AFL Trades: Carlton eyeing West Coast Eagles top draft pick after shock Hawthorn deal

October 11

Carlton is believed to be plotting a draft pick snatch in a bid to nab one of this year’s hottest draft talents, and the Eagles are firmly in their sights.

The Blues were at the centre of a deal on Friday that blew the AFL’s trade period wide open, taking Hawthorn’s pick 14, which was expected to be used in a deal to send West Coast champion Tom Barrass to the Hawks, for a handful of future selections.

It leaves West Coast facing the prospect of being unable to trade in Richmond target Liam Baker, with crosstown rivals Fremantle circling, with their hopes being they could use pick 14 from the Hawks to get a deal done.

Carlton now holds picks 12 and 14 but is reportedly eyeing surging into the top three picks, with the Eagles holding the third selection behind fellow battlers Richmond and North Melbourne.

The Blues are desperate to land prospect Finn O’Sullivan, who is tipped as one of the draft classes’s most well-rounded players with the ability to win the ball inside and out as well as have a damaging kick.

O’Sullivan is also the cousin of current Blues star Sam Walsh and a friend of rising Eagles star Harley Reid.

The young AFL hopeful said he would be open to heading west if the Eagles drafted him to play alongside Reid, who were teammates at Vic Country last year.

“We’ve talked a bit about it (moving West) but nothing’s really certain in the draft. He (Reid) loves it I think moving over there and there Vic Country boys I think it’d be a great opportunity to go over there because there is already six or seven boys over there so I’d love it,” O’Sullivan said on joining Reid in WA.

“I haven’t got his number, but I might have to give him a call I think. I’ve got him on Snapchat so I might send him a text message.”

Given the Eagles’ critical lack of depth, they may be open to splitting their top pick as they did in 2022 to land local products Reuben Ginbey and Elijah Hewett, but selections in the early teens are unlikely to tempt them, even if it would assist a move for Baker.

The Eagles have already traded out premiership forward Jack Darling to North Melbourne for pick 62 in one of just two deals completed in the opening four days.

Three trades were completed on day five, but all were pick swaps as Brisbane ensure they have the capital to secure father-son prospect Levi Ashcroft, the brother of Norm Smith medallist Will.

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