ESSENDON champion and AFL.com.au's own Matthew Lloyd has revealed how close the Bombers came to signing North Melbourne great Wayne Carey and Brisbane superstar Jason Akermanis in the 2000s.

Lloyd said he was part of the Bombers brigade that pitched to Carey following his turbulent exit from the Kangaroos in 2002. 

"I went to Wayne Carey's Port Melbourne apartment," Lloyd told AFL Trade Radio on Monday. 

WHO'S MOVING? All the latest trade and contract news

"Myself, James Hird, Kevin Sheedy and we tried to get him. He said he was interested in coming to Essendon so Kevin Sheedy said, 'Can you come with me?'.

"So we met secretly, we all drove separately. We got given car parks to go up to Wayne Carey's apartment.  

"I remember sitting on Wayne Carey's couch and Kevin Sheedy walked in with the team, the team that was going to play round one of next year. 

"The Carey magnet was at centre half-forward, I was at full-forward and James Hird was half-forward flank and said, 'What a forward line we could create'. The big sell … Wayne seemed keen, but we got a call a couple of days later saying, 'No, I need to get out of Melbourne, I'm going to the Crows'." 

Lloyd said the Bombers' offer to the two-time premiership captain was around half a million dollars a season. 

Carey eventually joined Adelaide for picks No.2 and No.18.

Lloyd also revealed how he was part of the pitch to get Brownlow medallist Jason Akermanis.

The romance between the outspoken Akermanis and Brisbane leaders was at an end by 2006 and the Lions were looking to ship out the gun rover.

Lloyd said he was on holiday on the Gold Coast when he got a call from the club's list manager Adrian Dodoro.

"I was sitting on a sunbed at the Sheraton Mirage on the Gold Coast …

"I get call from Adrian Dodoro who says: 'We're close to landing Jason Akermanis so here's his phone number, can you just seal the deal for us with a call to Aker?'.

"So I gave Aker a call. We would have 15 minutes, great chat. Rang Adrian and said, 'I reckon we're going to be right … we had a great chat'. 

"I was about to have my first child [and Aker] was giving me parenting advice on what's it like …  he was telling me all sorts of things. Two days later he's chosen the Western Bulldogs. 

"So I'm zero from two … I've put the cue in the rack [and] I'm no longer part of the recruiting team for anyone."