Overview
- Essendon CEO Craig Vozzo said Hawthorn’s first formal approach came about 30 hours before the deadline with a ‘first and final’ seven-hour offer that was declined, and Zach Merrett is expected to be stripped of the captaincy on his return.
- Hawthorn’s final package was picks 10 and 22, a 2026 first-rounder and Henry Hustwaite for Merrett and a future third, while Essendon was reported to have sought four first-round picks plus a second.
- The AFL’s change allowing trades of draft picks two years ahead helped inflate valuations for marquee players, reinforcing clubs’ willingness to demand multi-year pick hauls.
- Charlie Curnow secured a last-minute move to Sydney after the Swans agreed to include their 2027 first-round pick in a deal that also sent Will Hayward to Carlton and was finalized in the closing minutes.
- Callum Ah Chee’s proposed switch to Adelaide collapsed when Brisbane rejected a future second and third as below value, with Adelaide eyeing the pre-season draft and Port Adelaide considering an approach.