien also crossed to Whitten Oval as an unrestricted free agent after 97 games and 73 goals across nine seasons with the Hawks.
“I’m absolutely rapt to get it done. Now I can just focus on the footy stuff and get going into next year. I can’t wait,” O’Brien said. “I’m looking forward to meeting everyone. I think the list is in a good spot. There’s a lot of players around my age. It fit well for me and the club.
“Playing in a grand final, they’re right in that window, so that was really appealing.”
Elsewhere, the Dockers acquired Will Brodie as well as picks 19, 61 and 69 from Gold Coast, in exchange for future second and fourth-round picks.
Earlier in the day, Fremantle also gained pick 22 from Collingwood, while sending pick 27 and their 2022 third-round choice to the Magpies.
With picks 19 and 22 now in their grasp, the Dockers’ ability to facilitate a trade for Geelong speedster Jordan Clark has now been strengthened considerably.
But in a curveball development, it’s been widely reported that Fremantle big man Rory Lobb is closing in on a return to his former club Greater Western Sydney, just three years after pursuing a return home to his native Western Australia from the Giants.
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Lobb, who still has two years to run on his contract with Fremantle, had been linked to a possible move to Gold Coast earlier in the year, but it looks as though the Suns could be gazumped by their rival expansion club.
The 206-centimetre ruck-forward would serve as a logical replacement for Jeremy Finlayson, who was traded to Port Adelaide earlier in the week, not to mention the fact that warhorse ruckman Shane Mumford looks set to retire this post-season.
And the intrigue didn’t stop there, with Hawthorn president Jeff Kennett sending a cryptic letter to members on Thursday afternoon, preparing them for potentially surprising moves that could be made by the club.
Speculation surrounding key senior players such as Tom Mitchell, Jaeger O’Meara, Jack Gunston and Chad Wingard refuses to die down, as new coach Sam Mitchell looks to make his mark as he begins Waverley Park’s post-Alastair Clarkson era.
“This list committee will have the fundamental responsibility of deciding on the type and position of players for our next tilt at silverware,” Kennett wrote. “This group will report to the football committee under the leadership of board member (football director) Richie Vandenberg.
“The board will be kept informed of both committees’ thought processes, but we delegate trade and drafting to those we employ who are better qualified than us to make the necessary decisions. Obviously, we will keep members informed as the weeks unfold.
“We may be surprised at some of the decisions made but be assured they will be made after careful consideration of the club’s future needs by those we charge to make such decisions.”
Hawthorn list manager Mark McKenzie didn’t exactly pour cold water on the prospect of any of those aforementioned players landing somewhere else for the 2022 season.
“We’re open-minded, we’re open to any discussions that can happen with players and draft picks, but these guys are contracted players and that’s where it lies,” he told AFL Trade Radio.
Meanwhile, it seems as though Port Adelaide ruckman Peter Ladhams is getting closer to becoming a Swan.
There are still plenty of other players expected to switch clubs over the next six days, with North Melbourne veteran Robbie Tarrant set to join Richmond while Sam Powell-Pepper, Jonathon Ceglar, Mitch Wallis, Jake Melksham, Mason Cox, Jarrod Brander, Callum Coleman-Jones, Trent Dumont, Patrick Lipinski and Max Lynch are just some of the other players whose names have also been thrown up in trade discussions.
COMPLETED DEALS
1. Jake Kelly (Adelaide) joined Essendon as an unrestricted free agent. Adelaide received pick 42 (AFL) as compensation.
2. Mabior Chol (Richmond) joined Gold Coast as an unrestricted free agent. Richmond received pick 38 (AFL) as compensation.
3. George Hewett (Sydney) joined Carlton as a restricted free agent. Sydney received pick 39 (AFL) as compensation.
4. Collingwood traded a future second-round pick, a future third-round pick and a future fourth-round pick to Gold Coast in exchange for picks 22, 46, 58, 79 and a future fourth-round pick.
5. Nathan Kreuger (Geelong) traded and pick 55 to Collingwood in exchange for pick 41.
6. Jeremy Finlayson (GWS) traded to Port Adelaide in exchange for a future third-round pick.
7. Luke Dunstan (St Kilda) joined Melbourne as an unrestricted free agent. St Kilda’s compensation TBC.
8. St Kilda received pick 62 (Adelaide), pick 66 (Adelaide) and future fourth-round pick (Adelaide); Adelaide received pick 33 (Melbourne), future first-round pick (Melbourne) and pick 75 (Western Bulldogs); Western Bulldogs received pick 23 (Adelaide), pick 44 (Adelaide) and pick 45 (Melbourne); Melbourne received pick 17 (Western Bulldogs), pick 37 (Adelaide) and pick 49 (St Kilda).
9. Collingwood traded pick 22 to Fremantle in exchange for pick 27 and a future third-round pick.
10. Will Brodie, pick 19, pick 61 and pick 69 (Gold Coast) traded to Fremantle in exchange for a future second-round pick and a future fourth-round pick.
11. Adam Cerra (Fremantle) traded to Carlton in exchange for pick 6 and a future third-round pick.
12. Tim O’Brien (Hawthorn) joined Western Bulldogs as an unrestricted free agent.
13. Sam Petrevski-Seton (Carlton) traded to West Coast; Lewis Young (Western Bulldogs) traded to Carlton; pick 52 (West Coast) traded to Western Bulldogs.
