A MEGA-TRADE has just been completed with Tayla Harris one of seven players involved as well as a stack of draft picks.
The five-team trade sees Harris (Carlton) and Liv Purcell (Geelong) head to Melbourne, Chloe Scheer (Adelaide) move to Geelong and Chloe Dalton (Carlton) and Jess Dal Pos (GWS) swapping clubs.
Former Carlton skipper Katie Loynes is also now a Giant, while unheralded Melbourne defender/winger Chantel Emonson has made the move to Geelong as part of the super-deal, having been squeezed out of the improving Dees lineup at times this year.
MEGA-TRADE DETAILS
ADELAIDE
In – Picks 20 (Geelong), 47 (Melbourne)
Out – Chloe Scheer (Geelong), 49 (Melbourne)
CARLTON
In – Jess Dal Pos, picks 10, 27 (all GWS), 32 (Melbourne)
Out – Chloe Dalton and Katie Loynes (GWS), Tayla Harris (Melbourne), pick 44 (Melbourne)
GEELONG
In – Chloe Scheer (Adelaide), Chantel Emonson and pick 15 (both Melbourne)
Out – Olivia Purcell (Melbourne), picks 20 (Adelaide), 37 (GWS)
GWS
In – Chloe Dalton, Katie Loynes, pick 42 (all Carlton), pick 37 (Geelong)
Out – Jess Dal Pos, picks 10, 27 (all Carlton)
MELBOURNE
In – Olivia Purcell (Geelong), Tayla Harris (Carlton), picks 44 (Carlton) and 49 (Adelaide)
Out – Chantel Emonson (Geelong), picks 15 (Geelong), 32 (Carlton), 42 (GWS) and 47 (Adelaide)
The trade period finishes at 2pm AEST on Wednesday, but resignings can continue into the following week.
Harris played 29 games for Carlton over four seasons, kicking 25 goals, although added only four this season.
TRADE TRACKER Every deal, indicative draft order
Up to 10 AFLW clubs had previously confirmed to womens.afl they were either unable to fit Harris into their salary cap or into their forward line mix.
Melbourne looks set for a tilt at the flag with its aggressive trading, bringing in Harris and Purcell.
Purcell followed up her 2020 best and fairest win with an equal-fourth placing this year, despite rupturing her right ACL against Richmond in round five (late February).
The local product, who played her junior footy at St Mary's, has made the move up the highway in search of greater success.
Purcell played 19 games for Geelong over three seasons after joining the Cats with pick No.14 in the 2018 NAB AFLW Draft.
While GWS has lost an inaugural Giant – Dal Pos played all possible 37 games for the club after signing as a priority selection, it has gained two players, a rarity for the club which has struggled at times to attract established talent in the part-time competition.
As previously reported by womens.afl, dual-sport athlete Dalton had been linked with both GWS and Gold Coast as she looked to combine her AFLW with rugby sevens more easily.
Dalton sat out the 2021 AFLW season with Carlton due to her Olympic commitments with Australia's rugby sevens team, having previously played 16 games across two seasons with the Blues.
She finished second in the club's best and fairest count in 2020, the year which saw Carlton qualify for a preliminary final before the season was cancelled due to COVID-19.
Dal Pos has long been connected to Carlton, and will reunite with former Darebin Falcons teammates Darcy Vescio and Elise O'Dea.
Purcell is a considerable loss for Geelong but has been somewhat off-set by the acquisition of Scheer.
Previously reported by womens.afl, Geelong put an offer towards the powerful midfielder/forward before Scheer asked for a trade to the Victorian club.
The talented Scheer has battled a series of serious knee injuries over the past few years and as a junior, but is a natural and powerful footballer who will instantly have an impact at the Cats.
Meanwhile, Gold Coast has acquired St Kilda speedster Claudia Whitfort in exchange for pick No.36 (a third-rounder).
The Suns will be the midfielder's third AFLW club, having played four games for Melbourne over two years, before adding another 10 at the Saints across the past two seasons.
She initially joined the Demons with pick No.30 in the 2017 NAB AFLW Draft, a relatively recent convert to the sport from athletics, surf lifesaving and netball.
