The final day of the AFL trade period brought significant player movements as teams scrambled to finalize their rosters for the upcoming season. Notable trades included key forwards and seasoned players changing clubs, reshaping the landscape of the league ahead of the new campaign.
Key Trades and Player Movements
Charlie Curnow has officially joined the Sydney Swans after a protracted negotiation process with the Carlton Blues. The Blues initially rejected bids from both Geelong and Sydney before ultimately agreeing to let their star forward go. In exchange, Sydney offered their next three round-one draft picks along with player Will Hayward. Carlton also received two second-round picks and a 2027 second-round draft selection as part of the deal.
In another significant move, Christian Petracca, Melbourne’s only Norm Smith Medallist, is set to join the Gold Coast Suns. This trade involves two round-picks from this year’s draft, along with a swap of lower draft selections between the two clubs.
The trade period also witnessed Clayton Oliver moving from Melbourne to Greater Western Sydney (GWS) in exchange for a 2026 third-round pick. Similarly, St Kilda captain Jack Steele transitioned to Melbourne, with the Saints receiving a 2027 third-round draft selection in return.
Additional Trades and Unfulfilled Deals
The Western Bulldogs’ Jamarra Ugle-Hagan, who faced off-field challenges over the past year, will head to Gold Coast for the No.74 draft selection. This move marks a fresh start for the former No.1 draft pick. Meanwhile, Oliver Florent, who was part of Sydney’s initial proposal for Curnow, has joined the Blues in a separate deal for a 2026 third-round selection.
Other trades included Changkuoth Jiath moving from Hawthorn to Melbourne, Jai Serong from Hawthorn to Sydney, and Finn Maley transferring from North Melbourne to Adelaide. Despite the flurry of activity, several players, including Zach Merrett (Essendon to Hawthorn), Jy Simpkin (North Melbourne to Collingwood), Callum Ah Chee (Brisbane to Adelaide), Rowan Marshall (St Kilda to Geelong), and Buku Khamis (Western Bulldogs to Carlton) did not secure trades on the final day of negotiations.
As the dust settles from this year’s trade period, teams will now turn their focus to preparing for the upcoming season, with new line-ups and strategic adjustments shaping the competition landscape for 2024.
