Geelong have reportedly turned down pick 24 from Port Adelaide in trade negotiations for Esava Ratugolea.
The report emerged from Josh Money on Channel Nine in Adelaide where he revealed the Cats knocked back the selection the Power picked up in an earlier trade with Fremantle.
Money says that the Cats are instead pursuing a player-for-player swap with Power forward Ollie Lord.
SEN’s Tom Morris referenced that report and confirmed that the Cats were targeting Lord, who has strong family links to Geelong and went to school at Geelong Grammar.
“Port Adelaide received pick 22 from Fremantle specifically so they could offer it to Geelong for Esava Ratugolea, it’s now pick 24,” Morris said on SEN Breakfast.
“Geelong reportedly is going to say no to that instead. They want Ollie Lord according to Josh Money from Channel Nine in Adelaide.
“He's reporting that they want Ollie Lord who is the grandson of Geelong premiership player and Brownlow Medallist Alistair Lord.
“They'd prefer just Ollie Lord for (Ratugolea), but Port’s not doing that.
“Geelong is trying to ask for a contracted player in return for a non-contracted player.”
In response to that report, Kane Cornes and Brad Johnson discussed Ratugolea’s value and Geelong’s bid for Lord on AFL Trade Radio.
While they both agree pick 24 is about right for the defender, the duo felt Geelong were smart in targeting the emerging forward who kicked 15 goals from 13 games in 2023 including a bag of four in the Qualifying Final loss to Brisbane.
Johnson: “Would you take pick 24?
Cornes: “I would have thought (pick 24) that was around the mark like it's not too far away, isn't it?
“I think it's spot on.”
Cornes: “I don't think Geelong rated Esava. They rate him now, but when he was actually there and available for selection, there were always five or six players that were picked in front of him and now they're saying, ‘No, he's worth more than that’.
“What they have done Geelong and I think this is smart. They've gone, ‘You want Esava Ratugolea, we want Ollie Lord’.
“Ollie Lord who has some history with the Geelong footy club, his grandfather played there and was a legend of the club.
“He's got one year left on his deal at Port Adelaide, Tom Hawkins is 35.
“This could be one of those ones that goes alright.”
Johnson: “I like it, ‘You want one of ours, let’s do a direct player-for-player swap, you need Esava in your back half, we need a replacement for Tom Hawkins in the future. Let's do a deal’.
“Ollie Lord is just a young man finding his way. He had a good final and everyone's pretty excited about where his future will land.
“I don't mind it at all.”
Lord, who has one year remaining on his contract, made his AFL debut for the Power in 2023 and will turn 22 before the start of the 2024 season.
Ratugolea, who is out of contract, is 25 and has played 75 games for Geelong since being taken with pick No.43 in the 2016 Draft.