Carlton ruckman Flynn Riley has been traded to arch rival Collingwood, with the Magpies sending a 2028 third-round pick to the Blues to land the 22-year-old on Tuesday, AFL.com.au reported.
Riley had requested a trade to the Magpies and got his move on Tuesday, according to AFL.com.au. He had a two-year offer on the table from Carlton, but Collingwood put forward a longer deal.
Zero Hanger reported that Riley has agreed to a four-year deal at Collingwood, with three years guaranteed and a trigger for a fourth. That is a long commitment for a player who has been in an AFL system for only six months.
The 209cm big man joined the Blues in this year’s AFL Mid-Season Rookie Draft, where Zero Hanger said Carlton took him with pick 4.
From mid-season pick to Magpie
Riley made his AFL debut for Carlton in round 18 against Hawthorn at the MCG on July 11. Zero Hanger reported he finished with six disposals, five tackles, 17 hit-outs and a goal.
Collingwood list manager Justin Leppitsch had flagged the deal on AFL Trade Radio earlier on Tuesday. “We are trying to finalise a deal for Flynn Riley, and that is all that’s on our plate at the moment,” Leppitsch said, as reported by Zero Hanger.
Read more: AFL: Lachie Neale Bids Lions Farewell as Collingwood Move Looms
Leppitsch also spoke about Collingwood’s interest in Richmond defender Jayden Short. “We would really like to do Jayden, but it is getting harder to do that deal just from a number of factors,” he said.
What’s next for Collingwood
The Magpies have already added Lachie Neale from Brisbane and Jesse Hogan from GWS this off-season, according to Zero Hanger. Riley adds a young ruckman to that haul, and the club remains active in the trade space ahead of Wednesday’s deadline.
More News
