Hawthorn secured Jaeger O’Meara and Greater Western Sydney landed Brett Deledio but Bryce Gibbs was left stranded at Carlton as the AFL trade period ended with a bang.
The biggest deal of the trade period went down to the wire and almost didn’t eventuate, with talks between Gold Coast and Hawthorn on O’Meara derailed by a bitter dispute over the young star’s value.
But the Hawks upped their offer and the Suns relented just minutes before Thursday’s 2pm deadline, trading O’Meara for the No.10 draft pick and a future second-round selection.
The deal means Gold Coast will take picks 4, 6 , 8 and 10 to next month’s draft.
With Sam Mitchell headed to West Coast and Jordan Lewis traded to Melbourne, Hawthorn coach Alistair Clarkson will look to rebuild his midfield around O’Meara and former Sydney onballer Tom Mitchell.
It’s a risky move considering the injury-prone O’Meara hasn’t played since 2014 but the Hawks will bank on the 22-year-old’s enormous upside and the dazzling potential he had showed in his first two seasons.
“It has been a lengthy process and we are rapt that we can now officially welcome him to our club,” Hawks list manager Graham Wright said.
The O’Meara exchange and Deledio’s trade from Richmond to GWS came in a hectic final 15 minutes in which eight deals were completed, compared to 14 in the opening eight days of the trade period.
Deledio was initially keen to head to Geelong but the 29-year-old forward nominated GWS as his new home when it became clear the Cats couldn’t strike a deal with Richmond.
His addition, in exchange for first and third-round picks in the 2017 draft, will bolster the expansion club’s push for a premiership after falling this year at the second-last hurdle.
GWS offloaded a remarkable nine players during the trade period, sending trio Caleb Marchbank, Jarrod Pickett and Rhys Palmer to Carlton to help get the Deledio deal over the line, while Richmond added Josh Caddy from Geelong and Dion Prestia from Gold Coast.
But Gibbs was left at the altar with Adelaide refusing to satisfy Carlton’s demands for the homesick star.
With the 27-year-old contracted for the next three years, Carlton had plenty of leverage and used it to demand at least two first-round picks or a combination of players.
The Crows lashed out at the “unrealistic” price tag while making clear they weren’t about to give up on Gibbs one day wearing their colours.
“He’s a South Australian, he’s got a strong intent to come home so we’ll review that in 12 months’ time,” Crows list manager Justin Reid said.
Reigning premiers the Western Bulldogs sealed a long-expected trade for Collingwood forward Travis Cloke but lost defender Joel Hamling to Fremantle, who also lured home Hawthorn wingman Brad Hill, Geelong’s Shane Kersten and former Giant Cam McCarthy.
