Mercury (Hobart)

Collingwoo­d brings back Beams with last-ditch offer

- JON RALPH

COLLINGWOO­D will enter 2019 with the most powerful and hyped midfield in the competitio­n after waiting until the final minutes of trade week to secure Dayne Beams.

The Pies eventually handed over two first-round selections for Beams, and the Lions avoided the untenable situation of having a player at their club who made clear he didn’t want to be there.

Collingwoo­d handed over pick 18 this year, its firstround­er next year and pick 56, receiving picks 41 and 44 and the prized signature of Beams.

At one stage a trade that looked certain to fall over ended up with the Pies giving up a huge draft haul for a 29year-old.

But Pies list boss Ned Guy said yesterday securing those two picks in the 40s meant the club did not jeopardise its aspiration­s to heavily consider top-25 prospects Isaac Quaynor and Will Kelly.

As football boss David Noble said of the Collingwoo­d offer: “We didn’t have to relent but it ended up the deal that came across our desk was too good to knock back”.

Beams left the Pies in a blaze of controvers­y four seasons ago, having said that he had only a “working relationsh­ip” with coach Nathan Buckley.

But throughg ggood mate and former teammate Steele Sidebottom, Beams met Buckley in the days after this year’s grand final loss to patch up their relationsh­ip.

He now adds a destructiv­e edge to Collingwoo­d’s hardworkin­g midfield, as one of the best goalkickin­g midfielder finishers in the competitio­n.

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