THE KURT Tippett saga has undergone another twist with reports surfacing that Adelaide entered into a secret agreement to smooth the key forward's path to the club of his choice at the end of his last contract with the Crows.

Adelaide has consistently denied the existence of such a clause in the three-year contract Tippett signed at the end of 2009, but The Age reports club powerbrokers are understood to have gone to the AFL late last week with written documentation confirming that they had agreed to trade Tippett for a second-round choice.

The agreement was reportedly not part of the contract lodged with the AFL, but specified in a separate note, with its existence potentially having serious ramifications for both the Crows and Tippett if confirmed.

Under AFL rules, clubs can face fines and/or draft penalties if found guilty of draft tampering or salary cap breaches, with a player also potentially facing bans if found to be a willing party. 
 
The Age reported Adelaide chief executive Steven Trigg went to the AFL after returning home from Europe last week to seek clarification on the legalities of the so-called 'gentlemen's agreement'.

Tippett shocked Adelaide when he went public with his desire to play for the Sydney Swans next season, with the Crows believed to have been prepared to make a deal to send the Queensland-raised forward to either the Brisbane Lions or Gold Coast.

Talks between the Crows and Swans have dragged well into the third week of the Gillette AFL Trade Period with a proposed deal to send out-of-favour forward Jesse White and pick No.23 to Adelaide shelved on Friday.

If the report is proven correct it is unclear how a trade between the two clubs would proceed or what sanctions - if any - will be levelled.

An AFL spokesman declined to comment on Wednesday morning but said the League would make a statement on the issue later in the day.

Meanwhile, in other trade news St Kilda was successful in its bid to lure Queenslander Tom Hickey away from the Suns in return for the 13th overall pick the Saints received as compensation for the loss of Brendon Goddard to the Bombers during free agency.

Gold Coast will get pick No.13 as well as 37 and 57 for the 21-year-old, while St Kilda will also receive the Suns' picks at 26 and 47.

"We were really keen to gain a selection back inside the top 15 since exchanging our first-round draft selection for the extremely talented Jack Martin through the trade incentive draft," Gold Coast football manager Marcus Ashcroft said.

"Our ability to add pick 13 to our selections in the upcoming draft means we will have the ability to draft another elite young player to our club next month."

The Advertiser reports Essendon free agent Henry Slattery is keen to resurrect his stalled career at Port Adelaide next year.

"I'm not going to rule anything out," Slattery said.

"I'm married and my wife is also from Adelaide so we could easily make the move.

"It will just come down to what happens with my footy."

The paper also reports the Power have given up on their bid to lure Fremantle defender Greg Broughton away from Perth.

The Lions have met with out-of-favour Melbourne forward-ruckman Stefan Martin with a view to trading for him ahead of Friday's trade deadline.

Jason Phelan is a reporter with afl.com.au. Follow him on Twitter @AFL_JasonPhelan.