Collingwood goalsneak Alex Fasolo is off to Carlton as an unrestricted free agent, the Pies getting a third-round draft pick. Photo: FAIRFAX SYNDICATION
The Trades – Day 3: Fasolo a Blue on huge day at trade table
The 2018 AFL trade period exploded into life on Wednesday with six deals completed and seven players finding new homes.
The action continued well into the evening with Collingwood forward Alex Fasolo joining Carlton as an unrestricted free agent.
Fasolo endured a frustrating 2018 season with injury and form restricting him to just one game, but he has proven in the past to be deadly in front of goal and the Blues will no doubt be banking on him recapturing that form next season.
The Magpies received pick No.57 as compensation from the AFL.
Most of the fireworks occurred earlier in the day, however, and headlining the frenzied activity was Port Adelaide speedster Jared Polec, who finally got his way with the Power agreeing to terms on a trade with North Melbourne.
The deal saw Port hand over Polec, pick 48 and, in somewhat of a surprise, Jasper Pittard to the Kangaroos in exchange for pick 11 and a future fourth-round pick.
Polec picked a great year to put together his career-best season, with North Melbourne desperately needing outside speed and dash to complement its contested midfield beasts.
His form in 2018 was too tantalising for the Kangaroos to pass up and, with a war chest of cash left over from previous attempts to land a big fish, they made their play.
The soon-to-be 26-year-old was in the right place at the right time and he now heads to Arden Street on a five-year deal reportedly worth $750,000 a season.
Pittard will serve a similar purpose to Polec, with his ability to be a damaging, pacy half-back flanker undoubtedly an attractive proposition for coach Brad Scott.
North’s acquisition of the Port Adelaide duo has seen its interest in Sydney’s Nic Newman and GWS’s Jeremy Finlayson cool.
The Power would’ve also come away from the deal pleased as they now have picks 10 and 11 at the draft, giving them the ability to perhaps package up a deal that sees them crowbar themselves inside the top five to potentially snaffle a highly-rated SA prospect such as Jack Lukosius or Izak Rankine.
Adelaide key forward Mitch McGovern was another player who got what he wanted as the Crows facilitated a complicated three-way trade, involving Sydney, that saw him get to his preferred destination of Carlton.
In the wash-up, Carlton received McGovern and a future third-round pick from Adelaide, the Crows acquired pre-listed Shane McAdam, who played for Sturt in the SANFL this year, and a future fifth-round pick from the Blues as well as pick 13 from Sydney, while the Swans ended up with picks 26 and 28 from Carlton as well as 40 from Adelaide.
McGovern has benefitted from playing in one of the best forward lines in the competition alongside the likes of Taylor Walker, Josh Jenkins, Eddie Betts, Tom Lynch and Charlie Cameron in recent years, so it will be interesting to see how he copes with being the ‘second banana’ to Charlie Curnow in a team that badly lacks forward supply.
But that’s the short term. In the long run, Carlton will be hoping that Curnow, McGovern and Harry McKay will form an ominous attacking triumvirate, and it’s easy to understand why the Blues would be confident that would occur.
Adelaide will walk away from the deal quietly confident as well given the 23-year-old McAdam, a dynamic small forward, caught the attention of many during an impressive SANFL campaign this year, while the Crows now also have three picks in the top 20 (eight, 13 and 16).
And Sydney’s decision to stockpile picks will strengthen its ability to match any bid for highly-rated academy prospect Nick Blakey. The Swans are also very interested in Collingwood defender Tom Langdon, who starred for the Magpies in last month’s finals series and is believed to be seriously weighing up his future.
Sydney, though, missed out on Melbourne hard nut Aaron vandenBerg, who signed a new three-year deal to stay with the Demons.
Another three-way trade occurred on day three with Geelong welcoming Gary Rohan (Sydney), the Swans nabbing Ryan Clarke (North Melbourne), and pick 61 making its way to the Kangaroos.
Meanwhile, West Coast went some way to making up for any ruck issues next season by trading in St Kilda big man Tom Hickey along with pick 60 and the Saints’ future fourth-round pick. In return, St Kilda took pick 39 and the Eagles’ future third-round pick.
Hickey already looms as a walk-up start to West Coast’s best 22, where he will form a partnership with Nathan Vardy, after Scott Lycett joined Port Adelaide and Nic Naitanui suffered a knee injury which will sideline him for most of 2019.
The day’s other deal saw Brisbane trade picks 24, 58 and 79 to Gold Coast in exchange for picks 32, 41, 44 and 77.
There’s still a week remaining in the trade period and there are some big names still set to figure prominently such as Lachie Neale, Dylan Shiel, Tim Kelly, Jesse Hogan, Dan Hannebery, Chad Wingard, Rory Lobb, Steven May and Aaron Hall.
COMPLETED DEALS
1. Reece Conca (Richmond) joined Fremantle as an unrestricted free agent. The Tigers received pick 37 as compensation.
2. Luke Dahlhaus (Western Bulldogs) joined Geelong as an unrestricted free agent. Bulldogs received pick 25 as compensation.
3. Lincoln McCarthy, pick 54 and pick 57 (Geelong) traded to Brisbane in exchange for picks 42 and 60.
4. Tom Lynch (Gold Coast) joined Richmond as a restricted free agent. Suns received pick 3 as compensation.
5. Anthony Miles, Corey Ellis and a future third-round pick (Richmond) traded to Gold Coast in exchange for a future third-round pick.
6. Carlton traded pre-listed Nathan Kreuger (South Adelaide) to Geelong in exchange for pick 42.
7. Scott Lycett (West Coast) joined Port Adelaide as a restricted free agent. Eagles received pick 20 as compensation.
8. Brisbane traded picks 24, 58 and 79 to Gold Coast in exchange for picks 32, 41, 44 and 77.
9. Carlton received Mitch McGovern and future third-round pick (Adelaide), Adelaide received pre-listed Shane McAdam (Sturt), pick 13 (Sydney) and future fifth-round pick (Carlton), Sydney received picks 26, 28 (Carlton) and 40 (Adelaide).
10. Jared Polec, Jasper Pittard and pick 48 (Port Adelaide) traded to North Melbourne in exchange for pick 11 and a future fourth-round pick.
11. Gary Rohan (Sydney) traded to Geelong in exchange for pick 61. Ryan Clarke (North Melbourne) traded to Sydney in exchange for pick 61.
12. Tom Hickey, pick 60 and future fourth-round pick (St Kilda) traded to West Coast in exchange for pick 39 and future third-round pick.
13. Alex Fasolo (Collingwood) joined Carlton as an unrestricted free agent. Magpies received pick 57 as compensation.
*all picks are as at time of trade
