PORT Adelaide CEO Keith Thomas remains confident his club can land Essendon ruckman Paddy Ryder, but expects any deal to go down to the wire.
The deadline for the NAB AFL Trade Period is rapidly approaching (Thursday, 2pm) and the Power and Essendon remain locked in negotiations.
Port upped its offer of pick No.17 for Ryder to include pick No.37.
The Herald Sun is reporting the Bombers still believe the deal isn't good enough to secure the ruckman, but that clearance of the trade could be given by the board rather than the football department.
Thomas felt the trade would be completed.
“I feel relatively confident…history tells us 95 per cent of these deals get done in the end and I wish they didn’t have to go down to the wire, but I think we’re ok," Thomas said.
“The dialogue with Essendon has been very good and I hope we can get something done."
Greater Western Sydney midfielder Mark Whiley is set to join teammateKristian Jaksch in a trade to Carlton.
The Age reports Whiley will undergo a medical on Wednesday before heading to the Blues with his key forward teammate, while Carlton will swap their pick No.7 at the NAB AFL Draft for pick No.19 with the Giants.
As the penultimate trading day dawns, it appears the Jaksch trade is one of several likely to get done.
Levi Greenwood's manager Liam Pickering on Tuesday said the North Melbourne midfielder would likely become a Collingwood player on Wednesday in exchange for pick No.25.
Pickering was simply waiting for the paperwork of the trade to be lodged, which would mean the Magpies would have to receive pick No.25 from the Brisbane Lions as part of the deal for Dayne Beams.
The complex deal would see Beams join the Lions, Jack Crisp, picks No.5 and 25 join Collingwood, Magpie defender Heritier Lumumba join Melbourne, Mitch Clark head to Geelong and Travis Varcoe go to Collingwood.
Collingwood director of football Rodney Eade has ruled himself out of the running for he vacant senior coaching position at Gold Coast, The Age reports.
Eade said he had spoken to CEO Gary Pert to assure him he would remain with the Magpies.
Meanwhile, Kevin Sheedy has denied any approach from Essendon, after it was reported on Tuesday he might be on his way back to the club in 2015.
Sheedy is a paid ambassador at the Giants and a board member and took to Twitter to confirm his happiness at being involved with the fledging club.