No player came back for Nick Blakey: "list spots is clearly one, going to the draft is another," Sydney's Chris Keane said. They wanted an early pick "before the Tassie concessions kicked in", and it opens free agency, which they "haven't really been active in" for a decade.
Dane Rampe still hasn't made his call. "Dane's still away... He'll come back and make that decision over the next couple of weeks," Sydney's Chris Keane said. The club went into the trade period "focusing on retaining a lot of the talent that we had."
Matthew Roberts, Riley Bice and Jake Lloyd can play Nick Blakey's roles now he's at North Melbourne, Sydney's Chris Keane said, leaving the call to Dean Cox. He added that Harry Kyle, Will Edwards, Jesse Dattoli and Billy Cootee "were able to step in and look at the level".
Nick Blakey's wish to leave proved "a bit more real than we first realised", Sydney's Chris Keane said. The North Melbourne deal brought pick 6, and Keane is "really comfortable just sitting there, but we're open to all options", including packaging picks to move higher.
Mason McGroder, a Sydney academy prospect who has represented Australia in long jump, "tested really well" at the National Combine, Chris Keane said, though his football can grow. Rivals will largely decide where Henry Meaney and Jake Medved sit in the draft, he said.
Sydney offered Joel Amartey five years, but he left for Carlton as a free agent. Chris Keane: "Given he has left, we are comfortable with what's there." He named Logan McDonald, Peter Ladhams and Liam Hetherton as key forwards, calling McDonald's finals "really encouraging."
Harry Cunningham has a Sydney offer but "a little bit to work through," Chris Keane said, expecting more clarity in coming weeks. On Nick Blakey, contracted five more years: no trade pursued, a deal "significantly challenging", and staying in 2027 is the likeliest outcome.
Dane Rampe is away and yet to decide his future; Sydney's Chris Keane expects a call "over the next few weeks." Keane said the club's retention focus "hasn't changed, and won't change", and constant talks with the managers of Tom McCartin and Chad Warner, free agents next year.