THE STAKES are high for Fremantle over the next five days as it negotiates a trade for just the right player, at exactly the right time, but with the wrong asking price. 

The Dockers and Richmond are involved in a standoff for star forward/midfielder Shai Bolton, who has the ability to transform his new club from a non-finalist in 2024 into a premiership contender in 2025.

But Fremantle's offer of picks No.10 and 18 has so far been rebuffed as the Tigers' hold firm on their request for No.10 and 11, with negotiations now moving into week two of the Continental Tyres AFL Trade Period.

The stakes are high for the Dockers because Bolton is a player they can hardly afford to walk away from knowing the impact he would likely have at his second club, which has built strategically for this point.

While other factors will contribute to the team's anticipated improvement, the dual premiership star gives them the required midfield speed and goalkicking power to become a flag threat.

Are they really willing to deny themselves another elite, ready-to-go talent at this moment in favour of more youth, even if Sydney superstar Chad Warner looms as a target next year? 

While the Tigers have been painted as stubborn in their positioning, the fact remains Bolton is a player with four years to run on a contract, albeit one who has reasons to request a move home to Western Australia.

Conceding so early in negotiations would make little sense, especially when they know how valuable Bolton will be for Fremantle.

The Dockers' list build so far has left them in a position where they have the ability to pay a high price for Bolton, even if it means finding middle ground between the clubs' respective positions.

They would also be following the path of recent premiers who have taken risks at the trade table to fill the remaining gaps on their lists, giving them the crucial edge over rivals.

Brisbane is a perfect example and can point to Western Bulldogs' premiership player Josh Dunkley, ex-Docker Lachie Neale, and former Adelaide forward Charlie Cameron as premiership heroes who were secured for a premium to fill needs.

Former Essendon forward Joe Daniher arrived as a restricted free agent, while premiership players Callum Ah Chee (Gold Coast) and Darcy Fort (Geelong) were bargain trades that delivered when it mattered most.  

All up, the Lions secured five of their premiership 23 via trades for a total cost of five first-round picks and a combination of later selections. 

Giving up those picks was a risk worth taking for Brisbane, just like it was for Collingwood, Geelong, Melbourne and Richmond before them, who all rounded out their lists with successful, if costly, trades.

The key for those teams has been getting the right players at the right time, and it is why Bolton makes so much sense for Fremantle, which needed a better scoreboard return from its small forwards in 2024.

Bolton's All-Australian season came in 2022 when he booted 43 goals and averaged 17.5 disposals in a Richmond team that won 13 games and lost an elimination final to Brisbane.

That goal tally would have ranked him No.2 at Fremantle in 2024, just behind star key forward Josh Treacy (45) and ahead of sidekick Jye Amiss (36). It's reasonable to expect he can deliver at that level in a team that is contending.

The 25-year-old's fast feet at stoppages will then complement star trio Caleb Serong, Hayden Young and Andrew Brayshaw, who can create room in the centre square through their own ability to rotate forward.

While multiple player exits in each of the past two off-seasons set the Dockers back, they also contributed to the opportunity the club has this year with picks No.10, 11 and 18.

Those exits have also coincided with the key arrivals of forward/ruck Luke Jackson, wingman and pre-season selection Jeremy Sharp and the earlier addition of half-back Jordan Clark from rival clubs.

Negotiating hard until you can get the best available deal for your club is the job of a list manager, and it is right to say the Tigers' demands of pick No.10 and 11 in a first-round that clubs are desperate to climb into is over the top.

But compromising and settling on some middle ground can still be a win for Fremantle if that's what it comes to late in the Trade Period. It could be the last in a series of moves that helps the club win its first premiership.