AFL Trades 2024: Fremantle, Richmond remain at odds over asking price for All-Australian forward Shai Bolton

Fremantle and Richmond remain at a stalemate over the asking price for contracted forward Shai Bolton as the trade period stuttered on Tuesday. The industry belief is the Tigers are wanting the Dockers top two draft picks (currently picks No.10 and No.11) in exchange for the 2022 All-Australian goalsneak who still has four years to run on a deal. Fremantle are believed to only be willing to part with one of those as well as pick No.18 to land Bolton, who has kicked 165 goals in 135 games since being drafted with pick No.29 in 2016. Dockers list boss David Walls has already made it clear the club is prepared to use their picks at the draft if the deal for Bolton became too expensive. Bolton, 25, requested a trade back to WA after eight seasons at the Tigers where he won two premierships (2019 and 2020) but is part of the mass exodus from the wooden spooners. Richmond have already lost unrestricted free agent Jack Graham who signed with the Eagles on a four-year deal that landed the club a pick at the end of the second round (currently No.42) as compensation. It was the only deal done on the second day after Jack Darling (North Melbourne) and Alex Neal-Bullen (Adelaide) were traded on Monday. Bolton is set to be joined by vice-captain Liam Baker (West Coast) and recently crowned club champion Daniel Rioli (Gold Coast) in exiting the club who are set to end up with a big haul of early picks in the upcoming draft. Fremantle games record holder David Mundy said the recruitment of Bolton could be the final piece in the Dockers’ premiership puzzle. “The list is capable of playing finals and is Shai that final piece? He’s obviously a very talented player,” Mundy told Wide World of Sports. “How he fits into the culture, how he fits into the role at Fremantle will be different to how he was at Richmond as well. They are all the things you have got to weigh up. “But certainly there would be that pressing need to try to find your last piece. You look at Fremantle’s best 25 or 26 — we think they have got the backline locked in, the midfield looks like it’s coming along really, really nicely. “It’s the forward line that still has the question marks. Josh Treacy filled a lot of those gaps this year, but he can’t do it alone. They are going to need something else, and Shai Bolton certainly fits that mould.” Bolton is contracted until the end of 2028 after signing a lucrative five-year extension in December 2022.