Why five-club mega trade would caused uproar

Fresh details have emerged regarding the five-club mega trade which was proposed on Thursday afternoon and was given the green light just before midday on Friday.

If this five-club trade did not get approved, there would have been uproar. These five clubs would have stormed AFL headquarters in Docklands. There could have been a stampede.

The good news for these five clubs is there is nothing in the rules which prohibits it. In theory it should be waved through.

But in practice, the AFL is scared. They are nervous about the optics of a deal which is initially designed to appease Port Adelaide, in addition to their compensation pick for Zak Butters.

And while the AFL might not like the look of it, they are the ones who have created a two-speed economy. That is, some clubs want lots of draft picks, others want one.

Not every club has the same objective. That’s the system they’ve created with academies, father-sons and a compensation system designed before clubs could trade picks years in advance.

So long as all five clubs are happy, and there are no ‘top up’ payments like the one the AFL outlawed two weeks ago, then there should be no issue today.

The five clubs: Hawthorn, Melbourne, Port Adelaide, Western Bulldogs and Carlton. Worked exceptionally hard to find an arrangement which suited ALL parties.

And credit to Power list boss Jason Cripps who acted like the puppet master, and the finer details of this deal have not leaked.

The clubs were keen to avoid a repeat of the Todd Marshall situation, where it leaked out via The Agenda Setters and caused a public storm.

The clubs believe that the league can be swayed by public sentiment and have endeavoured to make sure the AFL assesses this mega trade on its merits.

And they all believe, strongly and vehemently, that what they’ve put forward is fair and should be ticked off.

Yet 18 hours after it was lodged with the AFL, there is still no answer.

If there is one in the next two hours, we will bring it to you first.

The person at the centre of this decision at AFL HQ is Justin Reid, who was the architect behind Adelaide’s list rebuild.

This is his first huge test. He cannot veto this trade because he does not like ‘the look’ of it. But working at an organisation which is preoccupied with optics makes it hard to ignore them.

So until Melbourne, Port Adelaide, Hawthorn, the Dogs and Carlton get an answer… We wait. And we wait for the volcanic eruption if it's not approved.