AFL Trades 2024: Richmond at centre of trade period stalemate with West Coast, Fremantle, Gold Coast deals

Richmond are at the centre of a frustrating hold-up in this year’s trade period as they refuse to budge on three of the biggest deals of 2024. The Tigers are negotiating deals to trade out Liam Baker, Shai Bolton and Daniel Rioli to West Coast, Fremantle and Gold Coast respectively. It could lead Adem Yze’s team with an incredible draft hand, but they’re haggling over picks has haltered any deals with no movement on a stagnant Wednesday frustrating pundits. Fremantle are believed to have tabled two of their three first-round draft picks in exchange for Bolton — who still has four years to run on a deal at Punt Road. They want to hand over picks No.10 and No.18, while the Tigers are understood to want No.10 and No.11 as they look to maximise the loss of the 2022 All-Australian. “A few of the players are contracted and contracted for a long period of time so it’s really on the club’s that they’ve chosen to come to us,” a defiant Richmond list boss Blair Hartley told reporters on Monday. Fremantle general manager of football talent, strategy and special projects Peter Bell said the Dockers had made a strong offer to Richmond for Bolton as talks remain at a stalemate between the clubs. “We’ve gone in with what we consider to be a really strong offer. As everyone’s aware the draft is very strong, so the offer we’ve put forward is strong on any given year, but particularly this year we believe it to be a strong offer,” Bell told Trade Radio. “There’s a fair amount of negotiation to go ... hopefully from a Fremantle perspective we can make it work.” Top WA draftee Bo Allan — who won a premiership with Fremantle’s WAFL affiliate Peel Thunder — is expected to fall around pick No.11 in the draft and could be why the Dockers want to hold onto the selection. Richmond also want a first-round pick for out-of-contract vice-captain Liam Baker, who is looking to move to West Coast after they announced former Tigers midfield assistant Andrew McQualter as their new coach. West Coast only have pick No.3 at this stage and while they are open to splitting that selection, it’s not likely to be part of a deal for Baker unless the Tigers can package up a reasonable pick in return for the midfielder. This leaves West Coast needing a deal for sending Tom Barrass to Hawthorn to go through before they can land Baker, with negotiations continuing on that front. West Coast are believed to want more than the Hawks’ pick No.14 and while they are unlikely to get another first-round pick for the 29-year-old defender, a future second-round pick or this year’s second-round selection (currently pick No.33) could be part of the package. The Tigers are also haggling with Gold Coast over the price for recently-crowned club champion Daniel Rioli, with the Suns’ pick No.6 not enough at this stage to get the deal across the line. Gold Coast seemingly hold the cards when it comes to a trade for Port Adelaide’s Dan Houston, with both Carlton and Collingwood chasing their pick No.13 to on-trade to the Power for the two-time All-Australian. Richmond already hold picks 1, 24, 32, 42, 43, 45, 51, 61, 70 and 76 in this year’s draft.