Jeremy Cameron was granted his wish after Greater Western Sydney agreed to trade the star forward to Geelong, while Adam Treloar will leave Collingwood to join the Western Bulldogs.
Key points:
- Geelong traded picks 13, 15 and 20 in the draft as part of the deal to secure Cameron
- Treloar was one of four Collingwood players to find new clubs on the final day of the trade period
- Ben Brown left North Melbourne for the Demons, while Jack Higgins joined St Kilda from Richmond
Both deals were finalised with only minutes remaining in the AFL’s trade period, which concluded at 7:30pm AEDT on Thursday.
Josh Dunkley will be staying at the Bulldogs, however, as a trade deal could not be reached with Essendon.
The Giants are satisfied with what they got out of the Cameron deal, with the Cats giving up three first-round draft picks (13, 15 and 20) and a future fourth-round selection.
It is the first time a player has been exchanged for three first-round draft picks.
The Cats received two future second-round selections — currently tied to Essendon — in addition to Cameron.
“We obviously rate Jeremy very highly and felt it necessary to ensure we received fair value for a player of his calibre,” Giants general manager Jason McCartney said.
“We utilised the mechanisms available to us the restricted free agency framework to get the best possible result for our club.”
Treloar heads to Whitten Oval following a messy exit from the Magpies.
The Bulldogs also received two second-round picks (26 and 33) and a third-round pick (42) as part of the agreement between the two clubs.
In return, Collingwood gained pick 14 and a future second-round selection in the draft.
“He’s (Treloar) got some attributes we’d love to add to our midfield group with his speed, power and ability to get away from the stoppage,” Bulldogs general manager of list and recruiting Sam Power said.
Treloar, who previously played for the Giants before joining Collingwood, was not the only Magpie to depart the club, with Jaidyn Stephenson, Atu Bosenavulagi and Tom Phillips also finding new homes.
Stephenson, who won the AFL Rising Star award in 2018, and Bosenavulagi linked up with the Kangaroos.
Phillips was traded from Collingwood to Hawthorn in exchange for pick 65 in a deal described by many in AFL circles as a bargain for the Hawks.
Meanwhile, Orazio Fantasia will move back to Adelaide to join the Power after the Bombers agreed to a trade.
The Power received Fantasia and pick 73 in the draft, while the Bombers got pick 29 and a future third-round selection.
The Bombers recruited Jye Caldwell through a trade deal with the Giants, as well as Nick Hind from St Kilda.
Demons take Brown, Higgins now a Saint
Earlier, North Melbourne traded key forward Ben Brown to the Demons, Jack Higgins left AFL premiers Richmond to join St Kilda, and West Coast secured Alex Witherden following a trade with the Brisbane Lions.
Brown’s playing future had been in limbo since September when the Kangaroos informed the 27-year-old he was not in their plans for the 2021 season.
As part of the Brown deal, the Demons also received pick 28 in the draft and a future fourth-round selection.
“He (Brown) is a proven goal kicker and we think he is the perfect type of player to work alongside our other forwards with his height, football smarts and experience,” Demons general manager of football Josh Mahoney said.
“We were impressed during this process by Ben’s determination to succeed and also his excitement about joining Melbourne and being part of our club.”
The Kangaroos were delighted to pick up Stephenson, who left the Magpies after three seasons with the club.
The 21-year-old forward kicked 76 goals in 54 appearances for the Magpies. He only played 14 matches in the 2020 season due to a bout of glandular fever.
“Jaidyn has an explosive and electrifying style of game,” Kangaroos list manager Glenn Luff said.
“He can be so dangerous in the forward 50 but he can also impact through the midfield which is really important to us.
“We firmly believe he will grow even more under our program and be a really important player for us into the future.”
The Tigers traded pick number 21 and a future fourth-round selection to the Saints as part of the Higgins deal.
The Saints offloaded pick 17 and a future second-round selection to the Tigers in exchange.
“It’s amazing to join the Saints next year and I really can’t wait to get started,” Higgins said.
“I grew up barracking for the Saints, so it really is a dream come true to represent the club.”
Higgins played 43 matches for the Tigers after being selected in the 2017 draft.
He spent a significant amount of time on the sidelines during the 2019 season after undergoing brain surgery.
The acquisition of Higgins follows the Saints’ recruitment of former Adelaide Crow Brad Crouch at the beginning of the trade period last week.
The Eagles gained pick 86 in the draft along with Witherden, while the Lions claimed pick 58 and a future third-round selection as part of the deal.
The Lions also conducted a pick swap with Melbourne.
The Demons claimed picks 18, 19 and a future second-round selection, while the Lions received picks 25, 68, 69 and a future first-round selection.
Betts re-signs with Blues
Eddie Betts has signed on for at least one more year with the Blues, with the 2021 season to be his 17th in the AFL.
He made his debut for the Blues in 2005 and returned to the club this season after playing for the Crows between 2013 and 2019.
“My number one priority next year will be playing good football and doing everything I possibly can to help this club win games and earn the success we have been working towards,” Betts said.
Betts, 33, has played 331 senior matches.
