AFL trade period live updates: Ben McKay, Taylor Adams, Brodie ...

North Melbourne's list manager Todd Viney had this to say last month when Todd Goldstein confirmed he wanted to leave the club:

"Goldy has been a loyal and decorated servant of the club so it's naturally sad to see him go.

"It's a credit to him that he has been able to play over 300 games at the one club and it'll be strange to see him in different colours.

"He's incredibly popular among our members and supporters and he's been a great mentor for our young and emerging rucks, especially Tristan Xerri.

"We wish Todd nothing but the best in his future endeavours and he leaves knowing that Flick and his family are welcome back at Arden St any time."

The AFL says it has received and approved the required paperwork to make Todd Goldstein a Bomber as an unrestricted free agent.

North Melbourne won't get anything back from the AFL for this one.

That's according to Peter Ryan from The Age, who reports that Duursma is set to formally request a trade to the Bombers.

I personally would absolutely love to see a neat and tidy player-for-player deal get done here that sends Duursma to Essendon and Brandon Zerk-Thatcher to Port Adelaide. Seems pretty fair for all parties I'd say, and lets both sides keep their draft capital for other deals.

I'm sure the Pies have been more than willing to engage in discussions with Schultz, but I imagine Fremantle are going to be asking for more than what the Pies will get from Sydney for Adams. That's not to say some sort of deal can't be arranged, but if this does proceed it could be a fascinating watch.

I also don't know what this means for Jack Ginnivan, but that's another matter.

But as Harry says, this is a blow for Fremantle. The sight of Blake Acres tearing up finals for Carlton will have been a bitter pill to swallow, and they're at risk of losing another somewhat unheralded but crucial player here.

I still like what the Dockers are building and expect them to bounce back from a poor 2023, but this doesn't help.

Some breaking news coming through this afternoon.

It is being reported by Channel 7's Mitch Cleary and SEN's Sam Edmund that Fremantle small forward Lachie Schultz has requested a trade to Collingwood.

Pretty big news, Schultz is a great little player. The Pies are pretty stocked for small forwards, but when players of Schultz's quality become available you have to make a move.

But geez, if Freo want the world for Liam Henry, imagine what they'll ask for for Lachie Schultz ...

I don't think the Demons have any real issue in letting Brodie Grundy move on, nor do I think they're going to be playing hard ball with the Swans.

Collingwood, on the other hand, are being a bit tougher about Taylor Adams, and the Swans can't really pull the trigger on one without knowing what the other is going to cost. They'll both get there eventually.

Who do you think will end up having Brodie Grundy on their side?

- Oscar

Brodie Grundy will end up at Sydney.

I reckon this would have been one of the easier deals to wrap up for the Swans had the Taylor Adams situation not emerged. Now Sydney just need to balance their books a little to make sure they can keep both Collingwood and Melbourne happy with their offers.

But it'll get done. Still got seven business days to go after today, plenty of time.

No, and I don't think that will play much of a part in trade discussions at this point.

But it might be a factor come draft night, because two prospective top-10 picks are Tasmanian. Colby McKercher and Ryley Sanders led the Allies team to victory at the U18 state champs this year, and are both expected to go very early in the draft.

Both have said they are keen to play anywhere, and the formation of a 19th side in Tasmania won't be in their minds at all, but will it bother recruiters? Maybe it's still too early for that to be of concern, but it will be something to keep in mind in the coming years.

The Western Bulldogs are locked in on father-son prospect Jordan Croft, who will likely receive a bid just outside the top 10 at this year's draft.

By doing this deal with the Suns — which saw them offer up 10, 17 and a future first for pick 4 and some third rounders — the Bulldogs will be able to match that bid for Croft while still having a high pick before that to pick someone else up.

It's a heavy price to pay for the Bulldogs, but there's logic to it.

I imagine the starting point would be Essendon's pick 8, but North Melbourne would likely want more than that. But this is also why it's not really in Essendon's interests to offer less than a band one contract, because they will lose nothing if pick three heads North's way.

We are hoping to get word on the compensation offer this afternoon. I'd still be very surprised if it wasn't pick three and it all got wrapped up fairly quickly.

The latest in our look at the the 2023 draft crop will zoom in on three young footballers tied to the Gold Coast academy, and who are all set to become Suns in November.

And they are all serious talents.

If he was available to everyone, Jed Walter is the one player in this draft who would give Harley Reid a run for his money as number one pick. Walter is a mobile and skilful key forward, incredibly hard working and excellent in the air. A really complete package at CHF.

Then there's Ethan Read, a ruckman who can shift forward if he needs to. Read's draft ranking was already high, but has only been boosted further by an incredible result in the 2km time trial at the draft combine this weekend, where he finished third.

