Essendon has asked Port Adelaide to part with their 2021 first round pick if they want to secure Orazio Fantasia, according to SEN Chief Sports Reporter Sam Edmund.
The 25-year-old small forward, who is out of contract at the end of next year, has signalled his intention to leave the club and head back to Port Adelaide and his home state of South Australia.
Edmund is now reporting that the Bombers are hellbent on securing Port Adelaide’s future first round pick in the deal, with another pick going back to the Power.
“Port Adelaide has offered their pick 28 (for Fantasia) which ends up going out to the 30s and Essendon are not happy with that in a weak draft,” he said on AFL Trade Radio’s Trade Afternoons.
“They’re saying that 28 will not get it done, so the Bombers want a future first and they’ll give something back.
“That’s where that one is at right now.”
Essendon list boss Adrian Dodoro confirmed to AFL Trade Radio earlier in the week that Port Adelaide's pick 28 "wasn't appealing" to the club.
“It’s incumbent upon them to come to us at this point in time,” Dodoro said.
“Pick 28 is something that’s going to blow out into the mid-30s in this draft so it’s not something that’s appealing to us.
“(Orazio) knows he has a contract and he’s happy to come back and have a great year here next year.”
Fantasia played five games in 2020 because of persistent soft-tissue injuries on the back of featuring for the club on 15 occasions in 2019.