Overview
- Geelong and Essendon agreed to a trade that sends Jordan Ridley to the Cats in exchange for Jack Bowes and multiple future draft picks.
- Reports agree Geelong receives pick No.60 but differ on the extra pick returned to the Cats, with some outlets naming a 2027 second-rounder and others a 2028 fourth-round selection.
- Ridley has played just 26 games across the past three seasons because of recurring injuries, and some reports say he was contracted to Essendon through 2029 although that has not been independently confirmed in all sources.
- Geelong has already added Toby Greene via free agency and has had Gryan Miers’ potential move to West Coast publicly ruled out by Miers’ manager, while the club is renewing efforts to recruit St Kilda ruckman Rowan Marshall and monitoring interest in Nick Blakey.
- The trade shows Geelong trading short-term draft capital and a depth player to add an experienced key defender, a move that could boost their immediate list balance and leave Essendon with extra picks and a versatile player in Bowes.