Port Adelaide appears a near-certainty to land an off-contract Western Bulldog this trade period, after he requested a trade on Wednesday afternoon.
Ruckman Jordon Sweet, who currently hasn't signed a contract with the Bulldogs for next season, hails from North Adelaide and has requested a trade to Alberton Oval to play for the Power from 2024.
Since being rookie-drafted by the Dogs in 2018, Sweet has had a bitter go of it in terms of senior opportunities, managing just 11 AFL games through the 2021-22 seasons and having played no games for Luke Beveridge in the Bulldogs' 2023 campaign.
Sweet, who cannot exercise free agent rights this year, is understood to have had a deal on the table from the Dogs for the majority of this season, though he hasn't put pen to paper on a new contract to remain at Whitten Oval.
The Bulldogs confirmed Sweet's trade request, releasing the following club statement on Wednesday afternoon:
"The Western Bulldogs can confirm Jordon Sweet has requested a trade to Port Adelaide in the upcoming AFL Trade Period.
"The 25-year-old is out of contract at the end of the season after playing 11 games at the Kennel.
"The Club was keen to retain Jordon, having had a contract on the table for the majority of the year, however the ruckman has a desire to return to his home state.
"The Club will now work with Port Adelaide to facilitate a suitable trade."
SEN reporter Sam Edmund earlier on Wednesday claimed the 25-year-old was "highly likely" to depart the Kennel this year in favour of Port.
"Well, Jordon Sweet looks likely to [head to] Port Adelaide," Edmund started onย SENย on Wednesday.
"They've put an offer to the fringe Dogs ruckman, he's had a deal on the table at the Dogs for a lot of this year [but he] hasn't signed it.
"His VFL campaign ended at the weekend, he didn't request a trade, I'm told, at his exit meeting yesterday (Tuesday), and the offer from Port Adelaide obviously isn't huge, but he appears likely, I think it's fair to say, to pursue a change of scene.
"I'd guess, and it's only a guess, that he's waiting for (Brodie) Grundy to formalise his decision. If Grundy goes to Port I think you can put a line through it (Sweet going to the Power), but given we think Grundy's going to join Sydney, I think it's highly likely that Jordon Sweet joins Port Adelaide."
Sweet's news comes after separate information emerged on Wednesday that Port Adelaide was reportedly out of the running for Grundy, leaving Sydney as the overwhelming front-runner.
In addition to any deal for Sweet, the Power's list management department will be assessing the optimal route to acquire Essendon's Brandon Zerk-Thatcher after the defending Bomber requested a trade away from the Hangar on Wednesday morning, as well as that of wantaway Cat Esava Ratugolea, who similarly desires to be traded to Alberton.
This year's trade period is set to commence on October 9.
