AFL clubs Brisbane and Collingwood are already butting heads over the future of Dayne Beams.
Trade period does not start until Monday, but both sides have made forthright declarations about a midfielder who looms as the face of the off-season frenzy.
Beams, who won the Magpies’ best and fairest award in 2012, informed the club last week he wanted to be traded to the Lions.
Collingwood have been unable to persuade the 24-year-old to stay, with coach Nathan Buckley saying on the weekend he wants a ready-made player in return.
Lions football manager Dean Warren opined on Monday that pick No.4 would be “very fair” compensation for Beams.
But that suggestion was dismissed on Tuesday morning by Magpies list manager Derek Hine.
“It’s good of Dean to talk to you guys, because at this point of time we haven’t spoken to Dean,” Hine quipped on AFL Trade Radio.
“We clearly rate Dayne as a player that’s just really moving into the prime of his career.
“Clearly he’s an elite player in the competition.
“It’s going to take a little bit more than pick four, put it this way.”
Aside from the vastly different expectations, the situation is further complicated by the fact Beams is contracted to Collingwood for next season.
Hine reaffirmed Buckley’s stance that the club wanted a like-for-like replacement for Beams.
“Either a ready-made player or the potential to be able to access a ready-made player via our first pick,” he said.
Given the Lions’ reluctance to trade away their stars, a three-way deal will almost certainly need to be brokered.
But don’t expect the Magpies to lead the charge.
“Well, yeah. He’s a contracted player,” Hine said when asked whether other sides needed to do “all the work” to make a suitable trade happen.
Lions recruiting chief Peter Schwab admitted on Tuesday there was a “bit of a stalemate” but remained confident Beams would join brother Claye in Brisbane.
“History says that most players will get where they want to go,” Schwab told radio station SEN.
Schwab conceded swingman Daniel Merrett was “exploring some options”.
“We’ll just wait and see what Daniel comes up with – if he wants to be traded or not. Then we’ll consider it,” Schwab said.
Meanwhile, the manager of Western Bulldogs key forward Liam Jones confirmed his client had requested a trade to Carlton.
“Carlton seems to be the best fit for Liam,” Shane Casley told SEN of Jones, who has played 66 AFL games.
“It’s certainly the club that we’ve nominated, and we’d like to get there, but until a deal’s done it’s never done, is it?”
