A Mitch Clark-Kurt Tippett super trade?
Mitch Clark is the biggest name yet to come out and openly seek a trade. The versatile Brisbane Lions tall wants to return home to Western Australia after six seasons at the Gabba and both WA clubs are interested.
Fremantle has been installed as the favourite to snare Clark, but recent speculation has West Coast making a late play for the Lion. The Eagles have reportedly floated a trade based on Clark becoming an Eagle, Eagles midfielder Brad Ebert joining the Crows and Crows key forward Kurt Tippett flying home to Queensland and entering the Lions' den.
But the Adelaide Advertiser's chief football writer Michelangelo Rucci reports that this scenario is unlikely to play out, with the Crows declaring Tippett will not be traded. It had been reported that Tippett had an exit clause in his contract requiring the Crows to trade him to Gold Coast next year for a second or third-round draft pick.
But Crows chief executive Steven Trigg said there was no such clause in Tippett's contract, Rucci reports.
Saints trade players again
St Kilda has been a big trade week player in recent seasons and the Herald Sun's Scott Gullan reports that salary cap pressures mean the Saints are again likely to be active this year.
Gullan writes that AFL salary cap investigator Ken Wood has found that the Saints are in breach of their salary cap but has given them until the end of this month to rectify this.
This means the Saints have to cut a "significant amount of cash" from their player payments, with defenders Sam Gilbert and Zac Dawson and on-baller Farren Ray among the Saints that will be floated to opposition clubs, Gullan writes.
The Australian's Greg Denham adds that defender/midfielder Brett Peake is another Saint who will be up for grabs this week, while Adelaide has expressed interest in forward Tom Lynch, who has played just two games for the Saints since being taken with a first-round draft pick in 2008.
Cashed-up Demons
Gullan also reports that Melbourne has the salary cap room to land a big fish this week, having set aside significant money for Tom Scully in its unsuccessful attempt to keep him from the Giants' clutches. According to Gullan, the Demons are unlikely to make a play for Saint Gilbert, but have a bunch of fringe players who have requested a trade, including Matthew Bate, Addam Maric and Matthew Warnock.
Magpies movement
Collingwood is open to offers for premiership players Alan Toovey and Brent Macaffer, along with John McCarthy, Gullan reports. All-Australian defender Leon Davis has been offered a one-year contract extension by the Magpies, but has returned home to Western Australia to consider his future.
The Australian's Greg Denham also reports that the Magpies may explore trading premiership defender Tyson Goldsack, having had "several clubs" inquire about his availability.
Gunston may not get to Hawks
Adelaide forward Jack Gunston has played just 14 games and kicked 20 goals but he is shaping as one of this year's hottest commodities.
Gunston, who turns 20 on Sunday, has nominated Hawthorn as his club of choice since walking out on the Crows to return to Victoria.
But the Adelaide Advertiser's Rucci writes that Gunston may have to accept that another club will come up with a more attractive deal for the Crows.
Crows list manager David Noble told Rucci the club had received "legitimate" interest in Gunston from three other clubs and had told him he "may have to reconsider his preference if one of those three clubs has a better deal for us".
The Hawks' first-round draft pick this year does not come until No. 24, but The Age reports wingman Clinton Young may be raised in the Crows-Hawks negotiations. The broadsheet reports that Hawk midfielder Xavier Ellis has ruled out a move to Adelaide.
Power play
Port Adelaide has two primary targets this trade period: West Coast midfielder Brad Ebert and Fremantle ruckman Jonathon Griffin, Rucci writes.
According to Rucci, West Coast will ask for Port's first-round draft pick (No. 6 overall) for Ebert, but the South Australian-born Eagle could opt to try to get to Alberton in December's Pre-season Draft, in which case the Eagles would get nothing.
Rucci writes that Griffin's future will be determined by the success of Fremantle's play to win Mitch Clark from Brisbane. If Freo gets their Lion, they will need to trade him to make room for Clark under their salary cap, Rucci reports.
The 17-year-old mini-draft
This is one of the concessions granted to Greater Western Sydney as it builds its fledgling player list, with the Giants having the right to auction four of the best 17-year-olds in the land over the next two years.
This season it seems they will trade the rights to two 17-year-olds, West Australian on-baller Jaeger O'Meara and Victorian Brad Crouch, ahead of this Thursday's mini-draft.
The bidding for the mini-draft picks is sure to be intense, especially for the No. 1 pick, which will almost certainly be used to snare O'Meara.
The Age's Michael Gleeson reports Gold Coast is in the box set to claim the No. 1 mini-draft pick with an offer that will include pick No. 4 in this year's NAB AFL Draft and the compensation pick they acquired from Geelong last year (awarded to the Cats when Gary Ablett joined the Suns), in return for the Giants' No.9 draft pick.
Gleeson writes that the Western Bulldogs, Adelaide, Melbourne and Geelong are scrambling to put together offers to win the second pick in the mini-draft, which they would most likely use to secure Crouch.
According to Gleeson, the Bulldogs are best placed to secure the second mini-draft pick. He wrote that they could trade their first round draft pick (No. 17 overall) and their Callan Ward concession pick, but in return would want an early pick from the Giants.
In other trade news:
Adelaide and Richmond have begun talks over Crows ruckman Ivan Maric and are currently debating whether the trade should involve players or trade picks, the Adelaide Advertiser's Rucci reports. But The Australian's Denham writes that the deal will be done for a second-round draft pick.
Crows defender/midfielder Tony Armstrong wants to become a Sydney Swan but a third party may be needed to get the trade over the line: the Adelaide Advertiser.
Just a month after announcing his retirement, Western Bulldogs ruckman Ben Hudson, who will turn 33 before the start of next season, could be headed to the Brisbane Lions in exchange for a late draft pick: The Age.
Richmond forward Mitch Morton is looking to join his third AFL club: Herald Sun.
Geelong key defender Tom Gillies, who has struggled for opportunities behind Matthew Scarlett, Tom Lonergan and Harry Taylor, has attracted "a lot of interest" from opposition clubs: Herald Sun.
The Brisbane Lions are interested in Richmond defender Luke McGuane: Herald Sun.
Port Adelaide is considering making a play for Hawthorn ruckman Brent Renouf: The Age.
Out-of-contract Fremantle run-with player Ryan Crowley could be headed home to Victoria: The Australian.
No trades are official until paperwork has been accepted by the AFL and formally recognised after 2pm on Monday, October 17.
Follow our complete coverage of the 2011 AFL exchange period from October 10-17. Join the AFL trade conversation on Twitter: use #tradeweek in your tweets.
The views in this story are those of the author and not necessarily those of the clubs or the AFL.
