GEELONG and Essendon have agreed to a deal which sends defender Jordan Ridley to the Cats and utility Jack Bowes to the Bombers.

A Crichton Medal winner at the Bombers, Ridley has joined the Cats along with pick No.60 and a 2028 fourth-round pick in exchange for Bowes, a 2027 first-round pick and a 2028 second-round pick.

TRADE HUB All the latest player movement news

Ridley, now 27, won the Essendon best and fairest in 2020 – when he made the All-Australian squad – but has been limited to just 26 games across the past three seasons.

The No.10 pick in 2016, Bowes was drafted by Gold Coast before joining the Cats at the end of 2022.

Bowes played 69 games for the Cats, but only nine this year, having featured for Geelong in the 2025 Grand Final.

"Jordan is a quality player who boasts experience and will be a great addition to our backline group. We're looking forward to seeing what Jordan can bring to the club in the future," Cats footy boss Andrew Mackie said.

"Jack has been a great teammate and person to have around our club for the last four seasons. We know Jack has plenty of good football ahead of him and are pleased he has the opportunity to continue his career at Essendon."

While Ridley gets a fresh start, the Bombers have further bolstered their draft hand.

They hold four picks inside the top 25 as it stands, along with seven picks in the first two rounds in 2027 and 2028.

"Jordan and his management came to us about the opportunity at Geelong. He's contracted until the end of 2029, so we were only ever going to do a deal that was right for Essendon, and we've worked through it with Geelong to get an outcome that suits everyone," Bombers footy boss Matt Rosa said.

"Jack has played 152 games, been part of two deep finals campaigns with Geelong and played in a Grand Final. He gives us another experienced body through the midfield to support our young group, and he's someone who really wanted to come to the Bombers.

"We're in a phase where bringing in young talent is the priority. We hold pick No.1, 15, 19 and 25 in a draft we love this year, and adding Geelong's first-round pick means we'll have two first-round selections next year as well. Combined with experienced players like Jack, it puts us in a strong position to keep building a great Essendon team.

"It's never easy to see a player leave who has given this club so much. Since his debut in 2018, Jordan has been a quality player for us, and his 2020 season, when he won the Crichton Medal and was named in the All-Australian squad, was as good as any season a young defender has had. The last few years have been tough for him with injury, and we hope the move gives him a good run at it."