The trade deal that “has stand-off written all over it”. Plus, the battle for a young forward that is “a lot tighter” than what was previously anticipated.
Elsewhere, the latest on Peter Wright’s standing at Essendon — from his manager.
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Warner set to leave next year? | 02:53
BAZLENKA DEAL HAS ‘STAND-OFF WRITTEN ALL OVER IT’
Don’t expect Bailey Smith’s move to Geelong to happen as soon as the trade period officially opens.
In fact, it could even take until the final days of the movement window before an agreement is filed.
“The Bailey Smith deal to Geelong will take a while — I think it has stand-off written all over it,” AFL Media journalist Cal Twomey told AFL Trade Radio on Wednesday afternoon.
It comes after Herald Sun journalist Jay Clark relayed a similar sentiment a week ago on Fox Footy’s Midweek Tackle.
“There are growing frustrations over a lack of progress on this deal,” Clark said last Wednesday.
“We’ve known for 12 months, maybe longer, that Bailey Smith was headed to the Cattery at the end of this season, but with the trade period less than 12 days away, there has not been — can you believe this — a single meaningful conversation on what a trade deal will look like.
“We know the Cats want to play him in the inside midfield role, but I don’t think this deal is going to be very straightforward.”
The Cats reportedly would prefer to only send their late first-round draft pick (No. 16, but that will be pushed back), but the Bulldogs appear to want a bit more than that — potentially resulting in a complex swapping of selections.
‘Would be mad to go and play again’ | 01:46
PIE FIGHT ‘A LOT TIGHTER’ THAN EXPECTED
The race for uncontracted Collingwood small forward Joe Richards is heating up as a final decision nears.
The Magpies recently upped their retention efforts for the 24-year-old Wangaratta product, who continues to be courted by Port Adelaide.
AFL Media’s Riley Beveridge shared the latest on the developing situation.
“He’s another one who’s still weighing up his future as things stand at the moment,” Beveridge told AFL Trade Radio on Wednesday.
“He has three-year deals on the table from Port Adelaide and Collingwood, and he’s just going through the process at the moment.
“He’s met with Port Adelaide multiple times over the past little bit, (and) Collingwood has upped its offer to keep him — (the Pies) initially tabled a two-year deal to keep him, they’ve raised that to three in order to match Port Adelaide’s bid.
“I think, at the moment, I had some confidence probably late last week that Port Adelaide was ahead in that race, but it’s a lot tighter than what I might’ve imagined last week.
“I think we’ll get a decision probably by the end of the week on Joe Richards, but I don’t think there’s a clear frontrunner between the two at the moment.”
The nine-gamer was swooped on by the Pies in the third round of the 2022 national draft.
‘Sick & tired’ – AFL’s draft SLAMMED | 01:15
TWO-METRE PETER GOING NOWHERE
Despite rival interest, Essendon key forward Peter Wright won’t be taking off from Tullamarine.
According to his manager Tom McConville, the 28-year-old spearhead doesn’t have plans to leave this off-season.
“Peter Wright will stay at Essendon; he is not going anywhere. Clubs asked the question, but he is keen to stay,” McConville told AFL Trade Radio on Wednesday.
Wright played just 14 senior games this season after falling out of favour with Brad Scott’s match committee, not playing again after Round 20 after the Bombers continued with their combination of Kyle Langford, Nate Caddy and Harrison Jones.
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