GEELONG has put forward a massive offer for Carlton superstar Charlie Curnow as the race for the Blues superstar heats up.
On Thursday, the Cats put forward what would be a record-breaking trade offer of three first-round picks (in 2025, 2026 and 2027) in exchange for Curnow.
It came after the Cats had offered their first pick this year, pick 19, to St Kilda on the opening day of the trade period on Monday for Rowan Marshall. But with no movement on that deal, the Cats have made a huge play for Curnow, who has wanted to get to Geelong.
No player has ever been traded for three straight first-round picks. The offer does not include the Cats getting back any draft picks in return.
Sydney has also spoken to Carlton over the past 24 hours about Curnow, but the Swans are yet to put forward a firm offer.
Carlton has been willing to consider its options on Curnow after he expressed a desire to leave the club this off-season, but it has been resolute that it would take a mammoth deal to prise him out of Ikon Park.
Curnow has spent months hopeful of a move to either Sydney or Geelong, with Gold Coast having previously been in the mix before winning a commitment from Melbourne superstar Christian Petracca late last week.
Petracca’s call has left the door open for either the Cats or the Swans to pounce.
Carlton has separately held an interest in Gold Coast’s Ben Ainsworth as he considers his options, while it also chased Sydney’s Will Hayward during his free agency campaign last season before he recommitted on a five-year deal.
The club has elsewhere presented trade options in both this year’s draft and next to secure West Coast youngster Campbell Chesser, while talks with the Western Bulldogs over contracted defender Buku Khamis are progressing slowly. – Callum Twomey, Riley Beveridge
‘TRAC’ TALKS TO DRAG ON
CHRISTIAN Petracca‘s high-profile move from Melbourne to Gold Coast is poised to go deep into the trade period, with conversations between the two clubs still at a preliminary stage through the first week of the window.
The Suns are now armed with a hand of picks No.7, 8, 15 and 18 inside the draft’s first round, but are still weighing up offers to lure Petracca north after he nominated Damien Hardwick’s side as his preferred new home late last week.
Gold Coast list boss Craig Cameron said on Thursday that the Petracca deal “will take a little while to work through”, with Melbourne’s former Norm Smith Medal winner contracted at the club through to 2029.
Christian Petracca at Melbourne’s portrait day in February 2025. Picture: AFL Photos
The Demons are expected to drive a hard bargain for Petracca, with the clubs expected to ramp up negotiations in the coming days but bracing for the talks to potentially go down to the wire.
“Really preliminary discussions only. We won’t be going much further into any detail, unfortunately. Very preliminary discussions, that’s all they are,” Melbourne list boss Tim Lamb told AFL.com.au‘s Gettable on Thursday.
“As we’ve said all along, we love ‘Trac’. He’s expressed a desire to potentially move somewhere else and we’ve said we’ll look at something, as long as it’s in the best interests of the club. That’s our position.
“We haven’t really progressed anything very far at all.” – Riley Beveridge
WILKIE LOCKS IN LONGER DEAL
ST KILDA’S potential captain-in-waiting Callum Wilkie has had his contract extended by two more years after the Western Bulldogs’ aggressive pursuit of him.
The Dogs launched a $4.5 million tilt at the Saints defender with a lucrative four-year deal, with the backman speaking with Bulldogs coach Luke Beveridge through the process.
Wilkie had two years left to run on his previous contract at the Saints, but the club has extended him by two more years through to the end of 2029.
