Bryce Gibbs was extremely close to officially becoming an Adelaide player this afternoon, and Jon Ralph has explained why the trade fell apart at the final hurdle.
The journalist for the Herald Sun says that the deal was all but signed earlier today, if not for a misunderstanding surrounding the nature of draft picks exchanged between the teams.
“This is the deal that Carlton expected it to be: pick 10, next year’s first rounder for Adelaide and a swap of their second round picks next year,” Ralph told SEN's The Run Home.
“The second round pick is very important because Carlton needed it to trade with GWS for Matthew Kennedy… that underpins the entire trade.
“At some stage with Justin Reid, the Adelaide footy boss, in AFL house - it was that close - Adelaide said hang on, that’s not the deal we agreed to.”
Ralph believes that Adelaide expected a trade that didn’t see them giving up a future second round pick and still receiving Carlton’s.
"I wouldn’t say we are back at square one, but we are with both clubs at loggerheads, which have so much bad blood between them," he said.
"You would think that wiser heads and calmer heads would prevail but there is still a chance that Bryce Gibbs, having been told that he would be traded and accepting that for the second year in a row, might stay at Carlton."
SEN expert Terry Wallace believes that Adelaide are already offering a considerable amount for the veteran midfielder.
“It just depends if Adelaide are prepared to stump up anymore,” Wallace said on The Run Home
“That’s a fair stump up, you’re talking about a 29 year old player that you are going pick 10 and a future pick next year, that’s a fair bit as it is.
“Pick 10 plus a future first round pick in a better draft next year for a 29-year-old is heaps. To me, that’s overs.
“Carlton’s deal is so far over what Bryce Gibbs is worth, it is ridiculous. If they get it over the line, good luck to them.”
Gibbs, who unsuccessfully requested a trade home to South Australia last season, finished fourth in Carlton’s best and fairest after an extremely consistent year.
Carlton and Adelaide have until 2:00pm AFL trade deadline tomorrow to finalise a deal, with an agreeement still expected to be reached before time is up.