WEST Coast has pulled off a trade heist by securing homesick St Kilda midfielder Jamie Cripps at little cost.

In the last trade to be ratified before the deadline of the Gillette AFL Trade Period, St Kilda moved on Cripps and pick 46 and gained picks 41 and 44 in return.

The trade was made after West Coast knocked back St Kilda's persistent attempts to gain Eagles key defender Mitch Brown in a swap involving Cripps.

Cripps wanted to return to his home state of Western Australia, while Brown wanted to return to Victoria.

West Coast's national recruiting manager, Rohan O'Brien, said the Eagles were delighted to secure the 20-year-old Cripps.

"He's a young guy we think can add some pace to our midfield and can play a few roles for us, so we're really pleased to get it done," O'Brien said.
 
When asked whether Brown was ever a to be part of the Cripps deal, O'Brien said: "No, not at all. Mitch was never on the table.

"St Kilda were very fair all the way through with what they did, but we were keen to keep Mitch and hopefully he'll be with us for a number of years to come."
 
O'Brien said St Kilda was persistent with its inquiries about the 23-year-old Brown.
"They came a number of times all the way through, and they were obviously very keen to get him in. But they understood our position," he said.

When St Kilda's head of football, Chris Pelchen, was asked whether the Saints were disappointed in the Cripps deal, he hesitated before saying: "We're satisfied.

"Our preference was for Jamie to stay at the club. Like Mitch Brown wanting to return home, we were compassionate with Jamie who wanted to return to Western Australia.
 
"He made it clear he wanted to be with family and we were compassionate with his needs.

"Hopefully that comes back to assist us one day in the future."

Essendon had talks with West Coast about the possibility of the Bombers' Cale Hooker joining the Eagles.

Such a deal might have worked in favour of the Saints' plans to snare Brown, but it failed to come off.

The trade period deadline was 2pm on Friday.
Cripps was taken by St Kilda at pick 24 in the 2010 NAB AFL Draft.

Brown, who'll be 24 by next season, was taken by the Eagles at No.16 in the 2006 national draft.