AFL clubs and players faced anxious waits as the futures of Ryan O'Keefe, Robert Warnock and Brad Green remained up in the air heading into tomorrow's final day of trade week.
After four days in which only one trade deal was struck - with fringe Port Adelaide midfielder Adam Thomson heading to Richmond after the Power agreed to accept pick No.42 today - the pressure was on to make last-minute breakthroughs before tomorrow's 2pm (AEDT) deadline.
Sydney star forward O'Keefe had indicated a desire to head to Hawthorn, while young Fremantle ruckman Robert Warnock has been seeking a way to get to Carlton since before the trade period begun.
But both those moves were tonight looking unlikely, with trade talks between Sydney and Hawthorn reaching a standstill today, while mediation failed to resolve a stubborn stand-off between Carlton and Fremantle.
The Swans were demanding the Hawks' first round pick, No.16 overall, as well as a player in return for O'Keefe.
But Hawthorn recruiting manager Chris Pelchen said the premiers today decided they were not willing to give up that pick, even without a player.
"We said to them if they wanted to come to us with a player or collection of players or our second round pick with some players, but they said it has to be pick 16," Pelchen said.
Pelchen said talks had been amicable and the unwillingness to relinquish the draft selection was not a reflection of the value they put on 27-year-old O'Keefe.
But giving up their first-round pick would leave No.34 as their earliest selection, a prospect they could not accept.
"We had to make a decision based on would we part with pick 16, we can't afford to go that far down the draft order," Pelchen said.
Barring a last-minute change of heart from either club, it is extremely unlikely O'Keefe can get to the Hawks, who are last in selection order in the pre-season draft.
Despite the intervention of a mediator, there was little progress between the Dockers and Blues over Warnock.
Carlton have been offering their second-round pick (No.24) and today attempted to sweeten the deal by throwing in pick 56 in exchange for the Dockers' No.69, but that was turned down.
Blues football manager Steven Icke was holding out some hope of a late breakthrough.
"Both parties are continuing to talk and that's a good sign, the pressure of time might bring a result," he said.
But Warnock's manager Colin Young was less optimistic.
"If it's not done tonight it's unlikely it's going to happen," Young said.
If a deal is not reached, the Dockers could lose Warnock for nothing in the pre-season draft, where Melbourne, who have also shown interest in the big man, have the first pick.
But Young said Warnock was only interested in joining the Blues.
Melbourne were still working on trying to re-sign Green tonight, with the classy 27-year-old midfielder having been assessing his options throughout the week.
Collingwood and Sydney had both been linked with Green, if he moves.
Another possibility was a three-way deal in which Green would head to the Swans and O'Keefe to Collingwood, with the Magpies to send a combination of picks and players to the Demons.
North Melbourne's attempts to strike deals to move out midfielder Daniel Harris and forward Corey Jones and the Western Bulldogs' bid to find a new home for want-away midfielder Farren Ray were both being held up by the impasses in the other trades.
Essendon were believed to be close to working out a deal with Geelong to snare promising young Cats midfielder Brent Prismall in exchange for a draft selection, but were making little progress in attempts to find a new club for Andrew Lovett.
And West Coast ruckman Mark Seaby's bid to move out of the shadow of Dean Cox and gain more game time at a new club was expected to fail, with no clubs coming up with an offer to satisfy the Eagles.