Capping off the trio is Jake Rogers, a slick and agile midfielder who lit things up when playing for the AFL Academy side earlier this year. He's rated somewhere around the 10-12 mark in this draft, and is in the top handful of midfield options.

All will be Suns next year and beyond. What a haul.

There are a few moves in the offing for St Kilda, with some midfield reshuffling seemingly on the cards.

Jade Gresham seems to be on the way out — it's reported he has now formally asked for a move to Essendon via free agency — while interest remains for Jack Billings. Nick Coffield meanwhile has requested a trade to the Bulldogs.

The Saints will look to broker a deal for Paddy Dow from Carlton, and both clubs expect that one to go through fairly painlessly.

But any interest in Dylan Shiel has been shut down today by Essendon list boss Adrian Dodoro. Seems safe to put a line through that one.

It's one of the big questions set to be answered in this off-season — will West Coast part with pick one?

List manager Rohan O'Brien said last week it would take something special for the Eagles to give up the pick, and that he expected them to hold onto it. Was he telling the truth, or was that all just posturing?

The first question is who could make a play at pick one. North Melbourne could, with their raft of first-round picks both this year and last year, and potential access to both picks two and three. Hawthorn might, though their hand isn't as strong. Melbourne maybe, if they can do some further wheeling and dealing to bolster their draft hand.

But the other question is should the Eagles be entertaining any offers. Given my thoughts on Harley Reid (he's very, very good), given West Coast's major deficiencies (midfield, contested ball) and given how compromised the rest of this draft is, I believe they should be hanging on to that pick and building their next great side around Reid.

Any thought of Reid being a flight risk has been played down by the man himself and the Eagles, and West Coast haven't been at all afraid of drafting from outside WA in recent years. Some have suggested that the Eagles are more interested in WA prospect Dan Curtin than Reid — no doubt the Eagles rate Curtin, but certainly not higher than Reid.

I don't think late first-round picks will be too enticing this year. If there's a world where West Coast could end up with both of North's picks two and three, which could then become Curtin and Colby McKercher, I think they would do that deal. But I'd be surprised if North were prepared to go that far, and anything less than that I think would be a poor move for the Eagles.

But we'll see.

He surely will, but Fremantle and the Saints are still some way apart. The Dockers have been talking first or early-second round picks for Liam Henry, and the Saints are raising some eyebrows at that.

David Walls, Freo's list manager, was talking about picks in the "early teens" last week. I don't think that will be happening.

One of the big potential talking points of the week is done and dusted just after lunch on day one.

Gold Coast have traded picks 4, 46, 51 and a future third rounder to the Western Bulldogs for picks 10, 17 and a future first.

Expect picks 10 and 17 to be on the market now, while the Bulldogs have put themselves in a fantastic position in this draft. Someone like Nick Watson could well be the target there.

So the AFL's free agency compensation calculator is a mysterious beast. It basically takes in the player's proposed salary, length of the proposed contract and his age and spits out which band of compensation is required.

I highly doubt anyone would say Ben McKay is worth pick three in an open market. But that may well be what the contract Essendon are offering him is worth according to the AFL's formula.

If the calculator puts McKay in the second band of compensation rather than the first, North Melbourne would get an end of first round selection — pick 19. Brady Rawlings has said North Melbourne would not accept that.

The first trade of 2023 has gone down. And it's a pick swap that will help Port Adelaide chase their many targets this year.

Port have sent their future first round pick to Fremantle in exchange for pick 22 and a future second round pick.

The Dockers are loading up on 2024 picks. Interesting considering the reports this morning they will be heavily into Logan McDonald next year ...

I believe so.

The Magpies' financial commitment to Brodie Grundy would not end with a move from Melbourne to Sydney, otherwise I'm not sure the Swans would be particularly interested.

Essendon list boss Adrian Dodoro said this morning that Essendon had lodged their bid for Ben McKay.

North Melbourne list boss Brady Rawlings was then equally clear that if the AFL's compensation was anything less than pick three, North would be matching the Bombers' offer and forcing them to trade table.

We are still waiting to find out what that compensation will be. Personally, I'd be very surprised if it's not pick three to North Melbourne. But for the sake of drama, it would be interesting to see what happened next if it's not.

No, I think the door is shut on that one.

There was definitely some truth in it all though. Melbourne have been frustrated with Clayton Oliver and in their statement last week made clear that it was up to the player to meet the behavioural and cultural standards set by the club.

Was the whole thing just a powerplay to pull Oliver back into line? Honestly, maybe. And maybe it has been enough to spook Oliver into straightening back up to Melbourne's standards.

Other clubs certainly thought it was a live situation and were making legitimate enquiries too. But I think it's safe to say that whole saga is settled — Clayton Oliver is a Dee and will be a Dee for the foreseeable future.