ESSENDON would receive national draft picks five and nine for losing Joe Daniher as part of a deal being considered by three clubs.
With Sydney already prepared to give the Bombers pick five for the key forward, selection No.9 would head to the Bombers via Carlton as part of a transaction involving its pursuit of Swans goalsneak Tom Papley.
Essendon is still wrestling with allowing Daniher to exit its operations while contracted for 2020.
But it has known for the past month his desire to leave for Sydney has become personally overwhelming, and in recent days has privately thrashed out favourable trade scenarios.
Draft picks five and nine in return for the injury-ravaged Daniher departure would be a massive outcome for Essendon.
But him leaving, as well as Orazio Fantasia, who wants to return to South Australia, would be equally embarrassing and problematic, given the all-out recruitment of star talent in the past two trade periods of Dylan Shiel, Jake Stringer, Devon Smith and Adam Saad.
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Incredibly and now clearly hypocritically, Daniher personally pitched to Shiel the Bombers case over those of Carlton, St Kilda and Hawthorn to convince the former Giant to choose Essendon in the 2018 Telstra AFL Trade Period.
Carlton has targeted Papley heavily, and is prepared to use its pick nine as part of the deal to wrench him out of his contract with the Swans.
But, understandably, it would want to receive another lucrative national draft pick as part of that transaction.
As it stands, the Swans' picks after No.5 are 25, 42, 51, 59, 60 and 78.
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While the Blues are prepared to offer their first pick, No.9, for Papley, they will only do so if the Swans also attach something significant to the deal.
Carlton is also seeking Gold Coast's Jack Martin and Adelaide's Eddie Betts in the trade period.
