AFL Trade Wrap Day 4: Mitch McGovern, Jared Polec, Gary Rohan and more

It’s been another busy day of AFL trades, with the fourth day of player movement wrapping up earlier today after a flurry of activity took place just before lunchtime.

Two of the more high-profile moves this offseason were reportedly settled overnight and, although official paperwork lodgment took some time, both Mitch McGovern and Jared Polec completed their moves to Victoria today.

McGovern was the first of those dominoes to fall, with the 23-year-old key tall getting his wish of a move to Carlton granted after Sydney got involved.

The Blues sent two second-round picks (26 and 28) to Sydney in exchange for pick 13, which they then traded onto Adelaide along with their 2019 third-round pick and the rights to mature-aged SANFL prospect Shane McAdam.

The Crows relinquished McGovern to the Blues, along with their 2019 fifth-round pick, while also sending pick 40 to the Swans.

Polec’s transfer from Port Adelaide to North Melbourne was completed soon after, with the Power packaging the ex-Lion up with Jasper Pittard and pick 48 in exchange for North’s pick 11 and 2019 fourth-round pick.

Two more deals got done before all parties could break for lunch, with a three-way trade between Geelong, Sydney and North Melbourne seeing Gary Rohan head to the Cattery, Ryan Clarke move to Sydney and the Kangaroos end up with pick 61 in this year’s draft.

West Coast secured some badly-needed ruck support in light of Nic Naitanui’s ACL injury and Scott Lycett’s departure to Port Adelaide, picking up Tom Hickey from St Kilda, along with pick 60, in exchange for pick 39.

The two sides swapped 2019 fourth-rounders as part of the deal too.

Tom Hickey (left) is joining the reigning premiers. (AAP Image/Tracey Nearmy)

The competition’s two Queensland sides were the ones to actually get the trade tracker online this morning, with a complex draft pick swap that we haven’t yet seen the full reasoning behind.

The Brisbane Lions sent picks 24, 58 and 79 to the Gold Coast Suns in exchange for picks 32, 41, 44 and 77.

While most reports indicate Brisbane came out on top from a draft points perspective, it remains to be seen whether this move has anything to do with their pursuit of contracted duo Lachie Neale and Marcus Adams.

There was reportedly little progress made by the Lions on either front today. While both Fremantle and the Western Bulldogs have publically stated they’re not keen to make a trade, the Lions said they remained confident a deal would get done with the Dockers for Neale.

The standoff over Neale is said to be holding up a number of potential moves involving Freo, with progress on Rory Lobb’s requested move and Jesse Hogan’s rumoured move not being made.

That, in turn, has held up any news on Steven May’s decision. While the Suns skipper is still no guarantee to leave the Gold Coast, the word continues to be that Melbourne will make a play for him – but only if Hogan departs.

Chad Wingard’s future continued to be a hot topic of discussion, with Port Adelaide once again offering uninspiring updates – this time claiming Wingard doesn’t have to tell them he wants to stay at the club because he’s still contracted.

Astute fans have noted, however, that Wingard now follows the Hawthorn Football Club on Twitter.

Tim Kelly and Dan Hannebery stayed out of the headlines for another day, although Swans general manager Tom Harley told Trade Radio he expected a deal with St Kilda for the premiership midfielder to be wrapped up soon. Harley also confirmed Sydney’s interest in Collingwood defender Tom Langdon, but stressed Langdon was yet to make up his mind on whether he wanted to move.

Dan Hannebery should be a Saint by the end of the week. (Photo by Cameron Spencer/AFL Media/Getty Images)

While the morning was all about deals being completed, a number of other rumoured moves were hosed down as the afternoon wore on.

Carlton list manager Stephen Silvagni reiterated the club’s free agency signing of Alex Fasolo was on track to be completed very soon, but moved to ease speculation that Levi Casboult was on the move to Hawthorn in search of more opportunities.

Silvagni did admit, however, that their Irish defender Ciaran Byrne was very likely not to return to the club after the offseason.

North Melbourne’s interest in NSW-based defenders Jeremy Finlayson and Nic Newman was reportedly cooled after they secured Pittard in the Polec trade. While GWS have reportedly encouraged Finlayson to continue pursuing his options, the Swans are now open to keeping Newman at the SCG.

Cameron Joyce – North’s list manager – did, however, stress the club was still interested in Gold Coast’s Aaron Hall, and appeared to suggest a straight swap with Melbourne of Braydon Preuss for Dom Tyson after the former Giant nominated North as his preferred trade destination.

The last pieces of news to trickle through on an action-packed day included St Kilda dismissing both Essendon and Melbourne’s interested in coveted youngster Ben Long, while Aaron vandenBerg – who was widely expected to move to Sydney – elected to re-sign with the Demons on a three-year deal.

Cam Ellis-Yolmen, who was rumoured to be on the way out of Adelaide in search of more opportunities, also elected to stay at his home club on a one-year extension.