See ya later, guys: Steven Motlop is off to Port Adelaide from Geelong after signing a four-year deal with the Power. Photo: GETTY IMAGES
The Trades – Day 5: The dominoes are starting to fall
The dominoes are beginning to fall as the important trades begin to pass through AFL House.
After years of teasing fans and the football world in general, Geelong’s Steven Motlop has finally departed the Cattery as a free agent, after signing a four-year deal with Port Adelaide, reportedly in excess of $500,000.
With the free agency period closing on Sunday, the move was not unexpected, however Adelaide will be bitterly disappointed that Motlop has settled for less money with the Crows’ crosstown rivals.
Geelong still has the opportunity to match the deal offered to Motlop, but it is widely accepted the Cats won’t be that unhappy to see the departure of the wildly inconsistent, if talented player.
Port Adelaide already has a massive tick next to its name with the remainder of the trade period still to come, having landed both Tom Rockliff and Motlop, having obviously recognised the approaching few seasons as its premiership window.
In more good news for the Power, the Herald Sun has reported that the race for Jack Watts has been narrowed to one, the Demon believed to have nominated Port as his destination of choice.
Geelong, which effectively ruled itself out of the Watts race on Thursday, is believed to have been informed early in the week that Watts had made his decision to further his career out of Victoria.
One deal we expected to be done and dusted as early as last Monday has finally come to fruition, with Fremantle’s Hayden Crozier becoming a Western Bulldog.
The Dockers have receive pick 40 and 82 and a future 2018 fourth-round pick in exchange for the high-flyer, who will add a large amount of depth for a Bulldog outfit looking to re-spark that 2016 premiership energy.
Things are slowly moving behind the scenes between Brisbane and Adelaide on the Charlie Cameron front, meanwhile, the Lions reportedly putting pick 19 on the table for the electric forward.
Adelaide is steadfast in its view Cameron will be playing his football with the Crows in 2018, and given the fact the club has stuck to its guns so far this trade period, there is a long way to go in those negotiations.
The consensus among the football media is that the Jake Stringer to Essendon deal is now a question of when and not if, perhaps surprising given from the outside looking in, the deal has never seemed more distant.
Essendon no longer has pick 11 in its possession, the pick which the Bulldogs were resolute on receiving in exchange for the out-of-favour forward.
There’s news out of Richmond, too, with Trade Radio’s Mitch Cleary reporting that Sam Lloyd is now expected to remain with the Tigers despite the limited opportunity provided in the 2017 premiership campaign.
Lloyd has been linked to Geelong, but the Cats are believed to have cooled on the idea given the likelihood now of Dan Menzel staying put.
Anthony Miles’ manager, Marty Pask has told Trade Radio that Richmond currently has an offer in front of the inside midfielder and leaving the club may not be the most likely outcome.
Richmond, however, has come to terms with the very real scenario of Miles continuing his career with a team that will afford him continued opportunity at the elite level.
Matthew Kennedy’s chances of making his way to Carlton have also hit a roadblock, Carlton reportedly offering pick 39 for the talented midfielder, which the Giants believe to be insultingly low.
SEN’s Sam McClure has reported that Brisbane has entered the frame as an unlikely suitor for the 20-year-old, but it’s increasingly rare that a player not get to their destination of choice.
Carlton will have to come to the party if the Blues want to see this deal completed sooner rather than later.
Make sure to stay with Footyology for all your trade updates.
