Geelong premiership castaways Paul Chapman and James Podsiadly were thrown AFL lifelines as decorated Nick Dal Santo quit St Kilda on the busiest day yet of the trade period.
Chapman joined Essendon and Podsiadly agreed to move to the Adelaide Crows, both on two-year deals.
The pair, both aged 32, were delisted by Geelong at season’s end, their moves coming as the AFL’s trade period clicked into high gear on Friday after idling for week.
Dal Santo left the Saints for North Melbourne, ruckman Shane Mumford’s move from Sydney to Greater Western Sydney was ratified and Melbourne gave the Giants a coveted draft pick in return for precocious talent Dom Tyson.
Melbourne traded their prized second pick at November’s national draft to GWS in return for Tyson, a highly rated 20-year-old midfielder originally selected at No.3 in the 2011 draft.
The Demons also traded their draft picks 20 and 72 in return for Dyson and the Giants’ picks nine and 53.
“We have been able to bring in a class midfielder in Tyson, and improve our second draft selection,” Melbourne’s football manager Josh Mahoney said in a statement.
Ex-Geelong stalwart Chapman signed a two-year contract to re-unite with his former coach Mark Thompson at Essendon in a free agency deal.
And his former teammate Podsiadly will also re-unite with a former assistant coach, agreeing to a two-year contract with the Brenton Sanderson-coached Crows.
Chapman and Podsiadly will extend their careers until they’re 34, with Podsiadly adamant he had plenty of top-level footy remaining.
“From a physical and mental point of view, I’m in great shape and very motivated,” he said in a statement.
The Giants on Friday also received ex-Swan ruckman Mumford for pick 35 while St Kilda’s Dal Santo ended months of speculation about his future by joining the Kangaroos as a restricted free agent.
The 29-year-old signed a three-year deal with North, with St Kilda expecting a second-round draft pick for the three-time All Australian.
“We are thrilled to have finally landed him,” North’s general manager of list and player personnel Cameron Joyce said.