NORTH Melbourne made a bold late play for superstar forward Charlie Curnow in an engrossing Deadline Day on Wednesday.
AFL.com.au can reveal the Kangaroos' 11th hour bid for Curnow as negotiations stalled in Carlton and Sydney's trade talks.
Around lunch time on Wednesday, after Carlton knocked back the Swans' initial offer for Curnow, the Roos sensed a possible opportunity and were quick to have a crack at Curnow, who was desperate to leave the Blues.
To that stage North Melbourne was waiting on an offer from Collingwood for its skipper Jy Simpkin, but the Roos made clear to Curnow's management they would be willing to offer their 2026 and 2027 first-round picks, as well as any collateral they would have got for Simpkin, to throw at the two-time Coleman medallist.
The daring move from the Roos did not progress but showed the club's intent to stay involved in possible options right until the trade buzzer on Wednesday night, particularly if there was an opportunity to have Simpkin be part of a trade to secure a top-end player such as Curnow.
Collingwood later on Wednesday only offered a future second-round pick for Simpkin which was immediately shut down by North, with the Magpies never offering North a first-round pick in any draft for their captain.
Geelong had offered three first-round picks for Curnow last week – its 2025, 2026 and 2027 selections – which the Blues knocked back the following day, with the Cats maintaining interest as late as Wednesday afternoon in Curnow.
Negotiations were tense between the Swans and Blues, with Carlton adamant that three first-round picks be included in the deal and little movement made in the afternoon of wheeling and dealing at Marvel Stadium.
It came down to the final three minutes before the Swans agreed to include their 2027 first-round pick for the superstar forward as part of the mega-trade, which saw Carlton land Swans forward Will Hayward and Sydney's pick 11, 2026 first-round pick and 2027 first-round pick in the deal.
The Swans secured Curnow as well as three second-round picks in return (two this year and one in 2027).
