Sydney and Geelong were in the box seat for the majority of this trade period's Charlie Curnow sweepstakes, with the Swans ultimately prevailing and acquiring Curnow's services.
But another team surprisingly made a last-ditch attempt at luring Curnow out of Carlton.
North Melbourne, who have chased many big-name players over a number of years, tried their luck.
As the final hours of the trade period arrived, the Roos sniffed an opportunity and pounced on Curnow - who was desperate to escape Carlton - and put forward an offer for the superstar forward.
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“The Roos put forward their 2026 & 2027 first-round picks as well as the trade capital they would have got for Jy Simpkin during the day as Blues and Swans talks stalled,” reported the AFL’s Cal Twomey.
“The daring move from the Roos did not progress but showed the club's intent to stay involved in possible options right until the trade buzzer on Wednesday night, particularly if there was an opportunity to have Simpkin be part of a trade to secure a top-end player such as Curnow.”
Whilst the move did not come to fruition, it does demonstrate North’s intent to keep pursuing big-name stars, irrespective of their ladder position.