AFL TRADE GAME GETS EXTRA TIME

First it was “trade week”, then it became the “trade period” as the process was extended to 11 days – and now it is the “trade marathon” with a record 41 days in this year’s AFL player market.

For the first time, AFL clubs will be able to trade draft picks to the week leading up to the national draft which, also for the first time, will be spread across two days (November 22-23).

All 18 AFL clubs will gather at Etihad Stadium this morning for their club-by-club talks to compare trade needs and trade bait.

The high-profile trades will focus on contracted Crows forward Mitch McGovern (to Carlton), contracted Fremantle midfielder Lachie Neale (to Brisbane) and GWS midfielder Dylan Shiel to a club he is still to nominate after being courted by Carlton, St Kilda, Essendon and Hawthorn.

And Port Adelaide will learn just how serious the Western Bulldogs can be with their interest in the Power’s contracted midfielder-forward Chad Wingard.

The clubs will clear away from the Docklands by mid-afternoon with the process of wheeling and dealing players and draft picks to continue until Wednesday week.

The AFL this year is allowing the clubs to ease – and correct – their regrets when they close the trade talks for players close next Wednesday.

Clubs will be able to continue trading draft picks until 1pm (AEST) on Friday, November 16. In these extra 30 days, they will be able to reconsider where they stand in the revised draft order, re-calculate if they have enough points for the bidding system for father-son and academy picks and react to any rethink after assessing their trade plays.

Free agency opened on Friday and all offers to restricted and unrestricted free agents close this Friday.

The AFL national draft will work to a new model as well this year.

The draft will open with just the first-round calls on November 22 and be completed with picks from the second round and beyond the next day.