Callum Ah Chee set to become a Crow, Adelaide battles Gold Coast for Christian Petracca’s services

Petracca, 29, is weighing up whether to request a switch to Adelaide or Gold Coast after meeting with both clubs this week and is expected to make a decision in the coming days.

But the Crows are mindful of the difficulty in securing a trade for a four-time All-Australian who has four years to run on a contract of more than $1.2m when Melbourne holds all the cards.

Adelaide, coming off a straight-sets finals exit, has pick 14 in next month’s national draft, along with all its selections in 2025 and 2026, though its future first-rounders will be in the teens again if the club makes another September run.

Petracca, the Norm Smith Medallist in Melbourne’s 2021 premiership success, played all 23 games this season and was runner-up in the club’s best-and-fairest last month.

His manager, Anna Scullie, was understood to have rung the Crows on Sunday night to arrange the Monday catch-up with the club on the back of a very public arrival into Adelaide.

Adelaide is determined to boost its midfield and will consider fellow Melbourne on-baller Clayton Oliver if Petracca chooses the Suns, but the 28-year-old is less likely when it assesses other options.

Expectations that the Demons will pay a substantial part of Oliver’s wage of well over $1m per season to move him on makes the four-time best-and-fairest winner a more enticing prospect for clubs than two years ago when the Crows explored a blockbuster trade.

Adelaide is not looking at North Melbourne captain Jy Simpkin.

The Crows’ next step towards improving their squad will come on Friday when Brisbane makes dual premiership forward Callum Ah Chee’s trade request official.

Ah Chee, 27, has already told the Lions he wants to join the Crows on a reported five-year deal.

He is out of contract, ensuring a trade will need to be struck between the clubs, but Adelaide is optimistic that will happen.

Ah Chee has played 124 times for Brisbane across six seasons, including all 26 games in each of the past two campaigns.

He booted four goals in last year’s grand final triumph and 0.2 from 17 disposals on Saturday.

Before joining the Lions, Ah Chee lined up in 45 matches for Gold Coast from 2016-2019.

His arrival at West Lakes would strengthen an attack set to again include club great Taylor Walker in 2026.

Adelaide appears likely to announce Walker’s re-signing on a one-year deal at its best-and-fairest count on Saturday night.