Overview

• Essendon CEO Craig Vozzo said Hawthorn made first formal contact about 30 hours before the deadline with a first-and-final offer carrying a seven-hour expiry.
• The Bombers rejected the Hawks’ package of picks 10 and 22, a future first-rounder and Henry Hustwaite, with Zach Merrett to return in 2026 and likely lose the captaincy.
• Nine’s Tom Morris reported Essendon’s asking price for Merrett as four first-round picks plus a second-rounder, highlighting the gulf in valuations.
• Callum Ah Chee’s move to Adelaide collapsed as Brisbane held out for a first-round pick; his manager said there is zero chance he returns to the Lions and flagged the pre-season draft route, as Dom Ambrogio dismissed future late picks as “window dressing.”
• Charlie Curnow completed a last-minute switch to the Swans in a deal involving Will Hayward and multiple first-round selections, later saying it would have been hard to walk back into Carlton if talks had failed.