• Draft order: Your club's provisional picks
• Click here for the NAB AFL Trade Hub
THE JAMES Aish and Chris Yarran trades look set to go down to the wire ahead of the final day of the NAB AFL Trade Period.
Aish and Yarran remain more likely than not to get to their preferred new homes, Collingwood and Richmond, before Thursday's 2pm deadline, but as of Wednesday night both trades remained a fair way from being finalised.
However, Cam McCarthy's requested trade to Fremantle looks all but dead in the water, with Greater Western Sydney set to make good on its promise to hold on to the contracted forward.
Collingwood has offered the future second-round pick it received from St Kilda for Nathan Freeman for Aish, but the Pies will almost certainly have to add a sweetener to secure the South Australian.
The Lions have demanded two 2016 second-round picks in preference to picks in this year's draft because they have already stockpiled enough draft points to match rival bids for this year's academy players Eric Hipwood and Ben Keays, and are to keen to start accumulating points for next year's academy batch.
Under the AFL rules governing future picks, the Pies cannot use their own 2016 second-round pick given they sent their future first-round pick to GWS in the drawn-out Adam Treloar deal that was mercifully finalised late on Wednesday afternoon.
Collingwood received pick No.28 back from the Giants in that deal, giving them two second-round picks in this year's draft – No.26 is the other – either of which could be packaged with the Freeman pick in an attempt to satisfy the Lions.
If the Lions hold firm on their demand for 2016 picks, the Magpies could seek to acquire one of the two future second-round selections Gold Coast has attained over the trade period, or the one that GWS has netted.
There was speculation Collingwood could have secured Aish in a three-way trade with North Melbourne that would have sent Ryan Bastinac to the Lions, but that prospect all but evaporated on Wednesday when it emerged the Lions and Roos were on the verge of doing a separate deal.
Bastinac was still a Roo heading into the last day of the trade period, but it's expected the deal will get done early on Thursday, with Bastinac and picks No.38 and 40 heading to the Gabba in exchange for pick No.17.
Meanwhile, Carlton list manager Stephen Silvagni suggested on Wednesday afternoon that the Blues were prepared to budge somewhat on their trade demands for Yarran.
Carlton's asking price had been Richmond's first-round pick, No.12 overall, with the Blues quick to refute the possibility of a straight swap for the No.19 pick Richmond acquired in a trade with Gold Coast on Tuesday.
Silvagni told NAB AFL Trade Radio the Blues remained unwilling to accept the end-of-first-round pick on its own, but could be open to a package deal involving that selection.
Silvagni made it plain, however, that it was up to Richmond to come up with an acceptable offer for Yarran, who is contracted at Carlton for next season.
"If we can't broker a deal then he's a required player," Silvagni said, dismissing reports that Yarran could consider sitting out the 2016 season if he's not traded to Punt Road.
As of Wednesday night, the Tigers were believed to be exploring a range of complicated pick swapping scenarios.
The Tigers have picks including No.12, 19, 52, while Carlton's conceivably relevant selections include No.20, 21, 59 and 60.
McCarthy's bid to return to Western Australia for personal reasons remains a long shot despite Fremantle CEO Steve Rosich's insistence that the Dockers' interest in McCarthy would be 'ongoing'.
The Dockers were hopeful of entering a formal negotiation for McCarthy during the trade period and made the Giants aware that they were prepared to trade pick No.22, next year's first-round draft pick and potentially even a player to secure the 20-year-old.
McCarthy is contracted for the next two seasons and the Giants have so far refused to budge, but if they have a late change of heart a deal could be organised.
In the event the Giants hold their ground, Freo could yet make a late play for North Melbourne forward Aaron Black.
But the West Australian seems most likely to stay at Arden Street, with the Roos and Dockers a long way apart in their discussions ahead of the trade period's final day.
Carlton's bid for Greater Western Sydney forward Adam Tomlinson remained in the works on Wednesday night but time was running out for a deal to be done.
The 22-year-old who is contracted until the end of 2017 would be a valuable pick-up for the Blues after 53 games with the Giants.
His preference is to play forward but he has shown a capacity to handle the game's best forwards when thrown into defence.
Whether Tomlinson gets to Carlton might depend on how quickly a deal can be done to trade Yarran to Richmond.
Western Bulldogs defender Michael Talia remains hopeful of finding a new home after 30 games in four seasons with the club.
The defender is understood to have visited the Sydney Swans on Wednesday after they rekindled their interest in him late in the piece.
However, Talia has also attracted Essendon's attention, with the Bombers thinking he has the potential to play as a third tall defender.
The Blues are also understood to have made enquiries about the No.39 pick in the 2011 NAB AFL Draft.
The Western Bulldogs made a late play for contracted Port Adelaide ruckman Matthew Lobbe, contacting the Power and the ruckman's manager on Tuesday to inquire about his availability.
But sources close to Lobbe told AFL.com.au there was no chance of a deal being done before the trade deadline passes.
The ruckman, who is contacted at Port until the end of 2019, is on holiday in Vietnam and not in a position to seriously consider a change of club in such a short timeframe.
The Bulldogs made an unsuccessful play for Brisbane Lions ruckman Stefan Martin ahead of the trade period, and Lobbe would have appealed as an alternative given Patrick Ryder was preferred as the Power's No.1 ruckman late in 2015.
New Port recruit Charlie Dixon's ability to play as a support ruckman also casts some doubt over Lobbe's role at Port next season.
Hawthorn utility Brendan Whitecross completed a medical test with the Brisbane Lions on Tuesday, but remains a chance to play on with the reigning premier.
The Lions are still assessing the likely make-up of their 2016 list, but they appear a more likely new home for Whitecross than his other suitor, GWS, if the Queenslander opts for a fresh start.
Port Adelaide pair Aaron Young and Andrew Moore have also been looking for opportunities at rival clubs, with Moore meeting with Richmond earlier this month.
