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NORTH Melbourne midfielder Ryan Bastinac is set to cross to the Brisbane Lions in a deal that complicates Collingwood's efforts to sign Lions midfielder James Aish.
There had been speculation Bastinac might get to the Lions in a three-way deal that would also have sent Aish to Collingwood, but the Pies will now have to reach a separate deal for the Lions midfielder.
With the NAB AFL Trade Period's deadline of 2pm AEDT on Thursday fast approaching, Collingwood is running out of time to finalise an agreement with the Lions, meaning North retains some hope of convincing Aish that his future lies at Arden Street.
In return for Bastinac, North will climb back into the first round of this year's draft.
The Roos traded their first-round pick, No.15 overall, to Hawthorn for Jed Anderson, but are set to receive pick No.17 from the Lions (the first-round pick they received from West Coast for Jack Redden).
North will, in turn, send picks No.38 and 40 to the Lions, which will ensure they still have the draft points they are expected to need to match rival bids for their highly rated academy players Eric Hipwood and Ben Keays.
Giving up pick No.17 will see the Lions lose 1025 points, but picks No.38 and 40 nearly cover that loss with their combined 884 points.
Collingwood's negotiations with the Lions over Aish appear delicately placed, and are even further complicated by the Pies' inability to finalise a trade for Greater Western Sydney midfielder Adam Treloar.
The Lions are understood to have asked for two 2016 second-round picks for Aish, mindful that they could need a stockpile of draft points for next year's academy players.
But the Pies have offered only the future second-round pick they received from St Kilda for Nathan Freeman.
Given Collingwood has set aside its 2016 first-round pick to be part of the Treloar trade – along with pick No.7 in this year's draft – it can't use its 2016 second-round pick under the AFL's new rules on trading future draft picks.
The Pies are expected to receive a second-round pick back from GWS in the Treloar trade, but it is unclear whether that will be a 2015 or 2016 selection.
As of Wednesday afternoon, the Treloar trade was expected to drag on into the final day of the trade period, leaving the Pies with a significant task of securing trades for the Giant and Aish before the 2pm deadline.
