Trade Bell: Saint wants out; latest on Hogan, Butts, Rivers, Vlastuin & more

The Trade Bell continued to ring with the trade period fast approaching.

Sam Edmund joined Gerard Whateley go through all the latest on the player movement front.

Rowan Marshall

“He's going to try and get out again. He's told St Kilda he wants to be traded. He hasn't nominated a club, and Geelong's clearly the preference, as it was 12 months ago from that failed trade when the Saints refused to deal.

“And this all stems from the Tom De Koning acquisition, what happened before it, and what has happened since. Rowan Marshall wants to be the number one ruck. He ain't gonna be that at St Kilda while Tom De Koning is there.

“I’d say he's down the priority list at Geelong. They've got a lockout on the Cats, again. For me, it actually surprises me that Geelong would explore this, given Mitch Edwards has emerged. They've kept faith in Toby Conway.

“But that's where he wants to play, Rowan Marshall. So we'll see. Everything you hear is that the Saints might be a little bit more open to doing the deal 12 months on. He's still contracted, of course, but they’re more open than what they were last year.”

St Kilda released a statement regarding Marshall on Tuesday morning:

“St Kilda ruckman Rowan Marshall has informed the club that he will seek a trade during the upcoming Trade Period.

“Rowan is a highly valued member of the St Kilda Football Club and remains contracted until the end of 2027.

“Marshall has not nominated a preferred destination at this stage, with the club making clear that any trade will need to be in the best interests of the St Kilda Football Club.”

Jesse Hogan

“On the move at GWS, clearly. He's done a medical at Collingwood but he hasn't done a medical at the two other clubs that have been linked to him. That's Carlton and also at Gold Coast.

“He's overseas at the moment. All signs at this stage point to him agreeing terms with the Pies. There's still a little bit to play out over the next, I'd say, day or two with this, but it should come into pretty sharp focus this week for Jesse.

“He doesn't quite have all the information yet, so it's not certain he’s at Collingwood. But as things stand, that's the most likely option.

“I’d have him in a Collingwood jumper above the other two at this stage. That'd be a big in for them.”

Buku Khamis & Arty Jones

“Massive day at the Dogs yesterday. Buku Khamis will stay. Arty Jones will stay.

“Arty told teammates on the trip to Adelaide that he would stay. He conveyed that formally to the club late yesterday. That's a three-year deal.

“Buku Khamis had been coming and going, coming and going for more than a year now with Carlton. He'd really wrestled with it. As much as the offer as it was, where would he fit in respective backlines at both clubs?

“In the end, a bit like Arty Jones, the Dogs kept upping that offer. In the end, it got pretty close to the Carlton one. It's not huge in the money sense. It's five years at around the AFL average, $550,000. So I think it's good business from the Dogs, good business from obviously Buku Khamis.

“Clearly he gets the deal, he gets the security.

“And with Jordon Butts looming as that defensive addition at the Dogs, then I think he gets the chance to play as that third back when you factor in James O'Donnell.

“I think that's where we all think Buku would play his best football.”

Jordon Butts

“Jordon Butts was linked to North Melbourne, but that won't be happening. He definitely won't be at Arden Street.

“So I'd have him, like all those artists' impressions at the moment, already in a Dogs guernsey. It looks as though that's going to come to fruition.”

Jordan Ridley

“Jordan Ridley is one we can definitely factor in as a possibility at Arden Street, just while we're mentioning them as well.”

Tim English

“It just will not go away. He does have some appetite to move and GWS are very interested. We did say that last week on this program.

“We say that because other parties have been told that. So Fox Footy last night reported Tim's management have been quietly exploring trade possibilities.

“Now the Dogs, we've got to admit, they hate that narrative and they've been on the front foot to let us know as much. But different parties get told different things at this time of year. That's always been the case.

“The Dogs did feel compelled yesterday to contact the English camp, Tim's management, and make it abundantly clear to them that Tim English won't be going anywhere. Categoric, shut the gate, forget about it.

“I think the Dogs should be respected in this space because history says when they say this, they mean it. It's not window dressing. They're not hollow words. They've lived it with Josh Dunkley and other players down the years when they're contracted and they say they're digging in, they are digging in.

