For the second time this week, the Western Bulldogs were on the end of another trade request - this time from premiership onballer Jack Macrae.
Macrae's request sees the veteran ball magnet prepare to depart Whitten Oval three years prior to the end of his contract, with his desired departure following the same request made by off-contract youngster Bailey Smith.
And much like Smith, Macrae could cost a keen suitor a first-round draft pick given his pedigree as a three-time All-Australian. There's no doubt his 2024 season has taken some shine off the product fans have come to know Macrae to be, but at his best he is one of the leading ball winners and distributors in the competition.
Macrae will be 31 next year and it'll be a mighty gamble for any club willing to cash in on the inside-outside midfield threat with high-end draft capital, but sides in the window - or at least looking to make the leap - will be sure to consider it.
We assess five clubs that could make a move for Jack Macrae...
The Saints might be the best match for Macrae, who can walk into a midfield group that has an abundance of inside ball-winners and a lack of outside options to move the ball into attack.
He would slot into an engine room alongside the defensively astute Jack Steele and help mentor the emerging ranks of Mattaes Phillipou, Marcus Windhager and Mitchito Owens for 2025 and beyond.
There's set to be a void in Ross Lyon's midfield stocks, with Seb Ross departing and the future of Brad Crouch clouded due to injury.
Steele struggled to find a right-hand man in the absence of Crouch this year and Macrae could be a better fit as a damaging option on the outside.
For an off-season that was expecting to see star players potentially depart the Demons, could Melbourne turn the tables and instead strengthen their midfield group?
Coach Simon Goodwin will be hoping Clayton Oliver is back to his best in 2025, while Christian Petracca's concerns could be quelled as the club looks to fix its internal issues.
There are certainly some uncertainties at the Demons heading into 2025, so some insurance for their coming campaign could be the addition of Macrae.
The Demons will be holding onto their first-round pick, but it could be Pick 25 - which is currently owned by Adelaide - that helps get a deal done for Macrae, with that selection likely involved in a trade that sees Alex Neal-Bullen become a Crows player.
Could the Cats secure both wantaway Western Bulldogs stars?
All signs suggest Bailey Smith is likely to land at Geelong, with the Cats wanting to bolster a midfield group that has helped them to another preliminary final under Chris Scott.
Geelong will likely need to part with their opening pick for Smith, leaving with little draft capital outside of next year's first-round selection to please the Bulldogs.
Another issue would be how Macrae and Smith both get their desired roles in the blue and white hoops alongside the likes of Max Holmes, Tanner Bruhn, Tom Atkins, Jack Bowes and Patrick Dangerfield.
Is there an option where the Cats send a player the other way? Fringe youngster Jhye Clark and Mitch Knevitt would be enticing for the Dogs, but it'll be hard to pry them out of Geelong in exchange for a 30-year-old.
Nevertheless, you can never count out the Cats, who are sure to have some level of interest in Macrae's services.
The Crows are in need of ball winners who can offer some run on the outside alongside Jordan Dawson and Jake Soligo, with the likes of Mat Crouch and Rory Laird more of the in-and-under types who struggle when the game opens up.
Adelaide could look to use Pick 25 to try and satisfy the Dogs, but that selection may already be tied to a trade that will see the Crows land wantaway Melbourne forward Alex Neal-Bullen.
A future second-round pick might be what the Crows push in any deal, with their first-round picks expected to be too high in value to part with. The Dogs don't have a 2024 first-round pick to part with to help move up the draft order, but they can expect to secure one top 20 selection for the loss of Bailey Smith.
If the Crows see themselves as contenders in 2025, a move for Macrae might be a catalyst in their hopes of snapping their finals drought.
A reunion with younger brother Fin at Olympic Park perhaps?
The older Macrae brother would be a fitting addition to Collingwood's engine room, which has lost some pace given their everlasting reliance on veteran figures Scott Pendlebury, Tom Mitchell and Steele Sidebottom, while star ball-winner Jordan De Goey's ongoing injury battles haven't helped.
Mercurial Magpie Nick Daicos has emerged as the main man in the middle for the reigning premiers, with Macrae a nice complementary addition for the father-son gun and De Goey at the feet of Darcy Cameron.
Collingwood will need to weigh up what direction they'll take this off-season, with any deal involving their future first-round pick set to leave them without an opening selection for the 2024 and 2025 counts.
It's a might gamble for the Victorian powerhouse, who will hope to rise back up the ladder next year after falling from the top to ninth.