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<\/p>\nMerrett was one of five players not to have their trade request met, including St Kilda ruckman Rowan Marshall (Geelong), dual premiership-winning Brisbane forward Callum Ah Chee (Adelaide), North Melbourne skipper Jy Simpkin (Collingwood), and Western Bulldog Buku Khamis (Carlton).<\/p>\n
Ah Chee\u2019s manager Ben Williams said after the Lions refused to trade the uncontracted two-time premiership player to Adelaide that there was \u201czero chance\u201d he would be playing at Brisbane next year.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe is leaving \u2013 he will be going to Adelaide,\u201d Williams said, saying Ah Chee would now go into the pre-season draft and he and Crows list manager Justin Reid were confident he would get to the Crows for nothing.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re committed to Callum joining the club, and he is committed to joining us,\u201d Reid said.<\/p>\n
Geelong offered their future first and another pick for Marshall, but St Kilda coach Ross Lyon said the Saints were determined to keep him because they felt two rucks worked well in modern football, especially with an expanded bench.<\/p>\n
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Matt Rosa and the Bombers held their ground in the face of the Hawks\u2019 push for their captain.Credit: AFL Photos<\/p>\n
The Swans landed their next rock star forward in the dying minutes before deadline, when Carlton finally agreed to trade dual Coleman medallist Curnow.<\/p>\n
They received picks 31 and 42 and a 2027 second-rounder on top of Curnow, and handed over a huge haul of Will Hayward, pick No.11 and their 2026 and 2027 first-round selections.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re really pleased. We feel like [we\u2019ve got] three first-round picks in, and with Will Hayward it\u2019s effectively four. It gives us great flexibility,\u201d Blues football manager Chris Davies said.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s not like our club performed that well in 2025 that we can not figure out different ways to do things in the future.<\/p>\n
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Sydney list manager Chris Keane got his man, superstar forward Charlie Curnow.Credit: AFL Photos<\/p>\n
\u201cI accept that Charlie has been a big figure in our club for a long period of time, and the club should thank Charlie for what his contribution has been, but we feel that the time is right to make sure that we\u2019re looking for the future of our club as well.<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd having a player who doesn\u2019t want to be at your club is an interesting thing to actually manage.<\/p>\n
\u201cI mean, when you start to think about Ainsworth, Florent, Hayward, Chesser, these are players who we believe can have an impact on what our squad looks like in 2026, and definitely adds depth in an area that Carlton hasn\u2019t had.<\/p>\n
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\u201cWe think that, on balance, that our team should be better than what it was this year. When you start to think about adding depth across the ground, that\u2019s important. It\u2019s no point having a group of players who are one type and don\u2019t give the coaches the flexibility, as I say. We think we\u2019ve done that with the players who are coming in this year, and we also think that we\u2019ve given ourselves a good amount of flexibility for the future.\u201d<\/p>\n
Curnow continues Sydney\u2019s love affair with recruiting big-name forwards, behind Tony Lockett, Barry Hall and Lance Franklin, and instantly makes them premiership threats again next season.<\/p>\n
Melbourne\u2019s former premiership stars Christian Petracca and Clayton Oliver were the first major dominoes to fall, departing for Gold Coast and GWS, respectively.<\/p>\n
Petracca was the Norm Smith medallist in the Demons\u2019 2021 flag, but this was the second-straight year he tried to leave.<\/p>\n
Melbourne parted with Petracca, picks 24 and 28 this year and a 2026 second-rounder in the deal, while receiving selections seven, eight, 37, a 2026 first-round pick and a 2027 third-rounder.<\/p>\n
The return for Oliver was far more modest: the Giants traded a future third-round selection, and the Demons will pay a sizeable chunk of the remaining five years of his deal.<\/p>\n
However, Collingwood were never able to seriously tempt North Melbourne to trade contracted captain Simpkin, Kangaroos list boss Brady Rawlings said. But Simpkin is unlikely to remain as captain.<\/p>\n
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Jamarra Ugle-Hagan will look to revive his career on the Gold Coast.Credit: Getty Images<\/p>\n
The biggest name to switch clubs on deadline day before the big four\u2019s trade fate was decided was ex-Western Bulldogs forward Jamarra Ugle-Hagan\u2019s long-touted move to Gold Coast.<\/p>\n
The 2020 No.1 draft pick was transforming into one of the game\u2019s most prolific forwards last year. Ugle-Hagan kicked four goals in three straight games during one purple patch, but off-field issues led to his internal relationships breaking down and eventually an untenable situation.<\/p>\n
Ugle-Hagan did not play a single game in 2025, and Bulldogs football boss Sam Power confirmed that they would not pay a cent of his contract for next year, which was worth about $800,000.<\/p>\n
Instead, the 23-year-old accepted a heavily reduced one-year deal at the Suns, with a trigger for a second season, on a heavily reduced deal.<\/p>\n
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Former St Kilda skipper Jack Steele will now have a role to play in Melbourne\u2019s engine room.Credit: Getty Images<\/p>\n
Ugle-Hagan became the 20th No.1 pick to be traded when Gold Coast handed over the No.74 pick to the Bulldogs. He joins a Suns attack that includes the likes of Ben King, Jed Walter, Ben Long and Ethan Read.<\/p>\n
Essendon and Adelaide opted not to pursue former St Kilda captain Jack Steele, but Melbourne swooped on deadline day to add much-needed experience after trading premiership stars Petracca and Oliver.<\/p>\n
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The Saints told Steele, who was contracted for two more seasons, to explore his options and he eventually crossed to the Demons for a 2027 third-round pick.<\/p>\n
Florent was originally expected to be part of the Curnow deal, but Sydney and Carlton agreed on a separate trade where the Blues parted with their 2026 third-round selection. They are banking on Florent returning to his form of last year after spending an extended time out of the Swans\u2019 senior side this past season.<\/p>\n
Florent\u2019s fellow ex-Swan Jack Buller\u2019s wish to join Collingwood came true. The Pies sent Sydney a 2026 third-round pick for Buller and a 2026 fourth-rounder.<\/p>\n
Beyond Curnow, the Swans also welcomed ex-Hawk Jai Serong and Hawthorn\u2019s 2026 fourth-round pick, while giving up their own 2026 third-rounder.<\/p>\n
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If a photo could talk: Changkuoth Jiath and Hawks coach Sam Mitchell.Credit: Getty Images<\/p>\n
Another Hawthorn defender, Changkuoth Jiath, also departed, with Melbourne securing him for what is currently the No.42 pick in this year\u2019s draft and a fourth-round selection next year.<\/p>\n
Jiath played a career-most 20 games this season, but the Hawks encouraged him to explore his options, and he now looms as a potential replacement for Judd McVee, who successfully sought a move from the Demons to Fremantle.<\/p>\n
There was also two new names who emerged on deadline day.<\/p>\n
This masthead revealed that Adelaide were in negotiations with North Melbourne to trade for forward-ruck Finnbar Maley, whose sister, Perth Lynx co-captain Anneli, previously played in the WNBL for Adelaide Lightning.<\/p>\n
Their father, Paul \u201cthe Mailman\u201d Maley, was an NBL star in the 1990s and played part of his career at the Adelaide 36ers.<\/p>\n
Richmond also got in the action, securing Geelong winger Patrick Retschko for the princely sum of No.99.<\/p>\n