SPORT Shiel deal down to the wire

THE Carlton curveball in the race for Dylan Shiel lobbed at Greater Western Sydney two days after the midfield star nominated Essendon as his preferred destination.

The Blues, whose audacious pitch to Shiel had involved a trip to Noosa on a private jet, knew it had been a narrow call and told the Giants their 2019 first-round draft pick was on the table if the Bombers couldn’t get the deal done.

Until 25 minutes before the trading deadline on Wednesday night, Carlton’s offer, while still not enough to satisfy the Giants, was superior to Essendon’s.

The Dons were flying high when Shiel gave them the nod and figured a serious salary cap squeeze at the Giants meant they could play hardball and land him at Tullamarine in exchange for a single first-round pick. For more than a week, Essendon’s offer of picks No.9 and 34 in next month’s national draft was the best list boss Adrian Dodoro and his team were prepared to offer.

“Dylan was prepared to go Carlton,” a source close to the negotiation said, but the big play that could have made it happen – the Blues throwing this year’s prized No.1 pick into play – was never made.

At the death, the only options left were for Shiel to go to Essendon or stay put.

Shiel confided in Giants friends as the 8.30pm deadline neared that he was frustrated by Essendon’s tactics.

With the clock ticking down it was Shiel’s agent Paul Connors who stepped in to break the deadlock.