North Melbourne's pursuit of Sydney Swans defender Nick Blakey has hit its first significant obstacle, with the Kangaroos' opening trade offer rejected outright as the AFL trade period hurtles toward its Wednesday evening deadline. The two clubs are yet to find common ground, and with just days remaining, the deal that would reunite Blakey with his father's former club is far from certain.
Blakey has made his intentions clear — he wants to play for the Kangaroos, who have put an eight-year, $12 million offer on the table that would make him one of the highest-paid players in the competition. North Melbourne's board has approved the offer, and reports indicate the club has prepared contingency plans across multiple scenarios for the star's immediate future. But convincing Sydney to release him is a different matter entirely.
First Offer Falls Well Short of Sydney's Expectations
North Melbourne's opening salvo — understood to be pick six in this year's national draft plus a swap of later selections — was swiftly knocked back by the Swans. It is understood Sydney views that package as falling significantly short of what a player of Blakey's calibre commands on the trade market, and the Roos will need to substantially lift both the creativity and the value of their next approach.
Pick six shapes as the centrepiece of any realistic deal, but Sydney's rejection signals the Kangaroos will need to bundle additional assets — likely future draft selections — to get the Swans to the table in earnest. Sources with knowledge of the situation indicate the two clubs did not hold any substantive discussions over the weekend, describing Saturday as a calm before what could be a dramatic final 72 hours of negotiations.
For background on how this situation developed, earlier reporting outlined the growing likelihood of Blakey's departure from the Swans as rival clubs began circling.
The Weight of Family History on Blakey's Shoulders
The sentimental dimension of the trade is hard to ignore. Blakey's father, John, played 224 of his 359 AFL games for the Kangaroos during the 1990s and early 2000s, winning two premiership flags with the club. For Nick Blakey, a move north would mean following in his father's footsteps to one of the competition's most storied addresses.
That personal motivation has not gone unnoticed, but it also places North Melbourne under considerable pressure to close the deal. The club has a chequered history when it comes to landing high-profile targets, having previously failed in documented attempts to recruit Richmond champion Dustin Martin, Collingwood's Jordan De Goey, GWS midfielder Josh Kelly and Sydney's own Isaac Heeney. A failure to secure Blakey — especially after publicly pursuing him — would represent another costly miss.
Port Adelaide's Pick Five Adds Intrigue to Final Days
While the Blakey saga dominates headlines, Port Adelaide has introduced another major variable into the final stretch of the trade period. Having already completed a major transaction last week, the Power are now understood to be shopping pick five in this year's draft to the highest bidder, confident they already hold a strong enough hand of selections heading into the 2027 draft cycle — where they anticipate needing to match bids on at least two, possibly three, highly rated prospects.
Richmond and West Coast are considered the most likely suitors if Port Adelaide prioritises future draft capital, while Carlton and Essendon are better placed to compete if the Power prefer immediate picks in what is widely regarded as a deep, pre-Tasmania draft. Reports indicate Richmond is currently the front runner, with two top-five selections in this year's draft representing a significant opportunity for the rebuilding Tigers. Whether this deal lands before Wednesday's trade deadline or spills into the subsequent window — in which picks alone can still be exchanged — remains unclear.
Hawks Forwards Head North as Swans Deal Looms Large
Elsewhere, a pair of Hawthorn small forwards are set to officially become Gold Coast Suns players as early as Monday. Aidan Schubert, who signed a five-year deal last week, and Sam Butler are heading to Queensland, with Butler's decision reportedly confirmed following a recent visit to the Gold Coast. Butler's brother Dan played in Richmond's 2017 premiership under current Suns coach Damien Hardwick, adding a personal connection to the move.
Butler spent six seasons at Hawthorn but was unable to cement a regular spot in the side, particularly after suffering a serious broken leg in 2024 that hampered his development as Nick Watson, Dylan Moore and Jack Ginnivan emerged as the Hawks' preferred small forward combination. Both Schubert and Butler are expected to return second-round draft picks to Hawthorn.
With the trade window slamming shut on Wednesday evening, the coming days promise to be the most intense of the period. The Blakey deal — and whether North Melbourne can construct an offer compelling enough to extract the Swans' blessing — will be the story everyone is watching as the clock ticks down.
