Adelaide’s Rankine trade imminent as Gold Coast set to receive “sweetener”

SEN’s Sam Edmund expects Gold Coast forward Izak Rankine to be traded to Adelaide on Thursday.

Rankine, 22, will return to his home state having been drafted third overall from the West Adelaide Football Club in the 2018 draft.

According to Edmund, the Suns will send Rankine to the Crows for pick no. 5 in this year’s draft plus a “sweetener”, likely to be selections in next year’s draft when they have academy players coming through.

“Izak will be dealt to Adelaide today, this deal will go through in the coming hours,” Edmund said on SEN Mornings.

“It will be for pick five but not pick five on its own. The Suns want selections in next year’s draft.

“There’s some academy kids coming through, there will be a sweetener here in some way for the Suns.

“Whether it be a future pick given by Adelaide on top of five, or maybe a swap of future picks that works out favourably for the Suns.

“Something like that will happen today is my understanding.

“There’s a basic understanding that this deal gets processed today.”

Edmund says that while the Crows have the pre-season draft as leverage over the Suns, they’re “operating in pretty good faith” to complete a transaction that works for both parties.

“The Crows by the way have pick five in the pre-season draft too, so Gold Coast aren’t going to get much more than that at the pointy end of a trade exchange given the Crows have the high ground.

“But looks as though they’re operating in pretty good faith here.”

Rankine kicked 29 goals from 18 games in the 2022 season as he averaged 13.5 disposals, 1.6 majors and 2.2 tackles.