ORAZIO Fantasia will remain a Bomber for now in a surprising twist to a saga that has dragged on for months.
AFL.com.au can confirm Fantasia's new manager Michael Doughty has informed Port Adelaide he won't request a trade home to South Australia in this year's exchange period.
Doughty had discussions with the Power's list management team on Wednesday but a day later – approaching the halfway point of the Telstra AFL Trade Period – he announced Fantasia was staying put.
It's understood Essendon and Port Adelaide officials had preliminary trade discussions about Fantasia on Monday before agreeing to park them until the 24-year-old made his final call.
The already advanced stage of Trade Period and the fact it would have been a prolonged negotiation process made Fantasia's situation more problematic.
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AFL.com.au believes Power officials are privately bemused at the turn of events.
He has two seasons to run on his latest, heavily front-ended contract, which he signed in August last year, but he will be a free agent at the end of that period.
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Fantasia will earn significantly less money next season before his wage rises again for 2021.
His playing status was a major talking point since AFL.com.au revealed in July that he wanted to finish his AFL career playing for a South Australian club.
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Port Adelaide went public with its interest in Fantasia a fortnight ago, and his bond with assistant coach Nathan Bassett and co-captain Tom Jonas had it in the box seat to win his services if he left.
Adelaide never showed any serious interest in pursuing Fantasia.
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