The marquee deal of trade week is still pending.
Some 24 hours after launching an audacious bid for Brendan Fevola, the Brisbane Lions are waiting on the OK from midfielder Michael Rischitelli that he's willing to be traded in exchange for the wayward Carlton forward.
Proceedings took a small step forward during a tour of the redevelopment of Visy Park on Thursday when a deputation of Carlton heavies including senior coach Brett Ratten and new recruit Brock McLean made their pitch to Rischitelli, who's understood to have been offered a lucrative three-year deal, and the third player involved, Daniel Bradshaw.
Neither player was giving much away, however, when bailed up by the media at Melbourne airport.
Asked if he was looking forward to a move to the Blues, Bradshaw, replied, "We'll see what happens, not too sure," while Rischitelli said simply, "Yeah, we’ll see what happens at this stage."
Bailed up by the media after playing chaperone, Ratten was hopeful rather than confident.
"It was good just to say g'day and have a look around, but we know nothing yet," said Ratten. "We don't know if the deal will go through - it seems positive but we'll wait and see."
It's understood the proposed trade includes a commitment from the Lions to meet the onerous financial terms of Fevola's existing contract with Carlton - in the order of $550,000 next year and $800,000-plus in 2011 - in full.
Rischitelli's approval remains a potential sticking point.
While he hails from Melbourne, the 23-year-old was settled in Brisbane and was initially shocked to receive a tap on the shoulder on Wednesday from senior coach Michael Voss informing him that he was part of the bait in the Lions' plan to lure Fevola.
Bradshaw, who hails from Wodonga, is more amenable to a move to Victoria but needed to convince the Blues' medical staff that he was an acceptable risk given his lower back and soft tissue problems of recent seasons.
The 30-year-old is entitled to wonder whether the manner of his departure from Brisbane befits his 12 years of outstanding service.
He's the club's all-time leading goalkicker with 496 and ranks third for games with 222.
While Bradshaw has only two or perhaps three years left in him at AFL level, the Blues are excited by the prospect of recruiting a fine role model and solid citizen, everything that Fevola - for all his wonderful football talents - is not.
Fevola, meanwhile, remains holed up on holiday on the Gold Coast awaiting developments.