“So for me personally, knowing recent history at that footy club, if they're saying that about Tim English, I'd say it's highly, highly unlikely he leaves. But again, There is some appetite to explore it. I don't think that's smoke without fire at the moment.”

Jack Viney

“I think there will be a home for Viney.

“It was reported that Jack said to the club that he didn’t want to work his you know what off and not get the reward.

“I think he read the tea leaves this year when he was plotting that path back from injury. Now Steven King did make it clear to him that they want to get games into their young midfielders. They want Harvey Langford inside, they want more games into Caleb Windsor, they want Koltyn Tholstrup to get more opportunity in there, and that if Jack wanted to explore his options then he had Melbourne's so-called blessing to do so.

“It was an uncomfortable chat. I mean, you'd expect it to be. But there was no anger or anything, as some have suggested. Jack, in fact, stated that as hard as it might have been to hear, he appreciated the honesty and the fact that at least he knows where he stands.

“So that will now play out for a guy who's contracted for another two years at Melbourne. He signed that three-year extension towards the end of 2024.

“I can see a home for him. I can actually see a home for him at Essendon, as much as anything, as a club who's maybe wanting a bit of experience in that engine room.

“I know they're going to get rid of some experience, but I think Jack's still got some hard footy left in him.

“That's pure speculation on my behalf too. I haven't spoken to Essendon about that, but I'd be pretty surprised if they didn't pick up the phone and enquire.”

Trent Rivers

“The Demons have heard this for a long period of time now. I think Tom Morris reported it initially. He may want to relocate to Queensland for family reasons there. He's got a baby on the way, his partner is from Brisbane.

“He hasn't actually informed the club of any desire to be traded at this stage and again he's also overseas at the moment.

“The club's position, for what it's worth, is that he's contracted and required, he's signed on until 2027. He's from Perth, he's partners from Brisbane, that's the motivation.

“The Lions actually considered it during the season. They might have even spoken to Trent Rivers, but they're not going to explore it. That's not something they're going to be pursuing.

“He's also not for Gold Coast as well from a Suns point of view. So I think we shut the door on Trent River is going to Queensland, if he is to move, logic would say he's going to be headed west.”

Jamarra Ugle-Hagan

“We’ve said this a few times, he'll be staying. I'm 99% sure it'll be a new deal for Jamaara. It'll be a one-year deal unless there's some sort of unforeseen twist which as we know with his journey is possible.

“At the moment he's going to stay. I actually believe it'll be on an even tighter set of parameters than when he was traded from the Western Bulldogs. So this would truly be last chance to learn stuff for Jamarra.

“So some particulars being worked out here by the club and the player’s management. I think he stays, but he's going to be on a pretty tight rein I reckon.”

Nick Vlastuin & Jayden Short

Whateley asked: “So here's one name and not for the first time that has come through. Does Nick Vlastuin to Sydney come into play with the Callum Mills injury?”

Edmund replied: “Yeah, so I wasn't going to raise this because it's one of those ones where if you raise these guys, you could raise a thousand players. So can I state that?

“Look, it's probably 90-95% chance I'm told that nothing would happen, but you know, it's like a Lloyd Christmas where there's a chance, and I'd fold Jayden Short into that too.

“Now both of these guys have bubbled up in conversations, both are contracted for one more year, but then you've got Richmond in full reset mode obviously and their last chance at a pure draft.

“I know they got the second pick this year, they got picked 20 I think as well. Would they be willing to do one of those players in a trade to get a pick back in, a little bit more of a foothold in the draft this year before Tassie comes in.

“At the same time, you've got the coach wanting all the experience he can get and really needing to coach for his life next year as well.

“They've been inquired about, there's a couple of clubs hunting those guys. Do Richmond have the appetite to do the deal on at least one of them? I've got as an open question at the moment, whether it be Nick or whether it be Jayden.

“That's probably the best way to put it. I'm not even sure if either has an appetite to move, but both have done a heck of a lot of winning. Would they be open to seeking a fresh start somewhere else?”