Fantasia backflip riles Port

They’d been courting him for months, but he’ll stay at Dons

PORT Adelaide has been left bemused and frustrated after Orazio Fantasia pulled out of a potential trade after months of discussions that started midyear.

Fantasia is staying at Essendon after spending Wednesday and Thursday considering offers from the Bombers and Port Adelaide.

It is a massive coup for Essendon, which could still lose star forward Joe Daniher to Sydney despite its threat that it will hold him to his contract.

But the Power believed he was certain to cross to Ken Hinkley’s Port Adelaide after months of courting the attacking dynamo.

It is understood Port Adelaide would have been prepared to trade inside midfielder Sam Powell-Pepper back to the Dons but that deal will not likely go ahead now.

Essendon had done some preliminary investigations into the tough third-year midfielder, which would have complemented its midfield group. That deal would only have happened as part of a swap of players that included Fantasia.

Even close friends and confidantes believed Fantasia was ready to move back to his family. But after getting cold feet about that deal late in the week, he yesterday made an official decision he would stay for 2020.

Doughty said yesterday Fantasia would be a new player next year after knee and hip surgery curtailed his effectiveness this season.

“He never said he was leaving. Port had some interest, they were respectful and Essendon understood that. He is from Adelaide and has close family ties so he had a possible opportunity to go home but the good thing for Essendon fans is he has chosen to stay.

“He is a proud person, had a poor year with injury, he wants to get back to his best footy and show what he can do and he still thinks its the environment to do it.”

After spending much of the year investigating a move, he was genuinely torn between leaving for the Power and remaining at Essendon, where he is a big fan of coach John Worsfold.

His move away from manager Anthony McConville to Adelaide-based Michael Doughty meant many had suggested he was set to move.

But by early yesterday he was saying he might want to stay loyal to Worsfold and aware a deal back home might have been difficult to pull off.

Port Adelaide never officially met Fantasia but had communication with him through captain Tom Jonas and assistant coach Nathan Bassett, a former Essendon assistant.