Hogan accepts pay cut to join Fremantle as stars switch clubs

Jesse Hogan has taken a significant pay cut to get back to his family in Perth and play for Fremantle.

Hogan joined the Dockers as part of the mega deal that also delivered Steven May to Melbourne, meaning that after Tom Lynch's free agency move to Richmond, Gold Coast had lost both of their co-captains from this year.

The net effect of the multi-layered deal also saw Rory Lobb join the Dockers, Lachie Neale move to the Lions, Chad Wingard and Ryan Burton swap clubs and a host of draft picks flow.

Hogan had been eager to return home to Perth and family after struggling with the loss of his father, treatment this year for testicular cancer and with mental health problems.

Heading home to Perth: Jesse Hogan.

Heading home to Perth: Jesse Hogan.Credit:AAP

He also has an injury to his navicular which sidelined him for the end of the season.

It had been reported that Hogan had demanded an eight-year deal from the Dockers, but his manager Matt Bain from TLA dismissed that report.

"I understand everyone needs content at this time and it's a difficult period for everyone but what was reported was way over the top," Bain told Fairfax Media.

"He has taken a pay cut. While I won’t go into details, I can say the term is less than five years.

"Jesse is back home now and happy to be close to family again. The Melbourne Football Club have been exceptional for Jesse over his time there and, in particular, Simon Goodwin and Josh Mahoney.

"They have shown an incredible amount of compassion for Jesse and his family in some hard times and for that we will be forever grateful."

Mahoney, the Demons football manager, said they were happy with the deal they secured for Hogan and the twists and turns were part of the period.

"The Jesse Hogan discussion was a bit different," Mahoney said. "Fremantle was going through if they wanted to trade for Jesse. We'd had discussions privately with Jesse and his preference was to go to Fremantle.

"In all of those discussions we said we'd look to do the best trade for the club. But if we can get a deal, we'd be open to it. We walk away really happy with the deal we've done."

Hogan arrived at the Demons as a 17-year-old and kicked 152 goals in 71 games with the club.

A series of key trades were completed by 3pm after the day had begun with Hawthorn defender Burton agreeing from a holiday in Las Vegas to be part of the trade to get Port Adelaide's Wingard to the Hawks.

With that in place the trade began to come together that sent Wingard to the Hawks in exchange for Burton, picks 15, 35 and a future fourth-round selection.

Port Adelaide then traded picks six and 35 and a future third-round selection to gain Lions' defender Sam Mayes and, importantly, pick five, which puts them in the prime position to draft young South Australian prospect Connor Rozee, who is a chance to be available at that selection in November.

With that deal done the Lions then moved to position themselves to trade in Fremantle's Lachie Neale by doing a pick swap with Gold Coast.

They received pick 19, a future second-round and a future third-round selection and handed over their first-round selection for next season.

With picks six and 19 in their hands, the Lions held the keys that would unlock the mega trade to send Neale to the Lions, Hogan to Fremantle, Lobb to Fremantle and May to Melbourne.

Within a frenetic half-hour, the four players reached their destination via trades with the Dockers trading out Neale and pick 30 for picks six, 19 and 55.

Fremantle then traded picks six and 23 to the Demons for Hogan and pick 60, and then two minutes later traded out picks 11 and 19 to Greater Western Sydney for Lobb as well as picks 14, 43 and 47.

The Suns then accepted Melbourne's offer of pick six for both May and Kade Kolodjashnij while working to recruit Port Adelaide defender Jack Hombsch, ensuring they had some defensive coverage in 2019.

With the hectic period done,  Sydney sprung a surprise when they used pick 70 for underrated Geelong defender Jackson Thurlow, who became a target for the Swans after Tom Langdon decided on the weekend to stick with Collingwood.

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