According to reports, if a deal with Port Adelaide for winger Xavier Duursma does not go through, Essendon is ready to maintain free agent defender Brandon Zerk-Thatcher on their list.
Zerk-Thatcher’s wish to return to his native South Australia at the end of his contract means that both teams approach the last three days of the trade season without a deal in place.
Ben McKay, Todd Goldstein, and Jade Gresham were all signed as free agents by the Bombers, and they also hope to bring Duursma to Tullamarine, which will complete their successful off-season exchange window strategy.
Duursma has requested a transfer to the Bombers despite being under contract and would probably be included in a trade that saw Zerk-Thatcher go the other way.
Given that the Alberton club would be giving up Duursma, a previous first-round pick who is now under contract and in the process of developing, the Power is expected to demand more compensation in the second round of negotiations in addition to the inclusion of Zerk-Thatcher.
The Bombers are reportedly threatening to make a trade that might allow them to keep Zerk-Thatcher until 2024 while Essendon is interested in a straight-player exchange that hasn’t caught Port Adelaide’s attention.
Earlier this year, the Bombers were interested in re-signing Zerk-Thatcher and had a three-year offer on the table for the former Sturt backman. With Zerk-Thatcher’s probable departure, a hole in Brad Scott’s defence was set to open up. The club’s signing of McKay has helped cover that gap.
Given that Zerk-Thatcher is unsigned and the Pre-Season Draught is approaching, other teams could be preparing bids for the important defender.
A transaction between the Power and Bombers, if it happens, is probably going to happen on the last day of this year’s trade deadline due to the teams’ hard stances.
Prior to Wednesday’s deadline of 7:30 p.m. (AEDT), Port Adelaide must finalise agreements with three other clubs in order to sign players Esava Ratugolea of Geelong, Ivan Soldo of Richmond, and Jordon Sweet of the Western Bulldog.
Ratugolea is the club’s first priority, but Geelong is also holding firm after rejecting Port Adelaide’s Pick 25 bid for the forward-turned-defender.
Port Adelaide presently has two second-round picks in 2024 in addition to Picks 25, 41, 49, and 76 for the 2019 count.
