Trade Bell: The superstar ruck roulette that could materialise

The Trade Bell has been rung once more, this time on Thursday morning - the third of September.

SEN's Sam Edmund responded to texts from listeners and provided some further info on SEN’s Whateley.

Read the latest below:

Zac Bailey to Adelaide

“The Lions’ agonising wait for a Zac Bailey decision goes on, and the longer it goes, the more likely it becomes that Bailey is bound for Adelaide,” Edmund said.

“Brisbane have not been told; the players have not been officially told but there’s a real sense of unease in that Lions camp that Zac is going to accept the Crows offer and leave as a restricted free agent.

“There’s a couple of teammates there that believe that Zac won’t be a teammate next season but there’s been no formal announcement of a decision with finals about to hit.

“Just a reminder, the Crows offer – long term, worth around $10 million. The Lions’ offer is clearly north of $1 million a season and has improved overtime.

“It is now at the stage where Bailey would be very close to if not the highest paid player at the Gabba.

“They’ve ridden the rollercoaster on this, the back-to-back premier. They’ve been hopeful, they’ve been confident and they’re now fearful and concerned that Bailey is going to leave.

“But again, no official announcement yet.”

Arty Jones to Essendon

“We’ve spoken a lot about this guy.

“We’ve said it was 50/50 for a long time but the Bulldogs now have a real confidence that he is going to recommit, despite very strong and a very lucrative interest from Essendon.

“The Dogs’ offer is for three years, and it has improved overtime – not to Essendon’s level.

“Contract aside, he is playing, he is playing well and he is happy. It looks as though he is going to end up staying.”

Buku Khamis to Carlton

“The battle for Buku, he has been torn now for two years.

“This could go either way. Carlton tried to trade for him last year; this year they are back given Buku is obviously an unrestricted free agent.

“Buku is torn now. He has consulted staff at the Western Bulldogs for advice about, ‘what do I do, do I stay, do I go, what’s my spot in this side, what’s my spot in the Carlton side?’

“Given Jacob Weitering is back and playing well, Harry Dean is emerging rapidly, Nick Haynes is going around again, Harry O’Farrell is coming back from injury and they’ve got mid-sized backs like Lachie Cowan who are playing good footy as well.

“It’s a real wrestle for Buku, not just over the contract – that is better at Carlton – but, ‘will I play regularly at Carlton, or am I going to walk into the same problem that I have had historically at the Dogs?’”

Jake Riccardi to leave GWS

“He has been offered a three-year deal to stay, but that deal has been on the table for a long, long time at the Giants.

“It’s a pause at the moment; he is being made to wait. The Giants want him to stay, he wants to stay, but here’s so many moving parts at GWS at the moment.

“I think this happens, he does stay up there in Sydney, but it’s just on the backburner at the moment given their ins and outs that are going to take place.”

Toby Greene to Geelong

“This one is ongoing, to be honest. We think Geelong.

“It won’t be Essendon – he met Essendon out of a courtesy to Mark McVeigh. He will leave, and it will be for Geelong.

“We’re probably a week away from that being formalised.”

Tim English to GWS

“This situation is increasingly intriguing.

“I can tell you that Tim does have an appetite to join the Giants, given his wife Ruby is returning to Sydney to join the Swifts in the Super Netball.

“GWS, whether it be staff or players, it’s not often they get this sort of calibre of person actually wanting to come to them – not hunting them but wanting to come to them. When they do, they are duty-bound to explore it.

“Tim’s contracted until 2029, if there is a player that can least afford to lose, it might be Marcus Bontempelli, it might very well be Tim English.

“The Dogs, as we know, play a hard ball at the best of times with contracted players.

“Strap yourself in if this does materialise, and the Dogs’ season ends and he puts his hand up.”

Rowan Marshall to the Bulldogs

“If the Dogs do release Tim English, you’d think they would have to go for Rowan Marshall.

“They must have asked the question of Rowan Marshall.

“Contracted until 2027, the Saints dug in hard this time last year, they didn’t sanction that trade to Geelong, you do hear behind the scenes that the Saints have softened a little bit.

“They might be more willing to do a deal this time for Rowan should he request a trade.

“I think there would be some chance that he gets to the Kennel.”